Biochemistry Course

Course details

The course starts by defining the subject by answering the question "What is Biochemistry?", before you go deeper into the subject - learning what molecular biology and cellular biology are. You will explore the 4 main classes of molecules in biochemistry (also known as "biomolecules"), which are a large focus for biochemists - carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, and gain a greater understanding of the structure of cells and their functions.

The study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms - You will learn about genetics and, in particular, molecular genetics and the various techniques used by geneticists. The course also outlines the study of genomes - the complete set of genetic material in an organism.

Human disease is an impairment of the normal state of a human being that interrupts or modifies its vital functions. The Biochemistry Course goes further in explaining human disease, looking at common signs and symptoms and exploring the numerous causes of disease and their classifications.

Aside from water, proteins are the most abundant type of chemical in the human body and as such play several crucial roles. The course explains protein synthesis and the different types and functions of the various proteins and lipids in the human body.

Most people know that carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body but they are also molecular compounds and components for other molecules. You will be guided through the structure and function of carbohydrates (also known as "saccharides") and their divisions - 4 chemical groups known as monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Defined as all the chemical reactions that take place within each cell of a living organism, metabolism provides energy for vital processes and synthesising new organic material. You will be guided through its 3 major purposes and the 2 categories used to group it - catabolism and anabolism. You will also learn about metabolism control analysis (MCA) - a mathematical and theoretical framework used to define metabolic and signalling pathways and networks, as well as to calculate the controls over these processes.

The most essential of all biomolecules and found in all living things, nucleic acids create, encode and store information in the nucleus of the cells of every living organism. They also transmit and express the stored information inside and outside the cell nucleus to the inner processes of the cell and finally to the next generation of each living organism. You will be guided through the structure of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, the biochemical properties of DNA, the types and processing of RNA, and DNA and RNA metabolism.

Organic chemistry is the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials. Physical chemistry seeks to measure, correlate, and explain the quantitative aspects of chemical processes. To round off your knowledge, You will learn about both organic and physical chemistries in the Biochemistry Course.

Modules

• Module 1: Introduction to Biochemistry
• Module 2: Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Module 3: Genetics
• Module 4: Human Disease
• Module 5: Protein Function
• Module 6: Structure of Carbohydrates and Their Function in Central Metabolism
• Module 7: Metabolism and Metabolic Control
• Module 8: Nucleic Acid Biochemistry
• Module 9: Organic and Physical Chemistry

Updated on 06 April, 2021