Syllabus
History of biochemistry. Introduction to metabolism: thermodynamics of living systems, metabolic pathways, experimental approaches to metabolic studies, thermodynamics of phosphate compounds, oxidation-reduction reactions.
Saccharide metabolism. Glycolysis:The glycolytic pathway, Glycolytic reactions, Fermentation ? anaerobic pyruvate degradation, Regulation of metabolic flux, Metabolism of other hexoses.
Other pathways of saccharide metabolism. Gluconeogenesis, Glyoxylate pathway, Biosynthesis of oligosaccharides and glycoproteins, Pentose cycle.
Citrate cycle. Overview, Metabolic sources of acetyl-coenzyme A, Citrate cycle enzymes, Citrate cycle regulation, Amphibolic nature of the citrate cycle.
Membrane transport.Transport thermodynamics, Transport kinetics and mechanisms, Primary active transport, Secondary active transport.
Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondria, Electron transport, Oxidative phosphorylation, Regulation of ATP production.
Photosynthesis. Chloroplasts, Light-dependent reactions, Reactions taking place without direct participation of light.
Expression and transfer of genetic information. Replication: DNA ? the carrier of genetic information, DNA replication: an overview, Replication enzymes. Transcription: Role of RNA in protein synthesis, RNA polymerase, Transcription regulation, Post-transcription modifications. Translation: Genetic code, Transfer RNA, Ribosomes, Translation regulation, Post-translation modifications.
Annotation
Basic metabolic pathways (biological oxidation, metabolism of sugars, lipids, proteins, photosynthesis, citric acid cycle, regulation of metabolic processes).