Biochemistry Syllabus in Russia, Other CIS & Eastern Europe

Subject: Biochemistry
Semesters: 2-3 or 3-4
Tentative hours of lectures: 36 hours
Tentative hours of practicals: 90 hours
Exam: after 2 semesters
Emphasis on the CIS syllabi: It’s wise to emphasize that this Curriculum/syllabus is tentative & the subject’s distribution or teaching hours or exams might vary in different universities and CIS.

Brief description of the course

Formation at the students of total concept about molecular mechanisms and regulation of basic metabolic processes, their peculiarities in the organs and human tissues, use of biochemical criteria for diagnosing and control of the effectiveness of treatment.

Objectives

To form a concept about the role of biological chemistry in the preparation of doctor;
To give a concept about chemical structure, properties, and biological functions of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and others biologically active connections in the live organisms;
To form a concept about biochemical legalities of energy transformation, metabolism, and regulation of metabolic processes;
To give a concept about the peculiarities of molecular organization and metabolism of main organs and tissues\.
To form a concept about contemporary biochemical approaches for diagnosing of illnesses and correction of infringements in the metabolism;

Training and teaching methods

Lectures
Practical training: discussion of questions with the teacher, debates, case studies, working in pairs, peer review, and Personal Digital Assistance devices
Laboratory practical work: the laboratory work, team-based learning (TBL), case studies issuing reports of educational experiments and activities
Independent work of students: work with the literature / Internet browsing, online materials, databases, drafting tests, presentations, summaries.
Methods for assessing the knowledge and skills of students
1. Interim control: the interview
2. Border control: testing.
3. The total control: written exam

Lectures: topics & number of hours

Topics	Duration
1. Introduction. Structure and functions of proteins	2
2. Enzymes. Regulation of enzymatic activity	2
3. Enzymes. Regulation of enzymatic activity.	2
4. Introduction to the metabolism. Energetical metabolism. Biological oxidation. CTE. Oxidative phosphorylation. General ways of catabolism. Regulation of general ways of catabolism.	2
5. Introduction to the metabolism. Energetical metabolism. Biological oxidation. CTE. Oxidative phosphorylation. General ways of catabolism. Regulation of general ways of catabolism	2
6. Metabolism of carbohydrates.	2
7. Metabolism of lipids.	2
8. Metabolism of proteins and amino acids	2
9. Metabolism of nucleotides. Interaction of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolisms.	2
10. Regulation of metabolism. Biochemistry of hormones.	2
11. Regulation of metabolism. Biochemistry of hormones.	2
12. Water – salt metabolism. Regulation of homeostasis.	2
13. Biochemistry of liver. Metabolism of chromoproteids.	2
14. Biochemistry of liver. Metabolism of chromoproteids.	2
15. Biochemistry of blood	2
16. Biochemistry of blood	2
17. Biochemistry of connective and bone tissues	2
18. Biochemistry of muscle and nervous tissues.	2

Practical classes: topics & number of hours

Topics	Duration
1. Chemical composition of proteins.	2
2. Physical-chemical properties of proteins.	2
3. Water-soluble vitamins	2
4. Fat-soluble vitamins	2
5. Enzymes. Properties of enzymes.	2
6. Regulation of enzymatic activity.	2
7. Laboratorial work	2
8. Interaction in metabolism. Energetical metabolism. Macroergy. General ways of catabolism. Regulation and function of Crebs cycle.	2
9. Tissue breath. CTE. Oxidative phosphorylation.	2
10. General characteristic of carbohydrates. Digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.	2
11. Anaerobic way of glucose catabolism. Gluconeogenesis. Cory cycle.	2
12. Aerobic way of glucose catabolism. Pentozophosphate pathway of glucose catabolism.	2
13. Metabolism of glycogen. Regulation of glucose level in the blood. Infringements of carbohydrate metabolism.	2
14. Laboratorial work	2
15. General characteristic of lipids Digestion, absorption, and transport of lipids.	2
16. Metabolism of lipids. Metabolism of supreme fatty acids.	2
17. Intracellular metabolism of triacylglycerols and phospholipids.	2
18. Metabolism of cholesterol. Infringements and regulation of lipid metabolism.	2
19. Laboratorial work	2
20. General ways of amino acid metabolism.	2
21. Metabolism of ammonium and ways of its detoxification.	2
22. The peculiarities of metabolism of separate amino acids.	2
23. The peculiarities of metabolism of separate amino acids.	2
24. Metabolism of nucleotides.	2
25. Laboratorial work	2
26. Integration of metabolism	2
27. Biochemistry of hormones.	2
28. Biochemistry of hormones.	2
29. Hormones of the thyroid gland and pancreas.	2
30. Catecholamines and steroids.	2
31. Water – salt metabolism. regulation of homeostasis.	2
32. Biochemistry of kidneys and urine.	2
33. Laboratorial work	2
34. Biochemistry of liver.	2
35. Metabolism of chromoproteids.	2
36. Biochemistry of blood. The proteins of blood.	2
37. Biochemistry of blood. The system of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis.	2
38. Transport of gases. Metabolism of iron.	2
39. The peculiarities of metabolism in the erythrocytes and leukocytes.	2
40. Biochemistry of connective tissue	2
41. Biochemistry of bone tissue and tooth. Regulation of phosphate-calcium metabolism	2
42. Biochemistry of muscle tissue	2
43. Biochemistry of nervous tissue	2
44. Laboratorial work	2
45. Assessment of practical skills	2

Interim assessments (Controls) & Exam

Interim assessment (Chapter-wise controls) : MCQs + situational tasks & practical skills with Viva (practical)
Final exam: Viva, situational tasks & practical skills +/- MCQs

Sample Control & Exam questions

MCQ

Simple or case-based
Single answer or multiple answers

Identify the incorrectly matched options provided in the Steps of the urea cycle shown below

1. CPS I: Hyperammonemia Type 1
2. OTC: HHH syndrome
3. Arginase: Hyperargininemia
4. Argininosuccinate lyase: Argininosuccinic aciduria

Viva

What are the organs involved in urea formation and excretion? & What are the sites of the urea cycle?
Explain each step of the Urea cycle with the reactants and products?

Situational tasks

An infant brought by her mother is concerned about the baby’s refusal to eat and shows hyperammonemia , encephalopathy, and respiratory alkalosis. lab test reveals that the patient is having a marked elevation of glutamine and alanine and decreased levels of citrulline and arginine. Urine traces show the traces of pink-colored crystals composed of orotic acid.

1. What is the diagnosis?
2. What is the reaction impaired in the urea cycle because of this defective enzyme?
3. What are the factors/enzymes responsible for orotic aciduria?

Scores

The score ranges from 5 to 1:
- 5 is “excellent” → Otlichno
- 4 is “good” → Khorosho
- 3 is “satisfactory” → Udovletvoritel’no
- 2 is “unsatisfactory” → Neudovletvoritel’no

Reference textbooks

Muravleva L.E., Koykov V.V., Klyuyev D.A., Abdrachmanova Yu.E. Interactive textbook of Biological Chemistry – 2007.
Biological chemistry with exercises and tasks: textbook / ed. Corresponding Member RAMN S.E. Severin. – 2011 .– 624 p .: ill.
Biochemistry: textbook for universities / ed. E.S. Severina – 5th ed., – 2009 .– 768 p.
Clinical biochemistry: textbook. 3rd edition/ed. V.A. Tkachuk. – 2008
Lehninger «Principles of biochemistry», Fourth Edition, David L.Nelson, Michael M. Cox, 2005.