About Biochemistry and Genetics, BSc - at University of Nottingham
The teaching of this Honours degree is shared between teachers located in the Schools of Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Laboratory Sciences. The first year of the course consists of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, together with chemistry and optional modules from animal, microbiological and plant sciences, and ecology and evolution.
Year 1Basic organelle and cell structure and function; structure and function of proteins and enzymes; energy transduction including glycolysis, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation and lipid structure; biosynthetic pathways, movement of materials in and out of cells, cell cytoskeleton; information transfer: DNA structure, replication and gene expression; genetic analysis and genome organisation; control of cellular processes and reactions.
Year 2Protein structure and function, contractile, cytoskeletal and photosensitive proteins; enzymology; gene organisation and function: DNA structure, chromosomes, organisation of simple and complex genomes, repeated sequences, replication, transcription and translation, in vivo genetic analysis, mutagenesis, mapping; genetic engineering/gene cloning; extracellular signals, receptors and second messengers: growth factors, hormones and neurotransmitters; human genetics: biochemical and cyto-genetics, hypervariable DNA, quantitative and population genetics, immunogenetics, prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling; DNA repair mechanisms: DNA-damaging agents and carcinogenesis, DNA repair and the ageing process; metabolic regulation: control of enzyme activity and concentration, control of carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism, metabolic integration; control of biosynthesis: HMGCoA reductase * a case study; ecological genetics.
Year 3Membrane biochemistry: membrane structure and biogenesis, membrane proteins and glycoproteins; ion channels, exo- and endocytosis, protein secretion. Gene control: prokaryotic gene control, complexity of eukaryotic gene regulation, control of development, developmental genetics, control of growth, oncogenes, viruses, carcinogens and cancer; cellular responses to foreign compounds and stress: antibodies and the immune response, drug detoxification; biochemical disorders: inherited diseases, hormone imbalance, nutritional and neurological diseases, senescence; molecular evolution: enzyme and DNA polymorphisms, phylogenetic relationships, evolution of metabolic pathways, gene duplication and transposition, organelle DNA; evolutionary genetics. In addition to the lecture courses, there are tutorials and practical classes in years one and two, and tutorials and a research project in year three.
