INTRODUCTION OF BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: Fabio D'AMICOExpected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to equip students with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of biology and nutrition from a biochemical perspective.
Required Prerequisites
Basic elements of general, inorganic, and organic chemistry.
Detailed Course Content
Introduction to biology as the study of life. Cell theory. Emerging properties of living organisms.
Chemistry of life: The chemistry of living organisms: atoms, molecules, and bonds. Biological macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids). Cell biology: Cellular organization in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Techniques and tools for studying cell organelles. Multicellular organization: From cells to tissues. Scientific method: The scientific research method (hypothetical-deductive reasoning).
Biochemistry of macromolecules: Carbohydrates: Structure, properties, functions, and role in energy metabolism.
Lipids: Structure, different types (fatty acids, triglycerides), functions, and importance in nutrition.
Proteins: Structure (amino acids, essential acids), biological functions, metabolism, and role in food.
Vitamins and minerals: Classification, essential functions, and role in maintaining health.
Metabolism and cell biology: Metabolic pathways: Study of the processes through which cells produce, degrade, and utilize biological molecules, with particular attention to food-related processes.
Enzymology: Role of enzymes in nutrition, food processing, and metabolic pathways.
Alteration processes: Biological causes leading to food alteration.
Chemistry of life: The chemistry of living organisms: atoms, molecules, and bonds. Biological macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids). Cell biology: Cellular organization in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Techniques and tools for studying cell organelles. Multicellular organization: From cells to tissues. Scientific method: The scientific research method (hypothetical-deductive reasoning).
Biochemistry of macromolecules: Carbohydrates: Structure, properties, functions, and role in energy metabolism.
Lipids: Structure, different types (fatty acids, triglycerides), functions, and importance in nutrition.
Proteins: Structure (amino acids, essential acids), biological functions, metabolism, and role in food.
Vitamins and minerals: Classification, essential functions, and role in maintaining health.
Metabolism and cell biology: Metabolic pathways: Study of the processes through which cells produce, degrade, and utilize biological molecules, with particular attention to food-related processes.
Enzymology: Role of enzymes in nutrition, food processing, and metabolic pathways.
Alteration processes: Biological causes leading to food alteration.