Types of chemical reactions, pH, buffers and their properties, concentration of solutions. Stereo chemistry of carbon compounds. Carbohydrates, fats and lipids, structure and properties of phospholipids, glycolipids, steroids, amino acids and proteins. Classes of Enzymes with examples. Biologically important peptides, purines, pyrimidines, nucleic Acids- DNA and RNA.
Energy, energy flow cycle, energy conversion. Structure and properties of ATP. High energy compounds, Thermodynamic considerations, coupling reactions of ATP and NDP (Nucleotide di phosphate); photosynthesis, light reaction, dark reaction, ancillary Pigments, Photosystems PS I & II
Biological membranes: structure, permeability, properties, passive transport and active transport, facilitated transport, energy requirement, mechanism of Na+ / K+, glucose and amino acid transport. Organization of transport activity in cell. Action Potentials. Role of transport in signal transduction processes.
Glycolysis –metabolism. Aerobic and anaerobic pathway and regulation, TCA cycle, NADPH Cycle, Glyoxylate cycle, Pentose Phosphate Pathway. Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation, energetics, energy balance sheet, oxidative stress. Gluconeogenesis – regulation of gluconeogenesis. Biosynthesis of polysaccharides. Biosynthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol, phospholipids, glycolipids. Biodegradation of triglycerides and fatty acids.
Biosynthesis and catabolism of essential amino acids: Lysine, Phenylalanine and Glutamine. Deamination, transamination and urea cycle. Metabolism and regulation of Purines, pyrimidine and precursors of nucleic acids (nucleosides & nucleotides).