9 ECTS credits
248 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1024174ANR for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
Omwille van specifieke risico’s en veiligheidsredenen, moet je geslaagd zijn voor 'Biomedische Chemie' alvorens dit opleidingsonderdeel te kunnen opnemen. Om dit opleidingsonderdeel te kunnen opnemen, moet je gelijktijdig het opleidingsonderdeel ‘Biomedische labovaardigheden’ opnemen of moet je reeds geslaagd zijn voor ‘Biomedische labovaardigheden’. Het opnemen van ‘De cel: Biomoleculen en metabolisme’ houdt ook in dat je ‘De cel: structuur, functie en analyse’ gelijktijdig volgt of reeds geslaagd bent voor ‘De cel: structuur, functie en analyse’. OF voor studenten ingeschreven in het verkort bachelor BMW traject (121 ECTS credits) geldt : Om dit opleidingsonderdeel te kunnen opnemen, moet je gelijktijdig het opleidingsonderdeel ‘Biomedische labovaardigheden’ opnemen of moet je reeds geslaagd zijn voor ‘Biomedische labovaardigheden’.
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy
Department
Pathology/molecular and cellular medicine
Educational team
Mark Van De Casteele
Nick Devoogdt (course titular)
Linus Donvil
Jordy Peeters
Julie Vandewalle
Activities and contact hours
65 contact hours Lecture
30 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
20 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

The part ‘Biomolecules’ of the course 'The cell: Biomolecules and Metabolism' focuses on two central questions:


- what is the structure of the main biomolecules?
- what is the relationship between the molecular structure and its biological function?
 

These are the recurrent questions about the main classes of biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), carbohydrates (sugars) and lipids (fats)) categorized in eight comprehensive 'learning units'. Specific learning objectives are indicated at the beginning of each unit. The idea that complex molecules are composed of a limited number of simple modules is a common theme throughout this part of the course.

The part ‘Metabolism’ contains two main subparts:


- essential concepts of metabolism and metabolic energy

-integration of bodily metabolism


The first part of 'Metabolism' explains the synthesis of large complex biomolecules from simple building blocks (anabolism) and the production of metabolic energy from degradation and oxidation of biomolecules (catabolism). Specific learning units are devoted to the general metabolic principles of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleotides. In the final part the integration of metabolism is discussed at the level of tissues, organs and the entire human organism.

In both parts, the course content is organized  in a  conceptual rather than a purely descriptive manner. In addition, the course is (bio)medically oriented as exemplified by the choice of topics with immediate relevance to the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of important human disorders. 

Course material
Handbook (Required) : Leerboek metabolisme en voeding, F.C. Schuit, 3de herziene druk, Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum, 9789036823579, 2019
Course text (Required) : De cel: biomoleculen en metabolisme, Deel biomoleculen, B. Van der Auwera, VUB, 2220170009315, 2022
Digital course material (Required) : Slides, B. Van der Auwera, M. Van de Casteele, 2022-2023, Canvas
Handbook (Recommended) : Molecular Biology of the Cell, B. Alberts, A. Johnson, J. Lewis, D. Morgan, M. Raff, K. Roberts, P. Walter, 6de, Garland Science, 9780393884852 , 2023
Handbook (Recommended) : Biochemistry, J.M. Berg, J.L. Tymoczko, L. Stryer, 9de, W.H. Freeman, 9781319498504, 2023
Course text (Required) : De cel: Biomoleculen en Metabolisme, Deel glucosemetabolisme, M. Van de Casteele, VUB, 2220170000497, 2021
Additional info

Specific information about the organisation of the course can be found on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene Competenties

The student

  • Can define the most important groups in organic chemistry and can recognize these groups in biomolecules
  • Can explain the role of water in biochemical processes and in the maintenance of secondary, teriary and quaternary structure of biomolecules
  • Knows the basic building blocks of biomolecules (amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides and fatty acids) and can recognize these building blocks and the nature of their linkage in biopolymers (nucleic acids, polysaccharides and membrane lipids)
  • Is able to calculate the net charge and the iso-electric point of simple peptides
  • Can define the secondary and tertiary structure of proteins and nucleic acid
  • Can explain the concept of allostery and can illustrate this concept using hemoglobin as an example
  • Can list examples of the main classes of enzymes and the most important catalytic mechanisms
  • Can illustrate the basic principles of simple enzyme catalysis according to the Michaelis-Menten model and can define enzyme inhibition
  • Is able to calculate enzyme kinetic parameters for inhibited and non-inhibited enzymatic reactions
  • Knows the principles of enzyme regulation and can give examples of key enzymes in human metabolism and their regulation
  • Can describe the structure of a biological membrane
  • Knows the principles of the most important biochemical techniques (ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis, chromatography, structural analysis of protein structure)
  • Is trained in reporting of experimental data in comprehensible lab reports
  • Knows the basic principles of thermodynamics in energy metabolism
  • Knows the pathways of carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, cholesterol and nucleotide metabolism and their regulation and can give examples of inborn errors of metabolism for the most important pathways
  • Can explain the integration of different metabolic pathways and their hormonal regulation during feeding, in the postprandial state and in starvation
  • Can define obesity and diabetes and knows the role of carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid metabolism and its (dys)regulation in the pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 80% of the final mark.
PRAC Lab Work determines 20% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • schriftelijk examen with a relative weight of 80 which comprises 80% of the final mark.

    Note: Kennis en inzicht van de student(e) in de leerstof van de hoorcolleges en werkcolleges worden getoetst via een schriftelijk examen (40-tal meerkeuzevragen met 5 afleiders per vraag zonder giscorrectie, en een tiental korte open vragen). De delen “Biomoleculen” en “Metabolisme” hebben een gelijke weging van 50%. Indien een student op de tussentijdse test minstens 10/20 behaalde op “Biomoleculen”, telt dit deel mee voor 50% van het schriftelijk examen.

Within the PRAC Lab Work category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • labowerk with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

    Note: De leerstof van de practica en werkcolleges wordt geëvalueerd op basis van de activiteiten tijdens het studiejaar, onder vorm van laboratoriumverslagen en ondervragingen tijdens het practicum of werkcollege. Indien de student(e) ten minste 12/20 behaalde op het onderdeel 'werkcolleges en practica' (WPO), dan kan dit cijfer naar een volgend academiejaar worden overgedragen. De student(e) die dit onderdeel toch wenst te hernemen, stuurt een e-mail naar de titularis uiterlijk voor aanvang van de praktische labosessies van het lopend academiejaar. Eenmaal de student(e) heeft gemeld dat hij/zij wil afzien van zijn/haar WPO-deelcijfer uit een vorig academiejaar, verliest hij/zij onherroepelijk dit deelcijfer. Aanwezigheid is verplicht voor de praktische labosessies. Afwezigheden dienen gewettigd te worden met een attest. Het examenonderdeel WPO (labowerk) kan niet worden hernomen in tweede zittijd.

Additional info regarding evaluation

For the course 'The Cell: Biomolecules and Metabolism' each student will receive a global mark that will be included in the final grade, taking into account the relative proportion of the course in the curriculum. The global score for this course includes both the score for topics related to the lectures/seminars and to the practical lab sessions (written tests, assignments and lab reports), and reflects the relative workload for each part.

 

Shortly after the lectures, seminars and practical work on the course part ‘Biomolecules’, the students participate in a compulsory interim written test that will be organized in December (the precise date will be communicated during the academic year). The format of this evaluation is identical to that of the written exam in January  (partly multiple choice questions without correction for guessing, partly short open questions both on theory and problem solving) in order to make the students familiar with this exam type and to offer them an opportunity to assess their study progress. Students who obtain a score 10/20 or higher receive an exemption for the course part ‘Biomolecules’ and will only take an exam on the course part ‘Metabolism’ in the regular examination period(s). In that case the obtained score for the ‘Biomolecules’ part will be included (50%)  in the final grade of the written exam in the regular examination periods. Students who want to give up this exemption and therefore want to take the exam part 'Biomolecules' again during the exam session(s), have to send an e-mail to the lecturer before the start of the exam period. Once the student has indicated that he wants to give up his exemption, he will irrevocably lose this partial mark. The score obtained for this interim test 'Biomolecules' can not be transferred to the next academic year. Students with a score below 10/20 for the 'Biomolecules' test must take an exam on the whole subject matter including both ‘Biomolecules’ and ‘Metabolism’.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences: Abridged (only offered in Dutch)