Biochemistry I

Code:

CN12002

Acronym:

BIOQ I

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Health Sciences
OFICIAL	Physical Sciences

Instance: 2010/2011 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Nutrition Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
CNUP	122	Plano oficial	1	-	5,5	56	148,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1. To contribute for the understanding of human Biology and Biochemistry;
2. To contribute for the acquisition of biology and biochemistry language skills, and to the knowledge of the appropriate methods of study in these scientific areas (by recurring not only to text books but also to recent original scientific research papers);
3. To identify the composition and organization of living organisms, their chemical and enzyme reactions, and factors affecting/regulating/modulating these transformations;
4. To contribute for the introduction to scientific research (by presenting some research done at the Biochemistry Department, FMUP, in the theoretical lectures, and by developing a small scientific research project with the students, in the theoretical-practical lectures).

Program

PROGRAMME.
Chemical structures and reactions.
Enzymes, alkaline phosphatase.
Enzymes: mechanisms of action (free energy, equilibrium, direction of reactions), kinetics and functional classification.
Enzymes: regulation of activities.
Nucleic acids, genetic information and protein synthesis.
Biological membranes (structure and function) and transport. Placental and p-glycoprotein transport.
Polyphenols bioavailability.
Biochemistry of the extracellular matrix.
Homeostasis. The control of acid-basis balance. The control of osmotic balance.
Intercellular signaling and intracellular signaling transduction mechanisms.
Biochemistry and Ecology.
Introduction to scientific research.
Small scientific research project regarding Rat Alkaline Phosphatase.

PEDAGOGIC TEAM.
Maria João Martins, coordinator (MJM), Ana Faria (AF), Duarte Torres (DT), Elisa Keating (EK), Fátima Martel (FM), João Tiago Guimarães (JTG), Manuel Nuno Alçada (MNA), Rita Negrão (RN), Rosário Monteiro (RM) and Rui Fontes (RF).
All members of the pedagogic team will be involved in the theoretical lectures.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Will be presented in the first theoretical lecture.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures will be given in 4-h per week per student, during the second semester, with the following pedagogic items:
• 2 theoretical lectures per week (Mondays and Wednesdays, 10h00min to 11h00min, at FCNAUP). In these lectures, introductions will be made to the different items of the program, showing the theoretical and practical/clinical/nutritional interest of each chapter.
• A 120-min theoretical-practical lecture per week per student (within the appropriate schedule of FCNAUP, at FMUP – Laboratório Nobre). These lectures will comprise organization, development and realization of a small scientific research project, including bibliographic research (in PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge), recent original scientific research papers presentation and discussion, realization of laboratorial techniques and statistical treatment, discussion and presentation of results (results will be presented as a scientific poster; its evaluation will be taken into consideration for the final mark).

All students are invited for the scientific seminars organized by the Biochemistry Department, FMUP, that take place monthly, every second Wednesdays at 14h30min.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	60,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Eligibility for exams

Students should attend to, at least, 3/4 of the expected theoretical-practical lectures.

Calculation formula of final grade

Written test – several multiple choice questions, a small number of short-answered questions (the student should answer 4 chosen out of 6 questions), and one full-answered question (to chose out of 3).
The mark of the written test will be adjusted taking into consideration the assessment of the theoretical-practical lectures.

Observations

Compulsory; taught in Portuguese.