SCIENZE BIOMEDICHE

Module CHIMICA ORGANICA E BIOCHIMICA

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(Learning objectives based on the Dublin Descriptors)

1. Knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

-      describe the fundamental principles of organic chemistry relevant to biomolecules;

-      understand the structure, function and organization of the main classes of biomolecules;

-      know the fundamentals of enzymatic biochemistry and metabolism;

-      understand the basic scientific language used in biochemical and laboratory contexts.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding

The student will be able to:

-      apply acquired knowledge to interpret simple biochemical phenomena;

-      relate the structure of biomolecules to their biological function;

-      understand the biochemical rationale of the main biomedical laboratory techniques;

-      interpret the biochemical meaning of the main clinical laboratory parameters.

3. Making judgements

The student will be able to:

-      critically interpret basic biochemical information;

-      evaluate the consistency between simple experimental data and theoretical principles;

-      recognize the limits of one’s own knowledge and available data.

4. Communication skills

The student will be able to:

-      correctly use basic chemical and biochemical terminology;

-      clearly communicate fundamental biochemical concepts;

-      interact with other healthcare professionals using appropriate scientific language.

5. Learning skills

The student will have acquired:

-      the ability to independently update one’s own knowledge;

-      the foundations required to address subsequent courses in the biomedical area;

-      a study method suited to university scientific content.

Frontal lessons with learning tests at the end of the lesson

Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD: To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the teaching objectives and specifications needs. It is also possible to contact the CInAP contact person (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of the department

In order to be able to understand and attend the course profitably, it is useful for the student to have a fair knowledge of the basic elements of general and inorganic chemistry, cellular biology, as well as the basic foundations of general physics.

According to the degree course regulations.

Elements of Organic Chemistry:

- Carbon and its hybridizations

- Alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. Saturated and unsaturated molecules. Structural formulas and IUPAC nomenclature of molecules

- Functional groups (alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids, thiols, esters, etc.)

- Isomerism

Presentation of the classes of biological molecules:

- Carbohydrates: monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides. Aldoses and ketoses, Fisher formulas and Haworth projection, cyclization, mutarotation, spatial conformation, O-glycosidic bond.
- Lipids: saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, PUFA, triglycerides, phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipids, cholesterol (and derivatives), waxes and terpenes
- Nucleotides and nucleic acids: Nucleotides, nitrogenous bases, DNA and RNA, DNA mutations and denaturation, methylation. Nucleotides as energy carriers, components of enzymatic binders and chemical messengers.
- Amino acids and proteins: classification of amino acids, structure, peptide bond, structure of proteins, examples of particular proteins (antibodies and hemoglobin).
- Enzyme kinetics
- metabolic cycles

Contribution of teaching to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Goal N. 3: health and well-being

- Target 3.9

- Target 3.a

- Target 3.b

- Target 3.d

• Chimica e biochimica. M. Bertoldi, D. Colombo, et al. Edises

• Fondamenti di biochimica di Lehninger. Nelson - Cox - Melloni.  Zanichelli

• Chimica e biochimica. Per le lauree triennali dell'area biomedica. M. Samaja, R. Pavoni. Piccin

• Chimica & biochimica. M Stefani, N. Taddei. Zanichelli

During the course, verification tests will be offered to evaluate progress
At the end of the course the exam will take place with an oral exam.
The following parameters will be taken into account for the attribution of the final grade:
Score 29-30 cum laude: the student has an IN-DEPTH knowledge of the subject, has excellent communication skills and masters the technical-scientific language.
Score 26-28: the student has a GOOD knowledge of the subject and explains the topics clearly using appropriate technical-scientific language;
Score 22-25: the student has a DISCRETE knowledge of the subject, even if limited to the main topics and explains the topics quite clearly with a reasonable command of language;
Score 18-21: the student has the MINIMUM knowledge of the subject and explains the topics clearly enough although the language skills are poorly developed;
Exam not passed: the student DOES NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE required of the main contents of the course. The ability to use specific language is very poor or non-existent and he is not able to apply the acquired knowledge independently.

Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD: To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the teaching objectives and specifications needs. It is also possible to contact the CInAP contact person (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of the department

During the course, the professor will administer numerous ongoing tests with sample questions similar to those in the final written exam. The oral exam focuses on all parts of the program in order to verify the student's complete preparation and maturity in managing connections on different biochemical aspects
Examples of questions can be:
- Talk about carbohydrates
- Difference between epimers and enantiomers
- What type of bond is the peptide bond