Courses : Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry

Courses : Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry

 

Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry

Student’s learning objectives in veterinary physiology and biochemistry are to acquire knowledge of normal body functions in domestic and non-domestic animals at the molecular level (biochemistry), cellular and gross (physiology) levels. Understanding the mechanism of action and metabolism of chemicals, hormones, neurotransmitters and toxins in the body and ameliorating pathways. Laboratories should be able to harvest live animal tissues for study, both qualitative and quantitative assessment with sufficient number of equipment for students to observe, enumerate and experiment with animal body cells, tissues and organs at work and in molecular activity.

Veterinary Biochemistry (12 Units)

VBC Module 1

 

 (4 Units; LH 45, PH 45)

INTRODUCTORY CELL BIOLOGY AND BIOENERGETICS

  • Introduction to Biochemistry

  • Relevance of Biochemistry to Veterinary Medicine
  • Outline of the structure, chemistry and functions of the living cell
  • pH and buffers and their importance.
  • Biochemical importance of ATP
  • The structure and function of biological membranes.
  • Membrane transport
  • Introduction to enzymes; properties and functions, Enzyme kinetics, allosteric effects etc.
  • Enzyme assay in clinical medicine, Immobilized enzymes
  • Enzymes of diagnostic importance in Veterinary Medicine 

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF CARBOHYDRATES

  • Classification and chemistry of carbohydrates
  • Mucopolysaccharides, blood group and substances
  • Pathways of metabolism of glucose and fructose
  • Definition and inter-relationships of glycolysis.
  • Gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis.
  • The electron transport chain (ETC) and oxidative phosphorylation
  • Control of carbohydrate metabolism. 

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF PROTEINS

  • Chemistry and structure of amino acids, peptides and peptic bonds.
  • Essential and non-essential amino acids.
  • Protein: classification, structure and functions.
  • Introduction to the metabolism of amino acids, transamination, oxidative deamination, decarboxylation etc.
  • The urea cycle and its biochemical importance.
  • Metabolism of the sulphur- containing amino acids; methionine, cysteine and cystine etc.
  • Metabolism of amino sugars.                                                             

ABNORMALITIES OF CARBOHYDRATE AND PROTEIN METABOLISM.

        Disorders/Abnormalities of Carbohydrate and protein metabolism

  • The hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) and its biochemical importance
  • Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
  • Diseases of carbohydrate metabolism- a review.
  • Inborn errors of metabolism of some amino acids such phenylketonuria, tyrosinosis, alkaptonuria, albinism, cystinuria.
  • Hemoglobin and hemoglobinopathies.
  • The Haemoglobin: Structure, properties and biochemical functions of Haemoglobin Porphyrins and Porphynurias.
  • Functions of bile pigments; jaundice.
  • Haemoglobinopathies, HBS, thalassemias, heamophilia etc.

VBC Module II

 

(4 Units; LH 45, PH 45)

Chemistry and biochemistry of lipid, Introduction to molecular biology, nutritional biochemistry of animals.

 

FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE BALANCE

*Fluid intake and output, total body water distribution in intracellular and extracellular fluids. *Functions of electrolytes, dehydration and its correction

*Water and the major ions: HCO3, CL, Na, K, H

*Regulations of water balance

*Iron: sources, absorption, distribution in the body and biochemical functions and excretion

*Anaemia, heamochromatosis

*Chemistry and biochemistry of carotenoids

* Biochemistry of Vision

*Coenzyme, structure and roles in cellular metabolism

 

INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

*Chemistry and structures of nucleic acids

*Nomenclature of bases, nucleotides and nucleotides biosynthesis

*Composition of DNA and RNA, The Watson-Crick DNA double helix

*Genetic regulation of metabolism

*Introduction to genetic engineering in veterinary medicine

*Virus and oncogenes

* Programme cell death, Biochemistry of free radicals

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF LIPIDS

*Introduction, classification, chemistry and functions of lipids

*Digestion and absorption of lipids, formation of chylomicrons, transport of lipids in blood stream, lipoproteins

*Biosynthesis of fatty acids, the triacylglycerols, phospholipids, sphingolipids and regulatory mechanism involved

*Metabolism of cholesterol, biosynthesis and deregulation into bile acids and bile salts e.t.c

*Biochemistry of prostaglandins.

 

NUTRITION BIOCHEMISTRY 

*General nutritional requirements

*Energy aspects of diets, basal metabolic rates (BMR), and specific dynamic action

*Major nutritional disorders e.g. obesity, marasmus, kwashiorkor, and marasmic-kwashiokor

*The water soluble vitamins

 vitamin C and their biochemical importance in the body

  • The fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K and their biochemical functions
  • *Calcium and phosphorus metabolism and significance in the body

Trace elements : mg2+, mn2+ , Zn2+, P , Co, Li2+etc

 

VBC Module  III

 

(4 Units; LH 45 PH 45)

HORMONES

  • General characteristics of hormones and the molecular mechanisms of action
  • Hormones of the adrenal cortex: the glucocorticoids and the mineralocorticoids-biosynthesis, regulation of biosynthesis and metabolic functions
  • Adrenocortical insufficiency: Addison’s disease, hyper-aldosteronism
  • Hormones of testes, ovary, and the placental testosterone, androgens, estrogens, progesterone; biosynthesis, functions, metabolism and Regulations.                 
  • Assay of hormones-biological, chemical and radio-displacement assay
  • Hormones of the adrenohypophysis; ACTH, GH, TSH, LH, Prolactin, and MSH
  • The neurohypophysis; vasopressin and oxytocin
  • Regulation of pituitary function and disorders
  • The parathyroid hormone; Calcitonin: chemistry, function and regulations of secretion, and abnormalities.
  • The pancreatic hormones; (a) Insulin-chemistry, metabolism and hypoglycemia
  • (b) Glucagon – chemistry and functions.

 

  • TISSUE BIOCHEMISTRY I (BLOOD)
  • Blood: general properties and functions; the red blood cell and its metabolism
  • Blood plasma; the plasma protein, separation and functions, blood clotting mechanisms.

 METABOLISM OF DRUGS AND OTHER FOREIGN COMPOUNDS

  • The role of microsomal enzymes in drug metabolism and toxicological consequences.
  • Drug metabolism in domestic animals.
  • Trace elements and their applications in veterinary medicine.
  • Immunochemistry: uses of radioactive isotopes in veterinary clinical biochemistry.
  • Genetic engineering in veterinary medicine.
  • Prospects and applications of recombinant DNA technology in animal production

TISSUE BIOCHEMISTRY II (LIVER, KIDNEYS, GIT, CNS)

  • Biochemistry of the kidney; renal function tests
  • Biochemistry of the liver; liver function tests, jaundice, hepatitis etc.
  • The biochemistry of the nervous system.
  • Biochemical functions of the gastrointestinal tract; GIT hormones, gastrin,    cholecystokinin.
  • The biochemistry of ageing.
  • Biochemistry of some tropical diseases

Rumen biochemistry. Lactation Biochemistry.