Getting Started: Second year

1. Getting Started:Second year Biochemistry

2. Overview of today’s session • Lectures • Strategies for note taking and review • Study tips • Syllabus • Practical session • Examinations

3. Lectures system • Last 80 minutes (70 in Ramadan) • Lecturers and their particular styles WILL vary • Be familiar with lecture topic before you come to class • Key points: • Attendance • Being quiet at class • Do NOT whisper with your neighbour • Do NOT make comments • Do NOT ask meaningless questions

4. Lectures system My style… • PowerPoint handouts • Brief background • Refreshes your memories • Links topics together • Diagrams – Better understanding • Pictures – see what is in reality!! • Revision lectures – Optional

5. Gaussian Distribution Average Reckless Distinguished

6. Lectures & you • Be awake – Bonus marks!! • Prepare in advance • Arrive in enough time (notebook, seated, ready) • Turn off mobile phones • Make notes / stay active / check understanding • Only write key words and phrases • Signal words/body language/emphasis with tone

7. Study tips When you get home.. Do you…? • make notes neat? • put in a folder? Do you review…? • short term ‘pain’ for long term gain

8. Retention without Review What happens to your memory?

9. Review Cycle • Attend the lecture and make notes • Review notes later the same day • Then the next day • Then the following week • Then the following month Review Cycle

10. Retention with review What happens if you review…

11. Why bother with this session? • You are smart people – Always have querying minds • A successful graduate needs to learn Biochemistry – Educated & qualified • Biochemistry is required for the understanding of further subjects such as Microbiology, Nutrition, etc • Diagnostics – Applied science • Learn from your body systems • The power of knowledge

12. Biochemistry • Biochemistry is the study of the chemical substances and vital processes occurring in living organisms. • This course deals with the structures and functions of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules of significance to students of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.

13. General Aims The aims of the course are to provide students with knowledge and understanding of: • molecular function in health and disease. • cellular function in health and disease. • cell signaling and interaction between tissues and organs in health and disease. • the function, reactions and regulation of the central pathways of carbon metabolism. • the biochemical pathways for the synthesis and degradation of nitrogen containing biochemical compounds

14. Intended learning outcomes • To introduce and present the structure and function of cell membranes and the processes of mammalian cell growth and cell death. • To present the basic molecular biological processes involved in gene expression. • To demonstrate the importance of the source and fates of amine groups and carbon skeletons. • To present a basis for understanding the structures and activities of amino acids, peptides and proteins which will be encountered throughout the course and in veterinary practice. • To provide an appreciation of the organization of cellular metabolism and it relationship to thermodynamics. • To give an understanding of the importance of enzymes in metabolism and explain the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. • To describe the types of lipids, their nomenclature, structure and function, and explain the importance of lipids and lipid metabolism in biological processes. • To describe the importance of the major and minor nutrients to the metabolism of an animal's body. • To describe and explain biochemical aspects of the red blood cell, its metabolism and maintenance during its life span and the transport of O2 and CO2 by the red blood cell.

15. Syllabus • Cell Biology ~ two weeks • Molecular Biology ~ two weeks • DNA • RNA • Cell Signalling ~ two weeks • Proteins & Enzymes ~ two weeks • Metabolism ~ five weeks • Carbohydrates • Lipids • Nitrogen • Biochemistry of Blood ~ one week

16. Practical sessions Laboratory safety and precautions / Laboratory equipments----------------week 1 pH measurement and buffers------------------------------------------week 2 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) 1-------------------------------------week 3 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) 2-------------------------------------week 4 Titration curves of amino acids-----------------------------------------week 5 Detection of plasma albumin-------------------------------------------week 6 Enzymes action ------------------------------------------------------week 7 Midterm exam-------------------------------------------------------week 8 CHO detection: Molish test --------------------------------------------week 9 CHO detection: Benedicts test, Seliwanoff’s test--------------------------week 10 Detection of plasma glucose ------------------------------------------week 11 Detection of ketone bodies--------------------------------------------week 12 Saponification of lipid number----------------------------------------week 13 Detection of plasma cholesterol---------------------------------------week 14 Detection of serum calcium and phosphorous levels---------------------week 15 Final exam---------------------------------------------------------week 16

17. Examinations • First exam – 100 (weigh 20%) • Second exam – 100 (weigh 20%) • Final exam – 200 (weigh 40%) • Practical – 100 (weigh 20%) • Midterm exam – 100 (weigh 10%) • Final exam – 100 (weigh 10%) • Exam style: short assay questions, multiple choice, fill diagrams, complete the sentence, etc. • Remember: you do NOT need to answer all questions in order to gain a full mark – There will be more questions than you can answer • Remember: DO NOT CHEAT – No mercies

18. Finally.. • If you get stuck… • If you don’t understand… • If you miss something… • If you forget… ASK