Pre-requisite: A-Level Chemistry
Aims & Learning Objectives:
Aims: To teach the students the pathways of central metabolism and to relate the regulation of these pathways to the homeostasis of the whole organism. In order to appreciate and understand metabolism, the students are taught the fundamental aspects of enzymes and their regulation, and this in turn is necessarily preceded by lectures on protein structure.
After taking this course the student should be able to:
* know the pathways of central metabolism
* understand the way in which the cell degrades nutrients in small steps to allow the energy to be trapped and converted to a useful form
* appreciate the way in which central metabolism connects catabolism and anabolism
* understand the regulation of central metabolism with respect to the needs of the organism in relation to its environment
Content:
Proteins: amino acids - structures, ionisation and physical properties; primary structure and an overview of protein folding and conformation. Enzymes: catalysis, kinetics, regulation. Metabolism: chemistry of monosaccharides, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle, glyoxylate cycle, regulation of central metabolism.
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