BIOCHEMISTRY

AIMS AND SCOPE OF THE COURSE IN BIOCHEMISTRY: The major aim is to provide a sound but crisp knowledge on the biochemical basis of the life processes relevant to the human system and to dental/medical practice. The contents should be organised to build on the already existing information available to the students in the pre-university stage and reorienting. A mere rehash should be avoided. The chemistry portion should strive towards providing information on the functional groups, hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties and weak valence forces that organise macromolecules. Details on structure need not be emphasised. Discussion on metabolic processes should put emphasis on the overall change, interdependence and molecular turnover. While details of the steps may be given, the student should not be expected to memorise them. An introduction to biochemical genetics and molecular biology is a must but details should be avoided. The exposure to antivitamins, antimetabolites and enzyme inhibitors at this stage, will provide a basis for the future study of medical subjects. An overview of metabolic regulation is to be taught by covering hormonal action, second messengers and regulation of enzyme activities. Medical aspects of biochemistry should avoid describing innumerable functional tests, most of which are not in vogue. Cataloguing genetic disorders under each head of metabolism is unnecessary. A few examples which correlate genotype change to functional changes should be adequate. At the end of the course the student would be able to acquire a useful core of information, which can be retained for a long time. Typical acid tests can be used to determine what is to be taught or what is to be learnt.

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