Biochemistry Core II and Medical Genetics

Catalog description

The Biochemistry Core Courses are designed to provide medical students with a basic understanding of the biochemical principles which underlie normal and abnormal physiological processes. These principles are the foundation for the medical explanation regarding molecular mechanisms of many clinical disorders. Throughout the course, clinical correlations are introduced to illustrate the linkages between basic biochemical principles, and human disorders. This course will also provide the student with a broad base of knowledge to help facilitate their continuing medical education. The Biochemistry Core Course is divided into two distinct courses: Biochemistry I and Biochemistry II (including medical genetics). Biochemistry I, taught in the first semester of the first year, will provide the student with basic tenets of biochemistry and introduce the student to various metabolic pathways of the body, and diseases that occur as a result of dysfunction. Biochemistry II and Medical Genetics, taught in the second semester of the first year, build upon the information learned in Biochemistry Core I and fully prepare the students for special biochemistry topics that are presented throughout each of the 10 organ systems. In addition, the medical genetics portion of the curriculum covers such topics as: autosomal dominance and recessive inheritance, sex-linked and mitochondrial inheritance, clinical cytogenetics, key disorders of metabolism, developmental genetics, cancer genetics, multifactorial inheritance, and gene therapy.