Biochemistry I will introduce the students to the molecular composition of living cells, the organization of biological molecules within the cell, and the structure and function of these biological molecules and of their polymers. This course will focus on four main types of biological molecules: amino acids, saccharides, lipids and nucleotides, and on their main polymers: proteins, polysaccharides, complex lipids and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). In this semester we will concentrate on the structures of these molecules, their functions, and the strong relationship between structure and function. Other topics to be examined in the course include: kinetics and catalytic mechanisms of enzymes, biological transport in membranes, and biosignaling (signal transduction pathways). Methods and approaches used in biochemical research will be presented. The course will be accompanied by examples of some disease states and their biochemical bases.
The following topics will be covered during the semester: