610-330 Biological Chemistry

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

At least three of Chemistry 610-210, 610-211, 610-220, 610-221, 610-240, 610-241 and/or 610-260; OR completion of at least one unit from the preceding list of 200 level Chemistry units AND completion of 25 points of 200 level Biochemistry.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject covers topics selected in each of the following areas:

Organic Natural Product Chemistry (12 lectures): alkaloids; terpenoids; prostaglandins; steroids; vitamins; hormones; antibiotics; biogenesis of the preceding classes; acetate, shikimate and mevalonate biosynthetic pathways; metabolism of the C1 pool; carbohydrate catabolism.

Bioinorganic Chemistry (12 lectures): bioavailability of the trace metals; nature of biologically important metal centres; transport and utilisation of dioxygen; myoglobin and hemoglobin; hemerythrin; hemocyanin; oxidases (P₄₅₀, tyrosinase); molybdenum enzymes; cytochrome and iron-sulphur centres; spectroscopic techniques in bioinorganic chemistry.

Biophysical Chemistry (12 lectures): structure of macromolecular systems; major techniques for studying molecular structure; relationship of structure to function of biomolecules; model membranes and self-assembling systems; physical chemistry of proteins and bilayers; dynamics of biomolecules; biomembrane structures; membrane ion channels; lipid-protein and receptor-ligand interactions.

Assessment

One 3-hour written examination at the end of semester.