BMB532: Fundamental Biochemistry
The Study Board for Science
Teaching language: Danish or English depending on the teacher
EKA: N200036102, N200036112, N200036122
Assessment: Second examiner: External, Second examiner: None
Grading: 7-point grading scale, Pass/Fail
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Bachelor
STADS ID (UVA): N200036101
ECTS value: 10
Date of Approval: 06-03-2025
Duration: 1 semester
Version: Approved - active
Comment
The course cannot be taken byt students who have taken BMB530, or has BMB530 as a mandatory course in their study programme.
Entry requirements
Academic preconditions
The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the first-year courses for BMB and Biomedicine, particularly BMB544, KE501, and BMB539.
Students taking the course are expected to:
Students taking the course are expected to:
- Have knowledge of basic mathematics and physics that include logarithms and exponential functions, linear algebra, first order differential equations, and basic physical variables (e.g. pressure, force, temperature, etc).
- Have knowledge in basic chemistry, including chemical reactions, association constants, pH, ionic strength, solution theory.
- Have knowledge of basic biological chemistry (incl. structures of biological molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids), the organization of cells and subcellular organelles, structures of biological membranes, glycolysis, cellular respiration).
- Be able to use basic chemistry laboratory equipment (pipettes, other volumetric material).
Course introduction
The aim of the course is to give the student a thorough introduction and basic skills in
- Architecture of biological membranes and their importance to biochemistry of living organisms
- Kinetic and thermodynamic principles that underlying metabolic pathways and their regulation
- Structure and regulation of basic metabolic pathways within living organisms
The course focuses on the following competences:
- Understanding and ability to study processes that involve enzymes and, biological membranes and their integration into metabolic processes in living organisms
- Capability to use spectrophotometry to follow kinetics of enzymatic reactions; and oximetry to investigate in vivo respiration rate in yeast
- Ability to perform simple laboratory experiments, collect and analyse data, draw conclusion, prepare written experiment report and accept feedback
- Ability to participate in group work and discussions
Expected learning outcome
The student demonstrates the ability to:
- Use methods from chemical kinetics and enzyme kinetics to determine characteristic constants such as KM and turnover number for enzyme, both in theory and in practice
- Explain how the activity of enzymes are regulated, including allosteric regulation
- Explain the structure of biological membranes and how compounds are transported through these
- Use the thermodynamic and kinetic foundations of metabolism and explain the significance of free energy and equilibrium constants for coupled reactions and the universal role of ATP in this coupling
- Describe metabolites, enzymes and coenzymes in glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the citric acid cycle pentose-phosphate pathway, glycogen metabolism, fatty acids oxidation and biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation
- Describe principles behind regulation and integration of metabolic pathways in mammalian organisms
- Describe the basics of photosynthesis and CO2-fixation in plants
Content
Part I: Biological membranes
- Lipid composition and self-assembly of biological membranes
- Role of cholesterol in biological membranes
- Structure and properties of membrane proteins
- Active and passive membrane transport
Part II: Enzymes
- Function and kinetics of enzymes in biological systems
- Michaelis-Menten kinetics
- Regulation of enzyme activity
Part III Metabolism
- Metabolism, introduction and Principles of regulation
- Gibbs free energy
- Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis
- Glycogen metabolism
- Pentose-phosphate pathway
- Citric acid cycle
- Fatty acids oxidation
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- Photosynthesis
- Lipid biosynthesis
- Hormonal Regulation and Integration of Mammalian Metabolism
Literature
Examination regulations
Exam element b)
Timing
Autumns and January
Tests
Portfolio and test
EKA
N200036102
Assessment
Second examiner: External
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Duration
4 hours written exam in January
Examination aids
The exam is with limited aids. Only the following aids are allowed:The exam is with limited aids. Only the following aids are allowed:
- built-in standard calculators in Windows/macOS/Linux.
- Maple, Mathematica, Mathcad, MATLAB, GeoGebra Apps, R (including R-Studio), CAS TI-Nspire, MS Excel, and LibreOffice Calc are allowed. WordMat is permitted but not recommended. Use of WordMat is at your own risk, and no support will be provided for breakdowns or other errors caused by the program.
- language translation dictionaries (e.g. Danish/English, Danish/German etc) in "ordbogsprogrammet" (the dictionary programme) from http://www.ordbogen.com/ in electronic form. The browser version is not allowed. See the complete list of which dictionaries are allowed in the separate "Instruction to ordbogen dot com". All dictionaries other than the allowed dictionaries must be switched off in “ordbogsprogrammet” (the dictionary programme).
Internet is not allowed. However, you may access the course page in itslearning to open system "DE–Digital Exam" and complete any tests within the system.
ECTS value
8
Additional information
The portfolio consists of three electronic tests on itslearning, held during the course, and a written exam in January. The three electronic tests during the course are with aids, and will be available for two to three days.
The written exam in January is without aids and will cover all topics of the course. An electronic test can only be taken once. Points are accumulated and the grade given based on the final number of points.
The point distribution between tests and exam is as follows: The three tests during the course each count 10% and the final written exam is 70%. When results from all the tests and the exam have been added, a grade will be given based on the number of points obtained. Participation in the exam in January is mandatory in order to pass.
The reexamination will as a rule be a written exam counting 100% and points obtained in the electronic tests will not be added.
Prerequisites for participating in the exam a)
Timing
Autumn
Tests
Participation in laboratory exercises
EKA
N200036112
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
To be announced during the course
ECTS value
0
Additional information
The prerequisite examination is a prerequisite for participation in exam element a)
Exam element a)
Timing
Autumn
Prerequisites
| Type | Prerequisite name | Prerequisite course |
|---|---|---|
| Examination part | Prerequisites for participating in the exam a) | N200036101, BMB532: Fundamental Biochemistry |
Tests
Written reports of laboratory exercises
EKA
N200036122
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
To be announced during the course
ECTS value
2
Indicative number of lessons
Teaching Method
Planned lessons
Total number of planned lessons: 74
Hereof:
Common lessons in classroom/auditorium: 34
Team lessons in classroom: 18
Team lessons in laboratory: 8
Planned teaching activities
Teaching in BMB532: Fundamental Biochemistry is organized as a combination of lectures, tutorials (class sessions), and laboratory exercises. The purpose is to give students a solid foundation in key biochemical topics such as enzymes, membrane transport, metabolic regulation, and energy production.
Lectures: A total of 16 lectures will introduce and review the course's main themes. The most important topics include enzyme function and kinetics, membrane transport processes, and carbohydrate, lipid, and energy metabolism. The lectures connect theory with practical examples and serve as an overall framework for the course syllabus, which is read in Lehninger Biochemistry (8th edition).
Tutorials (class sessions): There are nine tutorials during which students work on tasks and cases that build on the lecture material. The focus is on discussion, problem-solving, and feedback from the instructor. Students are expected to prepare by reviewing the tasks at home so that tutorials can deepen understanding and discuss solutions in detail.
Laboratory exercises: Two laboratory exercises are planned, giving students practical experience with enzyme kinetics, respiration measurements, and data analysis. These exercises link theory from the lectures to experimental methods. After each laboratory session, a short report is prepared to document and discuss the results in relation to the course’s theoretical content.
In addition to these activities, there are three online partial exams (“part-exams”) where students can test their understanding of the syllabus. These partial exams focus on selected parts of the course content, allowing students to track their progress continuously.
Activities outside scheduled teaching
To achieve the best possible outcome from the course, students are expected to spend time outside of scheduled sessions on, among other things:
Preparation for lectures: Reading relevant textbook chapters, taking notes, and reflecting on key concepts.
Preparation for tutorials: Going through tasks, cases, and supplementary materials so that they are ready to discuss solutions in class and receive optimal feedback from the instructor and peers.
Laboratory preparation and follow-up: Students study lab protocols and understand the theoretical background before the exercises. Afterwards, they process the experimental data and write reports that link the results to the relevant theory.
Participation in partial exams (“part-exams”): These online partial exams allow students to identify areas needing further review or clarification before the final exam.
Exam preparation: Students are encouraged to revise the syllabus and past tutorial tasks and work in study groups to discuss and ensure a thorough understanding of the material. The final written exam is four hours long and covers the entire course syllabus.
Teacher responsible
| Name | Department | |
|---|---|---|
| Adelina Rogowska-Wrzesinska | adelinar@bmb.sdu.dk | Institut for Biokemi og Molekylær Biologi |
Additional teachers
| Name | Department | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christer Stenby Ejsing | cse@bmb.sdu.dk | Biomedicinsk Massespektrometri og systembiologi | |
| Kim Ravnskjær | ravnskjaer@bmb.sdu.dk | Institut for Biokemi og Molekylær Biologi | |
| Richard Sprenger | richards@bmb.sdu.dk | Biomedicinsk Massespektrometri og systembiologi |
Timetable
Administrative Unit
Team at Registration
Offered in
Recommended course of study
Transition rules
Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study.
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list.
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.