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BMS 1011: Biomedical Chemistry

Subject Overview

The subject Biomedical Chemistry introduces students to three fundamental topics of Biochemistry - biological molecules, proteins/enzymes and metabolic pathways. It provides a knowledge base for subjects taught later in the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences.

The objectives of this subject are to enable students to:

  • Understand the structure and properties of molecules associated with the life process.
  • Comprehend the physical and biochemical properties of proteins especially in their role as enzymes.
  • Understand aspects of cellular metabolism in terms of release of energy and dietary inputs.
  • Extend and complement material given in the lectures in small group teaching and self-directed learning as well as providing experience in problem solving.

The BMS1011 course is comprised of three components:

  • Lectures: 3 lectures per week.
  • Self-directed learning sessions (SDL), which replace some of the formal lectures, are aimed at encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning.
  • Small group sessions are aimed at facilitating productive interaction among students. The student composition of these classes will be finalised by the FIRST WEEK of semester. Students are to proceed to the Introductory lecture, as outlined in their timetable, on the first Monday of semester for further details.

Assessment

  • Small Group Sessions: 25%
  • Mid-semester Test: 10%
  • End of semester examination: 65%

Resources

Enrolled students can access timetables, prescribed texts, lecture notes and supplementary material on MUSO (Monash University Studies Online).

Lecturing Staff

Colour photo of Jackie Wilce

 [Colour Photo of Mibel Aguilar ] [Colour Photo of Rob Pike ]  -
Dr Jackie WIlce   A/Prof Mibel Aguilar A/Prof Rob Pike  Dr Jomana Elaridi 

Small group session convenor

Mrs Wilma Checkley
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Room B104 Bldg 13B

Course Synopsis

A. Biological Chemistry

Water. Its role in biological systems and as a solvent. The structure of water. Acid-base equilibria. Acid and Base strength. Indicators. Buffer solutions.

Functional groups. Functional groups in biologically active molecules - an introduction. Structures of alkanes. Cycloalkanes. Sources of alkanes. Structure of alkenes. Physical properties of alkenes. Naturally occurring alkanes and alkenes. Structure of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones and their physical properties. Structure of carboxylic acids and their functional derivatives (esters and amides). Structure and physical properties of amines. Basicity of amines.

Isomerism. Constitutional isomers. Cis and Trans isomerism in cycloalkanes and alkenes. Chirality. Molecules with more than one chiral centre. Properties of stereoisomers. Optical activity. The significance of chirality in the biological world. Chiral drugs.

Oxidation and reduction.(Alcohols - Aldehydes/(Ketones) - Carboxylic acids, NAD+ - NADH). Reduction (Ketones - Alcohols, Pyruvate - Lactate). Dehydrogenation (Alkanes - Alkenes, oxidation of fatty acids). Hydrolysis (Esters - Acids, ATP- ADP).

Carbohydrates. Monosaccharides. Cyclic structure of monosaccharides. Disaccharides and Polysaccharides.

The Pill. The history of the development of the pill as well as some of its chemistry and biology.

Lipids. Fatty acids and glycerol, Triacylglycerols. Effect of structure on the physical properties of triglycerides. Soaps and detergents.

Amino acids and peptides. Amino acids, chemical properties, ionisation Peptide bond. Polypeptides and proteins. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure. Proteins as biological polymers; protein composition.

Protein purification techniques, precipitation, electrophoresis, size exclusion, ion exchange, mass spectrometry.

B. Enzymes: Structure & Mechanism of Action

Enzyme catalysis and classes of enzyme-catalysed reactions. Mechanism of enzyme action.

Enzyme-substrate complexes, active sites, substrate binding and enzyme specificity.

Enzyme kinetics, enzyme inhibition. Zymogens and isozymes. Michaelis-Menten equation, competitive and non-competitive inhibition

C. Metabolic Release of Energy

The Body’s Power Supply

The Department of Biochemistry has developed a CD-ROM “Biochemistry – A metabolic challenge” which comprises tutorials and exercises relating to metabolism.
The CD-ROM contains several programs; you will use the following programs for this course

  • Biosynthesis of Carbohydrates and Lipids
  • The Great Metabolic Race
  • The After Race Banquet
  • Tissue metabolism
  • Alcohol and metabolism

ATP the energy currency of the cell Introduction to metabolism. Bioenergetics and Thermodynamics. Phosphoryl group transfers and ATP. Biological oxidation-reduction reactions.

Oxidation of dietary carbohydrates: Digestion and fate of dietary carbohydrates in mammals. The glycolytic pathway for conversion of glucose to pyruvate. Oxygen dependent conversion of pyruvate to acetyl CoA. Anaerobic production of lactate. Mobilisation of glycogen to glucose 6-phosphate. Glucose 6-phosphate as precursor for glycolysis and of pathways for the synthesis of glucose. Role of glucose 6-phosphatase in maintaining blood glucose levels.

Digestion, absorption and storage of triacyglerols. Mobilisation and metabolism of fats in liver, adipose tissue and muscle. Transport of free fatty acids into mitochondria. Reactions for the conversion of saturated fatty acids to acetyl CoA. Formation of ketone bodies.

How the cell produces its energy:

Citric acid cycle, no net synthesis of oxaloacetate from acetyl CoA; ATP yield from oxidation of acetyl CoA in the CAC cycle, metabolic poisons (malonate, fluorocitrate).

Oxidative phosphorylation, NADH/FADH/cytochromes, sites of coupling in the electron transport chain. Uncouplers, inhibitors, Energetics of carbohydrate and fatty acid oxidation.

D. Synthesis of Macromolecules

In Times of Plenty

Synthesis of carbohydrates: Gluconeogenesis and regulation of blood glucose Synthesis of glucose by gluconeogenesis. Relationship of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis.

Substrates for gluconeogenesis - Lactate (Cori cycle), pyruvate (glucose-alanine cycle), amino acids (protein digestion; muscles) and glycerol.

Glycogen synthesis: Role of UDP-glucose, glycogen synthase and glycogenin

Synthesis of lipidsFatty acid synthesis: palmitic acid. The malate shuttle as a source of NADPH for fatty acid synthesis. The pentose phosphate pathway as a source of NADPH for fatty acid synthesis and ribose for nucleic acid synthesis. Ketogenesis and role of ketone bodies in long-term starvation.

The Big Picture of metabolism - Tissue specific metabolism