KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
GIRLS’S SECTION
Course Syllabus
DEPARTMENT: BIOCHEMISTRY
COURSE CODE: BIOC 416
COURSE TITLE: CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
NUMBER OF CONTACT HOURS: 4(3,3)
E-MAIL:haldoghaither@kau.edu.sa
OFFICE: 2-163
OFFICE HOURS: SU, TU& TH (9-10), (12-1)
SEMESTER: SPRING 13/14
CLASS TIME:
Sections EAR & EBR : SU,TU& TH (10:00-10:50)
CLASSROOM: 2165
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. HUDA AL DOGHAITHER
1
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course provides an introduction to the principles and procedures of various tests
performed in Clinical Chemistry. It presents the physiological basis, principle and
procedures and the clinical significance of test results, including quality control and
reference values. Emphasis is placed on basic chemical laboratory techniques, safety,
electrolytes, acid-base balance, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and enzymes.
II. COURSE PREREQUESITS
BIOC 315: Metabolic regulation
III. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
A. Demonstrate theoretical comprehension of clinical biochemistry.
B. Develop familiarity with clinical biochemical laboratory instrumentations
and techniques
C. Perform diagnostic techniques, and correlate laboratory findings with
disorders.
IV. COURSE TOPICS:
A. Biochemical investigation in clinical medicine
1. Specimen collection
2. Sample analysis and reporting of results
3. Sources of error
4. The clinical utility of laboratory investigations
B. Water, Sodium and Potassium
1. Water and sodium homeostasis
2. Laboratory assessments of water and sodium status
3. Hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia
4. Potassium homeostasis
5. Hypokalaemia and hyperkalaemia
C. Hydrogen ion homeostasis and blood gases
1. Respiratory and metabolic acidosis
2. Respiratory and metabolic alkalosis
D. The kidneys
1. The biochemical investigation of renal function
2. Renal disorders
E. The liver
1.The biochemical assessment of liver function
3. Liver disease
F. Thyroid gland
1. Thyroid hormones
2. Tests of thyroid function
3. Disorders of the thyroid
G. Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism
1. Introduction to carbohydrate metabolism
2. Measurement of glucose concentrations
3. Diabetes mellitus
2
4. Metabolic complications of diabetes
H. Plasma proteins and enzymes
1. Measurement of plasma proteins
2. Immunoglobulins
3. Cytokines
4. Plasma enzymes
I. Lipids, lipoproteins and cardiovascular diseases
1. Triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids
2. Classifications of lipoproteins
3. Reference ranges and laboratory investigations
4. Disorders of lipid metabolism
5. The management of lipid disorders
6. Lipoprotein deficiency
7. Myocardial infraction
8. Heart failure
9. Hypertension
J. Inherited metabolic disorders
1. Glucose6- phosphatase deficiency
2. Galactosaemia
3. Phenylketonuria
4. Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency
5. Cystic fibrosis
V. LAB COMPONENTS:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Introduction to clinical laboratories and blood collection
Liver function tests: Measurement of Alanine transaminase (ALT)
Liver function tests: Measurement bilirubin
Kidney function tests: Measurement of blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
Kidney function tests: Measurement of creatinine and creatinine clearance
Lipid profile: Measurement of Total cholesterol and triglycerides
Diabetic profile tests: Measurement of blood glucose
Urine analysis: Identification of normal physical and chemical urine
constituent
I. Urine analysis: Identification of pathological urine constituent
J. Urine microscopic examination
VI. TEACHING LEARNING STRATEGIES:
To do well, students should attend class and take very detailed notes. You should
rely on your lecture notes rather than the text as your primary study resource.
You will be responsible for everything covered in lecture, but not responsible
for material that is covered in the text but not in lecture. It is not possible to
cover all the topics in the text. To get most out of the lectures, it is recommended
you read the text before lecture, and then reread the text in more detail after the
lecture to make sure you understand all concepts. The lectures move quite rapidly,
so reading the text before lecture will improve your comprehension. Always go
over your lecture notes within a day of the lecture.
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VII. POLICIES:
Attendance & Tardiness:
 Any student missing a class/classes will be counted absent and her absence
will fall within the 25% absence range
 It is the student’s responsibility to make sure she is not missing any exam,
quizzes or any other course class assignments. All students are responsible for
work missed during their absence. The course instructor is NOT obliged to
repeat her lecture or coursework missed by the student due to her absence.







Students are expected to meet the following
Be punctual in coming to class. You will be marked absent if you enter the
class after five minutes of starting time.
Absenteeism for more than 25% of allocated course lectures, will entitle the
instructor to stop you from attending the final exam.” You will receive an F
grade.
Turn off mobile telephones during classes. If a mobile rings during class it will
be taken from the student and returned only at the end of the semester.
Do not leave the classroom except in case of emergency and when the
instructor gives you the permission to do so.
There might be a quiz after each chapter (topic) is finished. These quizzes will
not be repeated.
Any late/missed assignments will not be accepted after the due date,
automatically resulting in a zero.
Food and drink are not allowed in the class.
VIII. COURSE EVALUATION/GRADING:
Indicator
Points
10
20
10
25
35
100
Test 1
Midterm exam
Test 2
Lab
Final exam
Total
IX. GRADING SCALE:
95-100
90-94
85-89
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
60
= A+
=A
= B+
= B
= C+
= C
= D+
= D
=F
X. TEXTS & MATERIALS
 Marshall, W. and Bangert, S. (2008). Clinical chemistry (6th ed.). Edinburgh,
London: Mosby Elsevier. ISBN 0723434557
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XI. COURSE PLAN:
Week
Date
Subject/Topic
References
1
25-29/3/1435
2
2-6/4/1435
3
9-13/4/1435
4
16-20/4/1435
5
23-27/4/1435
6
1-5/5/1435
7
8-12/5/1435
Urine analysis
8
15-19/5/1435
The liver: The biochemical
assessment of liver function
MIDTERM BREAK
Exams
Syllabus
Introduction to clinical
biochemistry
Biochemical investigation in clinical
medicine
Chapter 1
Water, Sodium and Potassium
Chapter 2
Hydrogen ion homeostasis and blood
gases
Chapter 3
The kidneys
Chapter 4
Test 1
Tuesday 25/4/1435
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
20-28/5/1435
9
29/5 - 3/6/1435
The liver: Liver disease
10
6-10/6/1435
Thyroid gland
11
13-17/6/1435
12
20-24/6/1435
Disorders
of
carbohydrate
metabolism
Plasma proteins and Enzymes
13
27/6 - 2/7/1435
14
5-9/7/1435
15
12-16/7/1435
Chapter 5
Chapter 9
Lipids, lipoproteins and
cardiovascular diseases
Inherited metabolic disorders
Revision
Final exams
25/7-7/8/1435
5
Midterm Exam
Tuesday 8/6/1435
Chapter 11
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Test 2
Tuesday 29/6/1435
Chapter 16
Final Lab exams