BIOCHIMICA GENERALE E DELLA NUTRIZIONE

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Claudia DI GIACOMO

Expected Learning Outcomes

General Biochemistry and Biochemistry of Nutrition: The course aims to describe the main characteristics of the macromolecules of biological interest and to provide students with the cognitive tools for understanding the biochemical peculiarities of liver, muscle, adipose tissue, kidney, blood and of the existing metabolic interrelations among the main tissues. In addition, the course also provides the basis for understanding the main metabolic dysfunctions based on nutrition.

Course Structure

Frontal teaching, power-point lessons, exercises and cooperative learning.

If the teaching is carried out in mixed or remote mode, the necessary changes may be introduced in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the syllabus.

Information for students with disabilities and/or ASD:

To guarantee equal opportunity and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensative measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs.

It is also possible to contact the referring teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participated Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or DSA) of our Department, Prof.ssa Santina Chiechio.

Required Prerequisites

Students must have passed the General Chemistry exam (preparatory). Finally, students are required to have adequate knowledge of biology, in particular on the structure of the cell and of the various cell compartments.

Attendance of Lessons

Attendance is compulsory according to the rules of the didactic regulations

Detailed Course Content

1) General introduction to the course of General Biochemistry and Biochemistry of Nutrition.
2) Amino Acids and Proteins: Structures, properties, functions and food sources. Hemoglobin and myoglobin.
3) Enzymes: definition, distribution, nomenclature, mechanism of action, specificity, affinity, isoenzymes. Enzymatic kinetics. Enzymatic regulation.
4) Carbohydrates: definition, functions, nomenclature and food sources.
5) Lipids: definition, functions, nomenclature and food sources.
6) Nucleic acids: structures and functions. Protein synthesis.
7) Apoptosis and necrosis.
8) Catabolism and Anabolism
9) Cellular communication and hormones: receptor classification, molecular mechanism of action of hormones, signal transduction molecules, second messengers, signal translation paths.
10) Energy function of food and homeostasis of body weight: plastic and energetic foods.
11) Vitamins in the feeding: water-soluble and liposoluble vitamins.
12) Glycolic metabolism: glycolysis, Krebs cycle and pentose pathway.
13) Lipid metabolism: de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids, 
β-oxidation.
14) Protein metabolism: metabolic fate of nitrogen.
15) Metabolic regulation in the feeding-fasting cycle: gluconeogenesis, glyceroneogenesis, glycogenosynthesis, glycogenolysis, ketone bodies.
16) Antioxidants in food and the role of radicals.

Textbook Information

1) Leuzzi U., Bellocco E. e Barreca D. Biochimica della Nutrizione, Ed. Zanichelli

2) Nelson D.L. e Michael M. Cox M.M. I Principi Di Biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli.

3) Nelson e Cox. Introduzione alla Biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli

4) Abali E., Cline S., Franklin D., Viselli S. Le basi della biochimica, Ed. Zanichelli

5) Sorrenti V. e Vanella L. Aspetti Molecolari dell’Apoptosi e Ruolo Fisiopatologico, Ed. Piccin.

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Amino Acids and Proteinstext 2, 4
2Enzymes, enzymatic catalysis and enzymatic regulationtext 2, 3, 4
3Haemoglobin Functionstext  2, 3, 4
4Carbohydrates: Structure and Functionstext 1
5Lipids, Cholesterol and lipoproteinstext 2
6Nucleotides and protein synthesistext 2
7Cellular Communicationtext 2, Material provided by Teacher
8Cellular necrosis and apoptosistext 4, 5
9Metabolic fate of glucose, glycolysis, pyruvate decarboxylation and Krebs cycletext 2, 4
10Respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylationtext 2, 4
11Radicals, antioxidant systems and Way of Pentosium Phosphates.text 1, 2, Material provided by Teacher
12Gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and glycogenosynthesistext 2, 4
13Regulation of carbohydrate metabolismtext 2, 3
14Chetogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and beta oxidationtext 2, 3, 4
15Synthesis of triglycerides and glyceroneogenesistext 2
16Metabolic regulation in the feeding-jing cycletext 1, 2, Material provided by Teacher
17Transdeamination reactions, urea cycletext 1, 2 
18Vitamins, probiotics and prebioticstext 1, 4, Material provided by Teacher

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The exam will be written with multiple choice. Verification of learning can also be carried out electronically, should the conditions require it. The test focuses exclusively on the topics covered in class. The type of exercises of the exam will be addressed during the course. The exam dates are published on the website of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences.
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 didactic objectives and specific needs. It is also possible to contact the referent teacher CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of our Department, Prof. Teresa Musumeci

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

1) Which of the following compounds CANNOT turn into glucose?
a) lactate
b) Pyruvate
c) Glycerol
d) Acetyl CoA

2)
 What are the effects of the hormone glucagon on the metabolism of fatty acids?
a) It triggers the conversion of triacylglycerols into glucose.
b) It triggers the conversion of glucose into triacylglycerols.
c) Triggers the storage of triacylglycerols.
d) Triggers the mobilization (hydrolysis) of reserve fats