BIOCHEMISTRY 411
BIOCHEMISTRY 602
SECTIONS 509, 510, 511
SECTION 600
Dr. E.D. Harris
Rm 236A Biochemistry, 5-3642
eharris@tamu.edu
Erik Ralph
mrwgnome@yahoo.com
Textbooks:
SPRING - 2005
Scarlett Blair
scarlettblair@neo.tamu.edu
Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 4th Edition, Nelson and Pratt
Biochemical Strategies, 2nd Edition, Harris
PREREQUISITES: A passing grade in BICH 410/602
COURSE OBJECTIVES: BICH 411 is a continuation of BICH 410/602. The focus is on the fundamental principles
of cellular metabolism.
TOPICS COVERED: The course will cover 5 topic areas of biochemistry:
1. Carbohydrate Metabolism
2. Oxidative Phosphorylation
3. Photosynthesis
4. Lipid Metabolism
5. Nitrogen Metabolism
EXAMINATIONS: All students enrolled in comprehensive biochemistry courses, regardless of section number or
instructor, must take a comprehensive examination at the end of the course.
Exams: There will be 3, 100-point hour exams and a 150-point comprehensive final. The exams will be spaced
approximately one month apart. Dates are shown in the syllabus. Exams will be over material designated for that
particular part of the course. The TAs will provide input. The final will be comprehensive over all material in the
course.
Quizzes: 5 quizzes will be given on alternate weeks during recitation sections as specified in the syllabus.
Quizzes will count 10 points each and represent 10% of your grade (see Grading below).
Final Exam: A 150 point comprehensive final for all sections will be on Monday, May 9, 10:30 am-12:30
am. 411 and 602 student will take the same exam. The format will follow hour exams.
Makeup Exams: A student missing a scheduled exam must have a “university-excused” absence to makeup
the points. A heavy exam schedule, wedding, family outing, vacation, or any event not approved by the university does
not excuse you. A valid excuse entitles you to defer the exam to the final. A student who is absent without notifying the
instructor will receive an E-mail requesting an explanation for missing the exam. Justified absences will result in having
the final exam score (scaled to 100 points) substitute for the missed exam. Non-justified will have the exam count as a
zero.
GRADING: Grading will be based on a percentage of total points. You can estimate your grade based on the
following. Relative to the class average, a minimum of 20 points above is about the A range; a minimum of 10 points
above is a B; a minimum of 10 points below is a C; a minimum of 20 points below is a D and more than 20 points
below average is failing. Contested exams must be settled within 2 weeks of receiving the exam back. Your final
grade will be the sum of all quiz points, exams and final. The percentage is: 3 hour exams (60%), final (30%), quizzes
(10%). If warranted the score on the final exam scaled to 100 points will substitute for the lowest hour exam score.
RECITATION SECTIONS: Your enrollment in this course automatically assigns you to a recitation section. These
sections meet once a week in accordance with the schedule below. TAs running these sections will review material and
give quizzes. They will answer questions and provide a tutorial-like learning environment that will prepare you for
exams. Quizzes will be every other week as noted in the syllabus. Please see me if for some reason you are unable to
attend your assigned recitation section. The following sessions are in effect.
Section
509
510
511
600
Day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Monday
Time
6:00-6:50
5:00-5:50
5:00-5:50
5:00-5:50
Place
Room
Wehner Building (WCBA) Rm 111
Wehner Building
“ “ Rm 181
Wehner Building
“ “ Rm 111
Wehner Building
“ “ Rm 108
WebCT (VISTA): This course will use WebCT VISTA to post exam and quiz scores as well as grades. You will also
find links to PowerPoint lecture slides, tutorials, and old exams. To log into WebCT, you must have a “neo” password
and address. You will also find a calendar that documents dates of quizzes and exams for the course. You can view
animated slides and tutorials. To download slides prior to lecture, save the appropriate file to you computer hard drive
and open it with your version of PowerPoint. PowerPoint allows you to print 3-6 color slides on a page. If you are
unable to access WebCT, the URL for course material is:
http://www.tamu.edu/classes/bich/eharris/411_602
CHEATING: Falsifying answers, copying other student's answers on exams or quizzes, or copying verbatim from an
information source violates the AGGIE CODE OF HONOR. Offenders will receive a zero on the exam, quiz, or
assignment and a personal letter of reprimand from me. To deter cheating cell phones must be turned off during quizzes
and exams. Offenders risk having their names brought up before the Aggie Honor Council and run the risk of an F*
notation on the transcript, the star indicating a failing grade because of academic dishonesty. Additional information on
the honor code effective September 1, 2004 can be found at: http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor
ACADEMICALLY OR PHYSICALLY CHALLEGENGED STUDENTS:
Arrangements will be made for
students who need less stressful settings for exams or otherwise have special needs to allow parity with non-challenged
students.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND EXAM EXPECTATIONS: Attendance at lectures is expected. The BIOCHEMICAL
STRATEGIES, SECOND EDITION will offer practical ways to approach the subject along with challenging thought
problems with answers. TOUTORIALS offer special learning tips over select topics. Exams will emphasize
understanding and not memory. Knowing structures of biomolecules is mandatory to understanding purpose and
biological function. Exam formats will be multiple choice, problem solving, fill-in-blanks, and discussion-type
questions. Exams for BICH 602 students will emphasize problem solving and application. Setup will be weighed
stronger than correct answers.
Personal Notes
Let me welcome you back to biochemistry. This time we will go inside the cell and explore the molecular basis
of living phenomena in the guise of metabolism. Biochemistry411/602 will challenge your ability to think logically.
Like its predecessor, BICH411/602 has high academic standards; it is not a course for the causal student. Those who
skip lecture or recitation sections, wait until the last week to prepare for exams, or don’t pick up exams passed back,
are among the small number of students who could fail the course. Some of you may view this course with trepidation.
If you do, let me assure you that biochemistry is only as hard as you allow it to become. I demand of my students a
thorough knowledge of the subject. Knowing means applying and using, not just having an acquaintance with the
language or a memory of what was written in the textbook or mentioned in lecture. Knowledge is seeing how
biochemical principles apply to all biological phenomena you have been studying in your other courses. I cannot teach
you all there is to know, nor will I focus only on application. You will have to discover that for yourself. I can,
however, help make biochemistry a fascinating course that will prepare you for the challenges ahead in your careers
whether it be Medical School, Veterinary Medicine, laboratory or technical work, sales, law school, dietetics, running a
feed lot, or setting up an ingenious megabuck web site. Don't expect to learn biochemistry by simply reading the
textbook. Give yourself time to sort things out. A student who crams biochemistry is a student on the way to disaster.
The language burden (unfamiliar words) is enormous and metabolic pathways at first glance all look alike. I suggest
one hour per day minimum for most topics and twice that for the more difficult topics. Use all the teaching aids
available such as BIOCHEMICAL STRATEGIES AND TUTORIALS. Be prepared to ask questions at recitation
sessions. Never rely solely on memory. Biochemistry is a logical subject that has been built on solid chemical
principles. What you learn has to “makes sense”. Draw structures to see how molecules interact. Learn how the words
aptly describe the reactions, etc.. Textbooks, lectures and recitation sessions are set up to help you learn the principles
of biochemistry. Take advantage of all three to guarantee more than a passing grade. Good luck and don't hesitate to
call. As before, with the exception of the noon hour, my door will always be open.
Remember to attend class regularly. Lectures will use a PowerPoint presentation. If you have any questions about
lectures, exams, or simply want to talk to the professor, please use my email address eharris@tamu.edu.
TOPICS IN BICH 411/602, Spring 2005
Text Strategies
(chapters/pages)
Wed
Fri
Mon
Wed
Fri
Monday
Wed
Fri
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Fri
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Friday
1-19
1-21
1-24
1-26
1-28
1-31
2-2
2-4
2-7
2-9
2-11
2-14
2-16
2-18
2-21
2-23
2-25
2-28
3-2
3-4
3-7
3-9
3-11
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
3-21
3-23
3-25
3-28
3-30
4-1
4-4
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
Wed
Fri
Monday
Wed
Friday
Monday
4-6
4-8
4-11
4-13
4-15
4-18
4-20
4-22
4-25
4-27
4-29
5-2
Introduction and orientation
Energy and Glycolysis I
(Tutorial-Energy)
Glycolysis II (Tutorial-Glycolysis)
Mannose, fructose, and galactose metabolism
Pentose phosphate pathway (Tutorial-Pentose PO4)
Glycogen metabolism (Tutorial-Phosphorylase)
Gluconeogenesis (Tutorial-Glucose-6-PO4)
Pyruvate metabolism (Tutorial-Pyruvate-lactate)
Krebs cycle I
Krebs cycle II (Tutorial-Regulation)
Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism
Electron transport
Oxidative Phosphorylation I
Oxidative Phosphorylation II
EXAM I
Photosynthesis -Light Reaction (Tutorial-Photosynthesis)
Photosynthesis-Calvin Cycle (Tutorial-Pentose PO4)
Photoefficiency
Beta Oxidation I
Beta Oxidation II
Ketosis
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis
Complex lipid biosynthesis
(Spring Break March 14 - 18)
Sphingolipid and cholesterol synthesis
LDL metabolism
No class
EXAM II
Amino acid catabolism I (Tutorial- Urea cycle)
Amino acid catabolism II
One-carbon Metabolism
(Q-drop last day April 5)
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen assimilation
Amino acid biosynthesis I
Amino acid biosynthesis II
Amino acid derivatives
Purine biosynthesis (Tutorial- Nucleotide synthesis)
Pyrimidine biosynthesis
Purine and pyrimidine degradation
Deoxynucleotide biosynthesis
EXAM III
Hormonal Mechanisms (Tutorial-cAMP)
Diabetes
FINAL EXAM Monday, May 9, 10:30-12:30 a.m.
13
14
14
14
15
14
14
16
16
16
19
19
19
169-185
179-185
19
20
20
17
17
17
21
21
237-243
245-249
250-252
253-260
193-195
197-203
187-188
205-210
211-217
219-225
227-235
261-270
21
21
18
18
18
271-277
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
287-292
293-299
23
23
279-285
301-307
309-312
312-313
313-316