Biochemistry and Nutrition Course

Lesson 1 • Proteins: Amino Acids and Structure

Describes the 20 amino acids, peptide bonds, and four levels of protein structure. Prepares students to understand enzyme function and dietary protein quality.

Lesson 2 • Water and Cellular Environment

Examines water's unique properties and its role in biological reactions. Connects aqueous chemistry to cellular homeostasis and nutrient transport.

Lesson 3 • Carbohydrates: Structure and Function

Introduces monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides with structural detail. Links carbohydrate chemistry to energy storage and cell signaling roles.

Lesson 4 • Nucleic Acids and Genetic Information

Introduces DNA and RNA structure, nucleotide composition, and the central dogma. Connects genetic information flow to protein synthesis and nutrient-gene interactions.

Lesson 5 • Lipids: Diversity and Roles

Covers fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, and sterols. Establishes lipid chemistry as the basis for membrane structure and energy metabolism.

Lesson 1 • Enzyme Kinetics

Teaches Michaelis-Menten kinetics, Km, Vmax, and turnover number. Enables quantitative analysis of enzyme efficiency relevant to metabolic flux.

Lesson 2 • Enzyme Structure and Catalysis

Covers active sites, substrate binding, and transition-state stabilization. Grounds enzyme function in the protein structures introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Covalent Modification and Enzyme Control

Covers phosphorylation, proteolytic activation, and zymogens. Links hormonal signals to rapid enzyme activity changes in nutritional contexts.

Lesson 4 • Enzyme Inhibition

Distinguishes competitive, uncompetitive, and mixed inhibition with kinetic signatures. Applies inhibition concepts to drug action and nutritional toxicology.

Lesson 1 • Glycogen Synthesis and Degradation

Describes glycogenesis, glycogenolysis, and their hormonal regulation. Explains liver and muscle glycogen roles in blood glucose homeostasis.

Lesson 2 • Glycolysis: Glucose to Pyruvate

Details all ten glycolytic steps, energy investment, and net ATP yield. Establishes the central pathway connecting dietary carbohydrates to cellular energy.

Lesson 3 • Pentose Phosphate Pathway

Teaches oxidative and non-oxidative branches producing NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate. Links this pathway to antioxidant defense and nucleotide biosynthesis.

Lesson 4 • Gluconeogenesis and Blood Glucose Control

Covers gluconeogenic substrates, bypass reactions, and the Cori cycle. Explains how fasting and low-carbohydrate diets maintain blood glucose levels.

Lesson 5 • Pyruvate Oxidation and the TCA Cycle

Covers pyruvate dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA entry, and eight TCA reactions. Connects carbohydrate catabolism to electron carrier generation for oxidative phosphorylation.

Lesson 1 • Cholesterol Synthesis and Regulation

Covers the mevalonate pathway, HMG-CoA reductase, and sterol regulatory elements. Links dietary cholesterol intake to endogenous synthesis and cardiovascular health.

Lesson 2 • Fatty Acid Oxidation

Details beta-oxidation steps, acetyl-CoA yield, and ketone body formation. Quantifies energy output from saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

Lesson 3 • Triglyceride and Phospholipid Metabolism

Explains triglyceride assembly, lipolysis, and phospholipid remodeling. Connects adipose tissue metabolism to systemic energy balance and membrane maintenance.

Lesson 4 • Lipoprotein Transport and Metabolism

Describes chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL, and HDL structure and function. Explains how lipoprotein profiles reflect dietary fat quality and metabolic health.

Lesson 1 • Amino Acid Biosynthesis and Essential Amino Acids

Covers biosynthetic pathways for nonessential amino acids and why essential ones must come from diet. Connects dietary protein quality scores to metabolic adequacy.

Lesson 2 • Urea Cycle and Nitrogen Excretion

Details the five urea cycle reactions and their mitochondrial-cytosolic coordination. Explains ammonia toxicity and the clinical relevance of urea cycle disorders.

Lesson 3 • Amino Acid Catabolism

Explains transamination, oxidative deamination, and carbon skeleton entry into the TCA cycle. Links amino acid degradation to energy production during fasting.

Lesson 4 • Protein Digestion and Absorption

Covers gastric, pancreatic, and brush-border proteases and peptide transporters. Establishes how dietary protein is broken down and absorbed for systemic use.

Lesson 1 • Trace Minerals and Redox Enzymes

Covers iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, and manganese in enzymatic and hormonal roles. Links trace mineral status to antioxidant capacity and thyroid function.

Lesson 2 • Macrominerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium

Examines absorption, homeostatic regulation, and metabolic functions of major minerals. Connects mineral balance to bone health, enzyme activity, and energy metabolism.

Lesson 3 • Vitamin C and Antioxidant Function

Explains ascorbate's role in collagen hydroxylation, iron absorption, and free radical quenching. Connects vitamin C status to wound healing and immune competence.

Lesson 4 • Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A, D, E, and K

Covers absorption, storage, and molecular mechanisms of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Explains toxicity risks from excess intake and deficiency consequences for each.

Lesson 1 • Appetite Regulation and Satiety Hormones

Covers leptin, ghrelin, GLP-1, insulin, and hypothalamic circuits controlling food intake. Links hormonal signals to macronutrient composition and meal timing.

Lesson 2 • Energy Metabolism and Thermodynamics

Covers basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, and energy expenditure components. Grounds energy balance in thermodynamic principles established in earlier chapters.

Lesson 3 • Macronutrient Interconversion and Fuel Selection

Explains how carbohydrates, fats, and proteins interconvert and how fuel selection shifts with nutritional state. Connects substrate oxidation ratios to respiratory quotient.

Lesson 4 • Body Composition and Assessment Methods

Describes fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral density measurement techniques. Connects body composition data to metabolic risk stratification and dietary planning.

Lesson 1 • Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Covers PKU, galactosemia, MSUD, and fatty acid oxidation disorders as enzyme deficiency models. Demonstrates how dietary manipulation corrects or compensates for genetic metabolic blocks.

Lesson 2 • Obesity: Biochemistry and Adipose Dysfunction

Examines adipokine dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and lipotoxicity in obesity. Links excess energy storage to systemic metabolic dysfunction and comorbidities.

Lesson 3 • Nutritional Support in Clinical Settings

Covers enteral and parenteral nutrition formulation, monitoring, and complication management. Applies macronutrient and micronutrient biochemistry to critically ill patient care.

Lesson 4 • Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

Covers impaired insulin signaling, ectopic lipid accumulation, and hyperglycemia consequences. Connects molecular defects to dietary and lifestyle intervention strategies.

Lesson 5 • Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Risk

Explains elevated LDL, low HDL, hypertriglyceridemia, and their atherogenic mechanisms. Applies dietary fat quality and fiber intake to lipoprotein management.