Postgraduate studies - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Postgraduate programs in Biochemistry - College of Medicine - Al-Nahrain University

Diploma in Biochemistry

1st Semester

Biochemistry Course Topics (3 credits) Theory: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Bioenergetics (3 hours), Biological membranes and transport mechanisms (6 hours), Carbohydrates: structure, function, metabolism (9 hours), Lipids: structure, function, metabolism (9 hours), Amino acid and protein metabolism (9 hours), Creatine and biogenic amine metabolism (4 hours), Enzymes: nomenclature and classification (5 hours).

General Chemistry (Two credits) Theory: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Rate of reaction, order of reaction, half-life of reaction, kinetics of multi-step reactions, rate constant of reversible reactions, temperature effect on velocity, activation energy, catalysis, acid-base catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, enzyme catalytic efficiency, specificity, chemical equilibrium, equilibrium constant, factors affecting equilibrium, Le Chatelier's principle, mechanism of enzyme action, Vmax, effect of temp, pH, Michaelis-Menten equation, Lineweaver-Burk plot, inhibition of enzyme activity, adsorption, types of adsorption, adsorption isotherms, Langmuir adsorption, types of isotherms, adsorption of solutes by solids, adsorption from solution, wetting agents, retarded reactions, heterogeneous reactions, catalytic poisons.

Laboratory techniques (Three credits) Theory: 2 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Specimen collection and quality control (4 hours), Photometry: Spectro-, Flouro-, flame- and atomic absorption (6 hours), Chromatography: Gel filtration and ion-exchange (4 hours), Electrochemistry (4 hours), Electrophoresis technique (2 hours), Radio-immunoassay and ELISA technique (4 hours), Centrifugation and ultra-centrifugation (3 hours), Tissue homogenization (2 hours).

2nd Semester

Clinical Chemistry (3 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Carbohydrate disorders (4 hours), Lipid disorders (2 hours), Amino acids and protein disorders (4 hours), Liver function tests (2 hours), Renal function tests (2 hours), Water and electrolyte regulation (6 hours), Clinical enzymology (4 hours), Extreme age chemistry (4 hours).

Endocrinology (2 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Definition, classification and chemistry (2 hours), Synthesis (2 hours), Mode of action (2 hours), Hormone action and signal transduction (4 hours), Hormone receptors (2 hours), Target cell concept (2 hours), Hypothalamus and pituitary hormones (4 hours), Control and regulation of hormone secretion (negative and positive feedback) (2 hours), Endocrine disorders (10 hours): anterior pituitary, thyroid, gonads, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, posterior pituitary.

Human nutrition (1 credit) – Theory: 1 hour/week.

Topics: Nutrition, calories, calorific value of food, basal metabolism, nitrogen balance (4 hours), Obesity and weight reduction (2 hours), Vitamins: definition, classification, individual vitamins, chemistry and deficiencies (6 hours), Trace elements: definition, occurrence, biological effects, metabolism, deficiencies (3 hours).

Basic Immunology (Two Credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Properties and overview of immune responses, Innate immunity, Cells and tissues of the adaptive immune system, Antibodies and antigens, Major histocompatibility complex, Antigen processing and presentation, Antigen receptors and accessory molecules of T lymphocytes, Lymphocyte development and rearrangement, Activation of T lymphocytes, B cell activation and antibody production, Immunological tolerance, Cytokines, CD molecules, Effector mechanisms of cell-mediated and humoral immunity, Transplantation immunology, Immunity to tumors, Hypersensitivity and autoimmunity, Immediate hypersensitivity, Congenital and acquired immunodeficiency.

Selected topics in clinical chemistry (3 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Aspects of molecular biology (4 hours), Biochemical aspects of hematology (2 hours), Inborn errors of metabolism (2 hours), Oncogenesis: roles in cancer (2 hours), Sport chemistry (2 hours), Bioinformatics (2 hours), Chemistry of biological fluids (2 hours).

MSc in Biochemistry

1st Semester

Biochemistry Course Topics (3 credits) Theory: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Bioenergetics (3 hours), Biological membranes and transport mechanisms (6 hours), Carbohydrates: structure, function, metabolism (9 hours), Lipids: structure, function, metabolism (9 hours), Amino acid and protein metabolism (9 hours), Creatine and biogenic amine metabolism (4 hours), Enzymes: nomenclature and classification (5 hours).

General Chemistry (Two credits) Theory: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Rate of reaction, order of reaction, half-life of reaction, kinetics of multi-step reactions, rate constant of reversible reactions, temperature effect on velocity, activation energy, catalysis, acid-base catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, enzyme catalytic efficiency, specificity, chemical equilibrium, equilibrium constant, factors affecting equilibrium, Le Chatelier's principle, mechanism of enzyme action, Vmax, effect of temp, pH, Michaelis-Menten equation, Lineweaver-Burk plot, inhibition of enzyme activity, adsorption, types of adsorption, adsorption isotherms, Langmuir adsorption, types of isotherms, adsorption of solutes by solids, adsorption from solution, wetting agents, retarded reactions, heterogeneous reactions, catalytic poisons.

Laboratory techniques (Three credits) Theory: 2 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Specimen collection and quality control (4 hours), Photometry: Spectro-, Flouro-, flame- and atomic absorption (6 hours), Chromatography: Gel filtration and ion-exchange (4 hours), Electrochemistry (4 hours), Electrophoresis technique (2 hours), Radio-immunoassay and ELISA technique (4 hours), Centrifugation and ultra-centrifugation (3 hours), Tissue homogenization (2 hours).

2nd Semester

Clinical Chemistry (3 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Carbohydrate disorders (4 hours), Lipid disorders (2 hours), Amino acids and protein disorders (4 hours), Liver function tests (2 hours), Renal function tests (2 hours), Water and electrolyte regulation (6 hours), Clinical enzymology (4 hours), Extreme age chemistry (4 hours).

Endocrinology (2 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Definition, classification and chemistry (2 hours), Synthesis (2 hours), Mode of action (2 hours), Hormone action and signal transduction (4 hours), Hormone receptors (2 hours), Target cell concept (2 hours), Hypothalamus and pituitary hormones (4 hours), Control and regulation of hormone secretion (negative and positive feedback) (2 hours), Endocrine disorders (10 hours): anterior pituitary, thyroid, gonads, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, posterior pituitary.

Human nutrition (1 credit) – Theory: 1 hour/week.

Topics: Nutrition, calories, calorific value of food, basal metabolism, nitrogen balance (4 hours), Obesity and weight reduction (2 hours), Vitamins: definition, classification, individual vitamins, chemistry and deficiencies (6 hours), Trace elements: definition, occurrence, biological effects, metabolism, deficiencies (3 hours).

Basic Immunology (Two Credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Properties and overview of immune responses, Innate immunity, Cells and tissues of the adaptive immune system, Antibodies and antigens, Major histocompatibility complex, Antigen processing and presentation, Antigen receptors and accessory molecules of T lymphocytes, Lymphocyte development and rearrangement, Activation of T lymphocytes, B cell activation and antibody production, Immunological tolerance, Cytokines, CD molecules, Effector mechanisms of cell-mediated and humoral immunity, Transplantation immunology, Immunity to tumors, Hypersensitivity and autoimmunity, Immediate hypersensitivity, Congenital and acquired immunodeficiency.

Selected topics in clinical chemistry (3 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Aspects of molecular biology (4 hours), Biochemical aspects of hematology (2 hours), Inborn errors of metabolism (2 hours), Oncogenesis: roles in cancer (2 hours), Sport chemistry (2 hours), Bioinformatics (2 hours), Chemistry of biological fluids (2 hours).

PhD in Biochemistry

1st Semester

Clinical Chemistry I (4 credits) – Theory: 3 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Abnormal carbohydrate metabolism (3 hours), Amino acid and protein metabolic disorders (3 hours), Enzymes: Clinical aspects (6 hours), Lipoproteins and apoproteins; metabolism and disorders (6 hours), Water and electrolyte balance disorders (3 hours), Blood gases, acid-base balance and disorders (3 hours), Liver functions and disorders (6 hours), Renal functions and disorders (6 hours), Gastro-intestinal and pancreatic tests (3 hours), Cardiac ischemia markers (3 hours).

Physical Biochemistry (2 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: A. Kinetics of Chemical Reactions: Rate of reaction, overall order, kinetic equations, half-life, pseudo first order, multi-step reactions, reversible reactions, temperature effects, activation energy, catalysis, acid-base catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, chemical equilibrium, equilibrium constant, factors affecting equilibrium, LeChatelier's principle. B. Kinetics of Enzymes: Enzymes, properties, how enzymes work, factors affecting velocity, Michaelis-Menten equation, Lineweaver-Burk plot, inhibition. C. Kinetics of Adsorption: Adsorption, types, isotherms, Langmuir adsorption, types of isotherms, adsorption of solutes, adsorption from solution, wetting agents, retarded reactions, heterogeneous reactions, catalytic poisons.

Toxicology (1 credit) – Theory: 1 hour/week.

Clinical toxicology: Metabolism and toxicity of Acetaminophen, Digoxin, Phenobarbitone, Phenytoin, Amphetamine, Methotrexate, Alcohol.

Lab. techniques (3 credits) – Theory: Two hours/Week.

Academic year: 2012-2013.

Topics: Specimen collection, quality control, method assessment, instrument calibration (4 hours), Flourimetry, turbidimetry, atomic absorption spectrophotometry (4 hours), Gel electrophoresis (2 hours), HPLC (2 hours), Affinity and ion exchange chromatography (2 hours), Centrifugation and ultracentrifugation (2 hours), Tissue homogenization (2 hours), Protein determination techniques (2 hours), PCR and hybridization technique (2 hours), Electrochemistry (4 hours), Immunoassay and immunoelectrophoresis (4 hours).

2nd Semester

Clinical Chemistry II – Theory: 2 hours/week, Practical: 3 hours/week.

Topics: Bone metabolism and disorders (6 hours), Biochemical aspects of hematology (8 hours), Coagulation chemistry (6 hours), Lysosomal storage disease (2 hours), Trace elements in health and disease (2 hours), Inborn error of metabolism (2 hours), Chemistry of body fluids (2 hours), Extreme age chemistry (2 hours).

Clinical nutrition (2 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Topics: Nutritional assessment; biochemical and anthropometric (2 hours), Nutrition of pregnant and lactating women (2 hours), Nutrition of childhood and adolescence (2 hours), Nutrition of patients with renal failure (2 hours), Nutrition of patients with liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy (2 hours), Nutrition of patients with cancer and other debilitating disease (2 hours), Nutrition after injury and surgical operations (2 hours), Parantral nutrition (2 hours), Obesity, diabetes and weight reduction (2 hours), Nutrition of cardiovascular disease (4 hours), Sport nutrition (2 hours), Nutrition of elderly (2 hours), Nutrition of GIT disease (4 hours).

Metabolic regulation (2 credits) – Theory: 2 hours/week.

Objectives: The primary focus is on pathways of intermediary metabolism by which all cells synthesize and degrade carbohydrates, lipids and nitrogenous compounds.

We will discuss how metabolic pathways are regulated by effector molecules and hormones, and how organs cooperate in processing food-derived molecules in fed state and sustain metabolic activity in fasted and exercise states.

Also, intracellular compartmentation and gene roles in metabolic regulation.

• A. Cellular level – metabolic pathway controls (4 hours): Metabolic fate of glucose, fatty acids, amino acids.
• B. Common mechanisms of metabolic regulation (4 hours): Allosteric, covalent modification, enzyme mass, energy charge, compartmentation, metabolic specialization, endocrine regulation.
• C. Major metabolic control sites (4 hours): Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, fatty acid biosynthesis.
• D. Major metabolic control sites (4 hours) – repeat.
• E. Metabolic profiles of organs (5 hours): Brain, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, adipose tissue, kidney, liver.
• F. Metabolic changes during normal, fasting and prolonged starvation (6 hours).
• G. Metabolism during exercise (4 hours): Type I and II muscle fibers, metabolism during short sprint, marathon.
• H. Genetic level regulation (3 hours).