General Biochemistry

Catalog description

Comprehensive survey of the pathways and regulation of intermediary metabolism. BMB 402H General Biochemistry (3) provides a more intimate and interactive class environment than does BMB 402 . Most, if not all, of the students taking BMB 402H intend to pursue a Ph.D., M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree after graduation. Since biochemistry is an important discipline for advanced studies in life and medical sciences, a major goal of BMB 402H is to prepare students well for their future challenges in graduate or medical school. The textbook used is more advanced than that used in BMB 402 , and it is what is typically used in biochemistry courses taught at premier medical schools and graduate schools. The class is conducted at a challenging level to provide students with the opportunity to treat topics in greater depth and to explore current development more fully than is possible in BMB 402 .The major topics covered include glycolysis, TCA cycle, metabolism of fatty acids, lipids (phospholipids, cholesterol and sphingolipids), amino acids and nucleotides, signal transduction, and human genetic diseases. Since biochemistry is a very rapidly progressing discipline, any new developments not covered by the textbook are introduced in the lectures or via discussion of current scientific papers at an appropriate level. BMB 402H exams require that students understand all aspects of a particular metabolic pathway under study, including the sequential steps of the pathway, chemical structures of all intermediates, the mechanisms of all key reactions, regulation of the pathway, and the relationships with other pathways. In addition, students must be able to integrate information learned from different but related material.