Entry requirements

The general rules laid down by the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty of Pharmacy apply (see programme curriculum).

For entry to the separate course, students are required to fulfil the basic requirements for university entry stated in the Higher Education Order and hold the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree or have an equivalent knowledge of the subject approved by the Faculty.

Aims

The course aims to give the student the knowledge needed to:

- describe the structural and functional properties of cells, their chemical composition and their overall metabolism with special reference to the situation in man

- describe the flow of genetic information and general mechanisms of gene regulation

- describe the digestion, absorption and metabolism in different organs and tissues of different nutrients and the main principles of regulation of these processes and pathological changes in the same

- understand the causes of disease and effects of existing drugs and development of new modes of treatment.

Content

The cell: Biochemistry and function of cell elements, cell membranes and transport across membranes. Protein chemistry: Amino acids, the composition, properties and structural levels of proteins.

Enzymology: Enzyme-substrate interaction, catalysis, substrates, inhibitors, coenzymes, enzyme kinetics.

Nucleic acid biochemistry: Replication, transcription, translation, gene regulation.

Human intermediary metabolism: Digestion and absorption of nutrients, energy metabolism of cells, including oxidative phosphorylation, metabolism and biosynthesis of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and regulation and pathological changes of these processes, integration and hormonal regulation of the intermediary metabolism, biochemical functions of vitamins, signal substances.

The laboratory exercises include enzyme kinetics and analytical methods used in clinical chemistry.

The results of laboratory exercises are presented in writing.

Instruction

The tuition comprises lectures, seminars, group exercises and laboratory sessions.

Compulsory parts of the course:

All assignments in connection with laboratory sessions.

Assessment

Written examinations are held at the end of the course. Students are required to pass the compulsory parts of the course (examination code) as well as the final examination (examination code).

By agreement with the Study Director or Grades Committee, students may resit the examination within four weeks of completion of the course. Re-examination after the spring term takes place at the end of August. Students are allowed to sit the examination up to six times, i.e. the first examination and five re-examinations. Repetition of compulsory parts of the course may be done by agreement with the responsible tutor.