Metabolism

1. Nutrition, Diet and Body Weight

• An introduction to nutritional needs, diet choices and body weight classifications.

2. Energy Reactions in Cells

• An introduction to the reactions that occur within cells to produce energy.

• Understand the pathway that converts of food to its constituent molecular components, which are then used to create energy.

4. Vitamins, Cofactors, Minerals and Trace Elements

• Organise vitamins and minerals by enzyme and tissue function so deficiency and toxicity patterns follow from mechanism.

• Understand the stages of glycolysis.
• Understand the metabolism of galactose and the Pentose Phosphate pathway.

• To understand the stages of respiration that are oxygen dependent.
• To understand the production of ATP.

• Understand the structures of different types of lipids.
• Understand the structures and purpose of fatty acids and ketone bodies.
• Understand the purpose of lipid transport and metabolism in the body.
• Understand three diseases of the body relating to lipids.

• Understand the role of nitrogen and nitrogen balance in the body.
• Understand the different types of amino acids that exist, and some functions of amino acids.
• To describe the process through which amino acids can be used as an energy source.
• To understand conditions such as phenylketonuria, homocystinuria and refeeding syndrome.

9. Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism

• Compare nucleotide synthesis, salvage and disposal, then use pathway blocks to explain urate, HGPRT and treatment mechanisms.

10. Inborn Errors of Metabolism and Newborn Screening

• Use substrate accumulation and product deficiency to understand inherited pathway blocks and why screening before symptoms matters.

• To understand the metabolism of alcohol and the limiting factor in the metabolism.
• To understand the use of disulfiram as a treatment for alcoholism.

• To understand what is meant by a reactive oxygen species
• To understand the different ways reactive oxygen species are used by the body
• To understand the harmful consequences of reactive oxygen species and why their levels must be kept under control
• To understand paracetamol toxicity and how it is treated

• To understand the processes of glycogenesis, glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis.
• To understand the processes of fatty acid oxidation and synthesis.
• To understand the hormonal control of energy storage.

• To be able to apply knowledge about feedback loops to temperature regulation
• To be able to describe the body’s responses to keep core temperature in the normal range
• To be able to describe the temperature values associated with hyper- and hypothermia
• To be able to explain why certain groups of people struggle with thermoregulation

• To be able to understand how energy is stored and released in the body
• To understand how hormones influence metabolism
• To understand how metabolism changes in pregnancy
• To understand how exercise effects metabolism and the role of the Cori Cycle in exercise