BIOCHEMISTRY: THE MOLECULES OF LIFE - 2022/3
Module code: BMS1049
Module Overview
This module will introduce the students to the fundamental biochemistry of life and will provide students with an understanding of the biological molecules, which will inform their studies throughout their degree programmes. Students will experience a combination of taught lectures, guided seminars and workshops and practical classes to enhance their learning experience and provide them with the maximum opportunity for success and personal development.
Module provider
School of Biosciences
Module Leader
THUMSER Alfred (Biosciences)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 4
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 66
Lecture Hours: 11
Tutorial Hours: 22
Laboratory Hours: 9
Guided Learning: 12
Captured Content: 30
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
Indicative content includes:
Essential Skills
- Laboratory skills – liquid handling (pipettes), spectrophotometry, protein assay, titration
- Laboratory mathematics – e.g but not limited to, concentration, dilution, moles and molarity, basic statistics, Units in chemistry and biochemistry
- Writing skills – formative development of writing skills with a view to supporting the students in future modules.
Subject Knowedge
- The chemistry of water and pH
The structures and functions of
- The Amino Acids
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids and hydrophobic molecules
- The Nucleotides
Taught material for each of these groups of molecules will contain the relevant chemical concepts and may include:
- UV-Vis & fluorescence spectrometry
- Water - the solvent of life
- Intra-molecular interactions
- Bonding, electrons and molecules
- Acids & bases, pH, buffers
- Carbon – the basis of biological life
- Reactivity of biological molecules
- Reaction kinetics & energy
- Isomers
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | COURSEWORK - PRACTICAL PROFORMA | 40 |
| Examination Online | ONLINE (OPEN BOOK) MCQ EXAMINATION - 100 MINUTES WITHIN A 4HR WINDOW | 60 |
Alternative Assessment
Students will be provided data to complete the necessary evaluative elements of practical classes to enable completion of the Practical proforma coursework.
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate a confidence in expressing how the chemical nature of a molecule influences the biological behaviour. To demonstrate confidence with mathematics in a laboratory setting. To express confidence in laboratory mathematics and statistics.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
- One practical report consisting of elements from all practical classes within the module.
- One multiple choice and multi-answer exam with elements from all taught components of the module.
Formative assessment
Mutiple choice questions associated with each practical class.
Regular use of Kahoot/Poll Everywhere to assess student understanding of the material.
Face to face contact with staff during practicals and workshops to provide verbal feedback.
Feedback
Feedback to the students will be provided instantly after online MCQ formative assessments, during workshops and practical session in the form of verbal feedback, and during lecture classes where the class as a whole can receive feedback on formative work.
Summative feedback will be provided on the students’ practical submission, although this will not come until the end of the module for logistical reasons.
Module aims
- • Enhance and develop practical laboratory skills and provide students the confidence to undertake practical work in future modules.
- • Provide a solid knowedge base from which the students can describe and explain the properties of biological moleculess and identify their roles within a functioning organism.
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Laboratory skills:• To identify and competently use basic laboratory equipment and to do so with sufficient accuracy that they generate repeatable and consistent laboratory data. | KCPT |
| 002 | Laboratory skills:• To use essential calculations within the laboratory during experiments and to evaluate and analyse experimental data from the laboratory. | KCPT |
| 003 | Carbohydrates:• To identify the structure and function of biologically important monosaccharide carbohydrates and use this information to explain the properties of the mono, di and polysaccharide carbohydrates. | KC |
| 004 | Amino acids:• To identify the chemical characteristics of the amino acids and to use this information to explain the four levels of structure within proteins. | KC |
| 005 | Lipids:• To identify different types of structural and energy storage lipid molecules and apply the chemical behaviour of the each to explain the functions of the lipid. | KC |
| 006 | Nucleotides:• To identify the structures of different nucleotide molecules and describe the non-genetic functions of the different nucleotide molecules. | KC |
| 007 | Water:• To identify the role of the chemistry of water in determining the pH of a physiological system and hence the biological function of all biological molecules. | KC |
| 008 | Chemistry: To evaluate the impact of electron structure and atomic properties on the formation and physical properties of organic molecules. | KC |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
Develop a confident understanding of the molecular basis of biology; encourage proactive, interactive and enthusiastic learning; develop and enhance confidence in students’ practical skills; develop and enhance skills within numeracy and written communication.
The learning and teaching methods include:
- Lecture classes
- Practical classes
- Small group workshops
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS1049
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microbiology BSc (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
| Biomedical Science BSc (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
| Biomedical Science MSci (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
| Biological Sciences BSc (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
| Veterinary Biosciences BSc (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2022/3 academic year.