Bioinorganic Chemistry
Metal Ions in Biological Systems, Na+/K+ Pump
Essential and trace metals. Role of metal ions in biological processes.Na+/K+ Pump.
Bioenergetics and ATP Cycles
DNA polymerization, glucose storage, metal complexes in transmission of energy; chlorophylls, photo system I and photo system II in cleavage of water. Model systems.
Transport and Storage of Dioxygen
Heme proteins and oxygen uptake, structure and function of hemoglobin, myoglobin, hemocyanins and hemerythrin, model synthetic complexes of iron, cobalt and copper.
Bioorganic Chemistry
Enzymes & Mechanism of Enzyme Action
Introduction and historical perspective, chemical and biological catalysis, properties of enzymes- catalytic power, specificity and regulation. Fischer’s lock and Koshland’s induced fit hypothesis, concept and identification of active site by the use of inhibitors, affinity labeling and enzyme modification by site-directed, mutagenesis. Enzyme kinetics, Michaelis-Menten and Lineweaver-Burk plots, reversible and irreversible inhibition. Transition-state theory, acid-base catalysis, covalent catalysis, strain of distortion. Examples of some typical enzyme mechanisms for chymotrypsin, ribonuclease, lysozyme and carboxypeptidase A.
Kinds of Reactions Catalysed by Enzymes
Nucleophillic displacement on a phosphorus atom, multiple displacement reactions and the coupling of ATP cleavage to endergonic processes. Transfer of sulphate, addition and elimination reactions, enolic intermediates in isomerization reactions, b-cleavage and condensation, some isomerization and rearrangement reactions. Enzyme catalyzed carboxylation and decarboxylation.
Biophysical Chemistry
Biological Cell and its Constituents, Cell Membrane and Transport of Ions
Biological cell, structure and functions of proteins (amino acid structure and functional group properties)
enzymes, DNA and RNA in living systems. Helix coil transition. Structure and functions of cell membrane, ion transport through cell membrane.
Bioenergetics
Standard free energy change in biological reactions, exergonic, endergonic. Hydrolysis of ATP, synthesis of ATP from ADP.