Teacher(s)

Bommer Guido; Collet Jean-François; Lemaigre Frédéric (coordinator); Rider Mark;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

This teaching unit presents the basic principles of metabolic biochemistry as well as a selection of human biochemistry topics deemed relevant for the training of dentistry students. The human biochemistry chapters include a description of normal biochemical mechanisms, as well as illustrations of disturbances at the origin of human pathologies. More specifically, the following themes will be addressed:
• Reminder of the principles of thermodynamics
• Structure and function of hemoglobin
• Introduction to enzymes
• Principles of enzymatic kinetics
• Principles of metabolic control
• The way of glycolysis
• Glycogen metabolism
• The citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle)
• Amino acid metabolism
• Metabolism of fatty acids
• Biochemistry of bile (bilirubin, bile salts)
• Mechanisms of gene expression and pathologies linked to gene dysfunctions

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

• Determine the type of enzyme involved at different levels of a metabolic pathway and identify the steps most likely to undergo regulation. He must also be able to explain how energy is recovered by Krebs cycle, and in what form it is exchanged within the cell. • Explain, in molecular terms, the transport of oxygen by hemoglobin. • Describe the pathways of glucose degradation and glycogen synthesis and degradation • Describe the key reactions of amino acid metabolism • Describe the pathways and regulation of the synthesis and degradation of fatty acids, triglycerides, ketone bodies. • Describe the pathways and regulation of cholesterol and bile salt synthesis, in relation to the anatomy of the digestive system. • Describe the degradation pathway of heme, in normal and pathological conditions, in relation to digestive anatomy • Explain, in molecular terms and by means of examples, how pathology can result from an abnormality in gene expression • Describe the synthesis, transport, degradation and role of plasma lipoproteins

Content

The course presents the basic principles of biochemistry as well as a series of human biochemistry themes considered as relevant to the training of students in Dentistry. The chapters on human biochemistry include a description of normal biochemical mechanisms, as well as illustrations of disorders that cause human pathologies. More specifically, the following topics will be addressed:
    Reminder of the principles of thermodynamics
    Structure and function of hemoglobin
    Introduction to enzymes
    Principles of enzyme kinetics
    Principles of metabolic control
    The glycolytic pathway and glycogen metabolism
    The tricarboxylate cycle (Krebs cycle)
    Amino acid metabolism
    Fatty acid metabolism
    Bile biochemistry (bilirubin, bile salts)
    Mechanisms of gene expression and diseases related to gene dysfunctions

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Lectures, on site

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Students will be evaluated on their ability to synthesize and integrate several biochemistry data into a coherent synthesis. They must be able to describe, use and explain in precise biochemical terms the topics addressed and how a disease can result from molecular and biochemical dysfunctions.
The written examination will consist in part of a multiple-choice questions and in part open-ended questions. For multiple choice questions with more than one correct option, the mark will only be attributed if all the correct responses have been selected.
There are no negative points or weighting according to the questions and chapters of the subject. However, when a student has a final mark between 9/20 and 10/20 after correction, the lecturers review together the exam copy to decide whether the mark should be rounded down or up according to the overall evaluation of the copy.

Online resources

The slides presented in the course, which cover the subject in a comprehensive way, are available on MoodleUCL (https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/).
In addition, a tablet will be used to explain certain aspects of the course. The "Tablet" versions of the PowerPoint files will also be made available to students via MoodleUCL.

Bibliography

D.R. Ferrier: Biochemistry. Lippincott Illustrated Reviews. Wolters Kluwer. 2017
Voet et Voet "Biochimie" 2e édition 2007, traduction de la 3e édition américaine par Guy Rousseau et Lionel Domenjoud
Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 7ème édition, Thomas M. Devlin

Teaching materials

• Diapositives du cours mises à la disposition des étudiant•e•s
• D.R. Ferrier: Biochemistry. Lippincott Illustrated Reviews. Wolters Kluwer. 2017
• Voet et Voet "Biochimie" 2e édition 2007, traduction de la 3e édition américaine par Guy Rousseau et Lionel Domenjoud
• Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 7ème édition, Thomas M. Devlin

Faculty or entity

MDEN