BCHM 102 - Introduction to Biochemistry | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | School of Medicine

BCHM 102 - Introduction to Biochemistry

Fall 2024 (On-Campus)

Year 1

4-5 hours/week

3 units

Available

On-Campus Course

This course will introduce general biochemical concepts that will provide a basis for understanding the biological and chemical principles underlying mammalian physiology and disease.

NOTE: This course is only available students registered in Nursing or 1st Year Life Sciences and Biochemistry.

Exclusions

No more than 3.0 units from BCHM 102, BCHM 270.

May not be taken with or after BCHM 315/3.0 or BCHM 310/6.0

Method of Delivery

1 hour lectures (3 per week), 1 hour tutorial (1 per week)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify the structure and function of macromolecules in the cell.
Describe the metabolic pathways, emphasizing their substrates, products, and regulation.
Predict the effect of regulatory molecules and abnormalities such as mutations on cellular processes.
Explain the biochemical origins of diseases.
Recognize the biochemical connections between metabolic pathways, cells and tissues.

Midterm (2x10%)

There will be two multiple choice midterms.

Problem Based Learning (30%)

There will be 5 problem based learning tutorials. Prior to the tutorial you will complete a reading assignment and an online quiz based on the readings. During the tutorial, students will work in groups to apply the biochemical concepts covered in lecture to a set of biochemical problems. The content covered in the tutorials will also be covered by the online quizzes, midterm and final exam.

Genetic Disease Assignment (10%)

Students select a genetic disorder from a list. They will research the disease and write a 500-word description of the biochemical basis for the disease that will educate a patient or lay person who has been newly diagnosed. The assignment must include a description of the disease origins, symptoms and treatments in terms of the underling biochemistry.

Final Exam (35%)

A cumulative final exam comprised of 50 multiple choice questions and 50 marks of short answer question will be written during the final exam period.

Poll Everywhere (5%)

We will be using Poll Everywhere during lecture to check your learning of the key concepts. Questions will be given in a variety of formats, and responses will be recorded by Poll Everywhere (polleverywhere.com). The correctness of your responses along with your participation will be combined for a total of 5% of your final grade.

Time Commitment

4 hours in class per week

Textbooks and Materials

Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th edition, John L. Tymoczko, Jeremy M. Berg, and Lubert Stryer

Grading Method

In this course, some components will be graded using numerical percentage marks. Other components will receive letter grades, which for purposes of calculating your course average will be translated into numerical equivalents using the Faculty of Arts and Science approved scale:

Arts & Science Letter Grade Input Scheme

Assignment mark	Numerical value for calculation of final mark
A+	93
A	87
A-	82
B+	78
B	75
B-	72
C+	68
C	65
C-	62
D+	58
D	55
D-	52
F48 (F+)	48
F24 (F)	24
F0 (0)	0

Your course average will then be converted to a final letter grade according to Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale:

Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale

Grade	Numerical Course Average (Range)
A+	90-100
A	85-89
A-	80-84
B+	77-79
B	73-76
B-	70-72
C+	67-69
C	63-66
C-	60-62
D+	57-59
D	53-56
D-	50-52
F	49 and below