Biochemistry I
Undergraduate · Chemistry
Syllabus focus
Standard syllabus · STEM / applied
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Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Amino acids and protein structure
- Amino acid structure, classification, and ionization
- Peptide bond formation and protein primary structure
- Secondary structure: α-helix, β-sheet, turns
- Tertiary structure: hydrophobic core, disulfide bonds, salt bridges
- Quaternary structure and oligomeric proteins
- Protein folding, chaperones, and misfolding diseases
- Methods for protein structure determination: X-ray, NMR, cryo-EM (intro)
- Protein denaturation and stability: urea, heat, pH
- Post-translational modifications: phosphorylation, glycosylation
- Fibrous vs globular proteins: collagen, hemoglobin overview
Enzyme kinetics and mechanism
- Enzyme classification and active site concepts
- Michaelis–Menten kinetics: Km and Vmax
- Lineweaver–Burk and Eadie–Hofstee plots
- Enzyme inhibition: competitive, noncompetitive, uncompetitive
- Allosteric regulation and cooperativity
- Catalytic mechanisms: acid-base, covalent, metal ion catalysis
- Cofactors and coenzymes: NAD⁺, FAD, PLP
- Enzyme specificity and induced fit model
- Transition state stabilization and catalytic efficiency
- Regulatory enzymes in metabolic pathways
Carbohydrates and lipids
- Monosaccharide stereochemistry: Fischer and Haworth projections
- Glycosidic bonds and disaccharides
- Polysaccharides: starch, glycogen, cellulose
- Glycoproteins and proteoglycans (introduction)
- Fatty acid structure and nomenclature
- Triacylglycerols, phospholipids, and sphingolipids
- Membrane structure: fluid mosaic model
- Lipid rafts and cholesterol in membranes
- Eicosanoids and signaling lipids (overview)
- Lipoproteins and cholesterol transport (intro)
Bioenergetics and introductory metabolism
- Free energy in biochemical reactions
- ATP as energy currency: high-energy phosphate bonds
- Oxidation-reduction in metabolism: NADH, FADH₂
- Glycolysis: steps, regulation, and energy yield
- Gluconeogenesis and reciprocal regulation
- Pentose phosphate pathway
- Citric acid (Krebs) cycle: reactions and regulation
- Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation
- Mitochondrial structure and chemiosmotic theory
- Metabolic compartmentation and organelle roles
STEM / applied
Laboratory and analytical biochemistry
- Protein purification: chromatography, electrophoresis, centrifugation
- SDS-PAGE and Western blotting (introduction)
- Spectrophotometric protein assays: Bradford, BCA
- Enzyme activity assays and kinetic data analysis
- Buffer preparation for biochemical experiments
- pH and ionic strength effects on enzyme activity
- Dialysis, ultrafiltration, and concentration methods
- Safe handling of biological samples and biohazards
- Recombinant protein expression overview
- Data presentation for biochemical experiments
Applied biochemistry
- Clinical biochemistry: blood panels and biomarkers
- Pharmaceutical enzyme targets and drug design (intro)
- Industrial enzymes: detergents, food processing
- Metabolic diseases: diabetes, PKU, lysosomal storage disorders
- Sports biochemistry: energy systems and nutrition
- Agricultural biochemistry: nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis efficiency
- Biotechnology products: insulin, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies
- CRISPR and genetic engineering (biochemical perspective)
- Nutritional biochemistry: vitamins and minerals as cofactors
- Case studies linking structure to disease mechanism
Notes
Typically the first semester of a two-semester biochemistry sequence. Topics reflect common Biochemistry I syllabi at US universities (Lehninger, Voet, Garrett). Prior organic chemistry and general chemistry background required.