BIOL1008 Metabolism & Metabolic Disorders

Module Aims

The aims of the module are to provide you with an understanding of: (1) the basic metabolic pathways; (2) inborn errors of metabolism and the application of DNA technology to their study; (3) the control and integration of metabolism. This module completes the first year teaching in biochemistry, following on from the first semester module on the Molecular basis of life (BIOL 1007). These modules are prerequisites for most second year biochemistry and molecular biology modules

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• describe the principles of metabolism;
• demonstrate that you have acquired skills in basic biochemical laboratory methods, data interpretation and experimental report writing
• demonstrate an ability to handle simple mathematical treatments of biological processes.
• Having done this course, together with the course on the Molecular basis of life I (BIOL1007), you should be very well-prepared for future work on more complex aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology, and confident and equipped for future work on molecular approaches to physiology, pharmacology, cell biology and biotechnology.
• discuss the role of coenzymes, such as NAD+, FAD and ATP, in metabolism;
• outline the metabolic pathways involved in the catabolism of glucose and fatty acids;
• show how the energy released by catabolism is recouped by substrate level and oxidative phosphorylation;
• show how amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism are inter-linked;
• describe the various types of genetic mutation and inborn errors of metabolism
• describe the methods for detecting and correcting inborn errors of metabolism
• outline the hormonal regulation of metabolism and discuss the role of protein phosphorylation in this context;
• describe the regulation of metabolism in physiological and pathological situations (e.g., exercise, starvation and diabetes);