KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
GIRLS’S SECTION
Course Syllabus
COURSE DETAILS
SEMESTER
2ed Semester 2015
DEPARTMENT
BIOCHEMISTRY
COURSE CODE
BIOC 371
COURSE TITLE
GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY
NUMBER OF CONTACT HOURS
CLASS TIME
4 HOURS
(11-12)
SUNDAY, TUESDAY,THURSDAY
FAR & FBR
SECTIONS
CLASSROOM
72 C
COURSE INSTRUCTOR DETAILS
INSTRUCTOR NAME
OFFICE NUMBER
OFFICE HOURS
WEBSITE
E-MAIL
Dr. ULFAT M OMAR
2-114
SUNDAY, TUESDAY and THURSDAY (12-2)
http://uomer.kau.edu.sa
[email protected]
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I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces the principles of biochemistry such as:
1. General introduction about organic and inorganic chemistry
2. General introduction about acids, bases, buffers, pH and solutions
3. General introduction about the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells structure
4. Amino acids and proteins [characteristics, classifications, functions, digestion
and metabolism]
5. Major proteins families [enzymes, vitamins, hormones, and antibodies]
6. Saccharides and carbohydrates [characteristics, classifications, functions,
digestion and metabolism]
7. Fatty acids and lipids [characteristics, classifications, functions, digestion and
metabolism]
8. Cell membranes structure and lipoproteins [biological importance]
9. Nucleic acids [characteristics, classifications, functions, digestion and
metabolism].
II.
COURSE PREREQUESITS
N/A
III.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Recognize the major types of chemical bonds.
2. Describe the concepts of pH, buffers and the difference between acids and
bases.
3. Identify and characterize carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and nucleic acids.
4. Recognize the structures and functions of major biomolecules in living
system.
5. Classify enzymes and explain the terminology used with them.
6. Recognize general functions of hormones.
7. Identify the types of vitamins and their importance to human body
8. Develop familiarity with biochemical laboratory instrumentations and
techniques.
IV.
COURSE TOPICS:
Chapter 1: The chemistry of life
 What is biochemistry?
 Isotopes and compounds
 Chemical bonds
 Solutions
 Acids and bases
 Water
Chapter 2: Carbohydrates
 Overview of carbohydrates
 Classification of carbohydrates
 Monosaccharides
 Disaccharides
 Oligosaccharides
 Polysaccharides
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

Digestion, absorption, and metabolism of carbohydrates
Diseases related to abnormal carbohydrate metabolism
Chapter 3: Proteins
 Prokaryotes and eukaryotes
 Proteins types
 Amino acids overview
 Amino acids classification
 Abbreviation and symbols of amino acids
 Optical properties of amino acids
 Zwitterions and isoelectric point (pI)
 Protein solubility
 Protein structure
 Denaturation of proteins
 Examples of major protein families (enzymes, antibodies, and hormones)
 Digestion, absorption and metabolism of proteins
Chapter 4: Lipids
 Overview of lipids
 Classification of lipids
 Simple lipids
 Complex lipids
 Derived lipids
 Digestion, absorption and metabolism of lipids
Chapter 5: Nucleic acids
 Overview of the nucleic acids
 Nucleotides and nucleosides
 Functions of nucleotides
 DNA structure
 DNA replication
 RNA overview
 Protein synthesis
 Gene mutations
 Chromosomal mutations
 Nucleotides anabolism and catabolism
V.
LAB COMPONENTS:
Please ask your lab instructor for more details about the lab work.
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
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reading the text before lecture will improve your comprehension. Always go over
your lecture notes within a day of the lecture.
VII.
POLICIES:
Attendance & Tardiness:
 Any student-missing 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 10 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 (optional). 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
Periodical exam 1
Midterm exam
Periodical exam 2
Lab
Final exam
Total
IX.
Points
10
20
10
25
35
100
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
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X.
TEXTS & MATERIALS

Murray, R., Bender, D., Botham, K., Kennelly, P., Rodwell, V., Weil., P. (2012)
Harper’s illustrated biochemistry, 29th edition. Publisher: McGraw Hill Lange.

Nelson, D. and Cox, M. (2008) Lehninger principles of biochemistry, 5th edition.
Publisher: W.H. Freeman and company, New York.

Bettelheim, F. (2007). Introduction to general, organic, and Biochemistry (8th
ed.). Belmont, Thomson Brooks/Cole. ISBN-13: 978-0-495-01197-2.

Biochemistry online by henry Jacubowski
http://employees.csbsju.edu/hjakubowski/classes/ch331/bcintro/default.html
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XI.COURSE PLAN:
Week
Date
1
5-9/4/1436
2
12-16/4/1436
3
19-23/4/1436
4
26-30-/4/1436
5
3-7/5/1436
6
10-14/5/1436
Subject/Topic
References
Introduction to Biomolecules
Chemical bonds
Properties of Water
Acids and Bases: Properties and
some reactions
Acids and Bases: PH, POH, buffers,
acidosis and alkalosis
Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides
and disaccharides
Chapter 4
Chapter 7
Exams
Syllabus
Oligosaccharides and
Polysaccharides
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
7
17-21/5/1436
Lipids: Structure and properties
8
24-28/5/1436
Chapter 21
9
9-13/6/1436
Lipid Classification
Biological membranes and
lipoproteins
Midterm Break
29/5-8/6/ 1436
Amino acids
10
16-20/6/1436
Proteins
Chapter 22
11
23-27/6/1436
Chapter 25
12
30/6-4/7/1436
13
7- 11/7/1436
14
14-18/7/1436
Nucleotides, nucleic acids and
heredity
Gene expression and protein
synthesis
Introduction to Enzymes and
Hormones
Vitamins
15
21-25/7/1436
Revision
Test 1
Thursday 7/5/1435
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Midterm Exam
Thursday 20/6/1436
Chapter 26
Chapter 23 &
24
Chapter 30
Test 2
Thursday 11/7/1436
Final Lab exams
Final exams
28/7- 17/8/1436
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