Overview
Metabolism provides the fuels and molecules for life. How metabolic processes are regulated and coordinated in animals. Human disease states that arise from metabolic imbalances.
All living organisms require energy to function, grow and adapt. BIOC 223 gives insights into how our major nutrients are metabolised and stored, how the body can adapt to different dietary and physiological conditions and how imbalances in metabolism can contribute to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The role of disposal systems to eliminate cellular debris is discussed in the context of brain health and cancer. Nitrogen balance and the excretion of nitrogenous waste from the body is investigated along with the utilisation of light energy and fixation of carbon by plants. There is a focus throughout on how metabolic pathways are regulated and interconnected by cellular signalling and where metabolic pathways pose an opportunity for therapeutic intervention.
About this paper
| Paper title | Cellular Biochemistry and Metabolism |
|---|---|
| Subject | Biochemistry |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,318.20 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- BIOC 192
- Restriction
- BIOC 230, MELS 230 and PHCY 231 passed before 2019
- Schedule C
- Science
- Eligibility
This paper builds on the metabolism and cell signalling taught in BIOC192. It is suitable for students studying nutrition, physiology, pharmacology, genetics and neuroscience and a complementary paper for plant scientists.
- Contact
- biochem200.tf@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
Course Coordinators: Professor Stephanie Hughes and Senior Teaching Fellow Shar Snoeck
- Paper Structure
The lecture course is divided into 4 modules
- Maintaining energy balances through diet, metabolism and metabolic adaptations
- Lipoprotein and redox metabolism and cardiovascular disease
- Cellular waste disposal systems – lysosomes and disease
- Nitrogen Metabolism and Photosynthesis
The lecture course is complemented by a laboratory course, which provides training in relevant biochemical methods including enzymatic assays for quantifying biological molecules. Students have the opportunity to design experiments which analyse their own blood and urine samples.
- Teaching Arrangements
There are 6 weeks of laboratory classes split into two 3-week modules. Students are streamed into one of 2 or 3 lab streams.
- Textbooks
- Voet, D., Voet, J. G., and Pratt, C. W. Fundamentals of Biochemistry, John Wiley & Sons.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Work effectively both independently and as a team
- Describe, using the language of biochemistry, the fundamental processes of biological systems using examples primarily from human metabolism
- Describe the inter-relationships and regulation of the major biochemical processes in the whole organism
- Explain the principles underlying the common experimental techniques and instrumentation used in acquiring biochemical information
- Design and carry out experiments that use basic techniques to address biochemical and metabolic problems
- Obtain experimental data using these techniques, and discuss and communicate the interpretation of such data in the context of overall knowledge of biochemistry
- Illustrate how biochemical knowledge can be applied to biological problems of human metabolism
- Acquire new information from textbooks, review articles, and from biological databases via the Internet and integrate this with fundamental biochemical knowledge
- Assessment details
30% Internal assessments
70% Final examination