KJM1140 – Biochemistry 1 for Chemists
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
What does our bodies consist of? Furthermore, how do muscles, our immune system, and even breathing, work at the atomic level? To understand the chemistry of life, we need to study biochemistry.
This course offers a theoretical and practical introduction to biochemistry, primarily aimed at chemistry students. Central topics are the structure, function, and properties of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
Learning outcome
After completing the course, you can:
- Explain how biological systems are organized in cells
- Describe the properties of cell membranes and various forms of biosignaling
- Explain the structure, function, and workings of biological molecules, particularly nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.
- Describe how enzymes act as biological catalysts
- Explain how our genetic material determines our traits through proteins.
- Discuss key features of metabolism
- Describe experimental techniques in protein chemistry and the characterization of biological molecules
- Conduct laboratory experiments in protein chemistry and enzyme kinetics, use simple statistical methods, and evaluate the results in the form of a laboratory journal and lab reports
- Apply fundamental chemical principles to evaluate the properties of biochemical molecules and systems
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
Special admission requirements
In addition to fulfilling the?Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:
- Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2) + R2
And in addition one of these:
- Physics (1+2)
- Chemistry (1+2)
- Biology (1+2)
- Information technology (1+2)
- Geosciences (1+2)
- Technology and theories of research (1+2)
The special admission requirements may also be covered by equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies?(in Norwegian).
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Completed laboratory course in KJM1101 – Generell kjemi or KJM1002 – Introduction to Chemistry
Before you can attend the mandatory laboratory courses, you have to have passed the following courses:
Recommended previous knowledge
Chemistry 2 from Norwegian upper secondary school.
Overlapping courses
- 8 credits overlap with BIOS1130 – Biokjemi 1.
- 7 credits overlap with MBV1050 – Biochemistry I: Structure and function of biomolecules (discontinued).
- 5 credits overlap with MBV-KJM1030 – General biochemistry and biological chemistry (discontinued).
- 5 credits overlap with MBV1030 – General biochemistry (discontinued).
- 5 credits overlap with MBV3030 – The biochemistry of proteins (discontinued).
- 5 credits overlap with KJM2200 – Biological Chemistry (discontinued).
Teaching
The course duration is one semester and the teaching includes:
- Approximately 48?hours of lectures
- Approximately 25 hours of exercises
- A mandatory laboratory?course of 30 hours (6 days of 5 hours each, including pre-labs?and lab reports).
The laboratory course must be approved prior to the final examination.
A completed and approved laboratory course is valid for six semesters beyond the semester it was approved. After this period, you must complete the laboratory course again to be able to sit for the final examination.
You must be able to show documentation that you have passed the HMS courses on the first mandatory wet lab.
It is mandatory to attend the first plenary lecture and the first?group teaching (including students on the waiting list). If you are unable to attend the first lecture, you must notify the Department of Chemistry before the start of the lecture, otherwise, your course registration will be canceled.
Attendance at the laboratory course is mandatory. If you are prevented from meeting, you must show documentation that you were legally absent (medical note from a doctor or similar).
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
- Final written exam?(4 hours), which counts 100 % towards the final grade. Alternatively, there may be oral exams if few students.?The final exam form will be decided after the start of the semester.
This course has mandatory exercises that must be approved before you can take the final exam.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: BIOS1130 – Biokjemi 1, MBV1050 – Biochemistry I: Structure and function of biomolecules (discontinued)
Examination support material
Approved calculator. The calculator must fulfill?the requirements?specified by The Department of Mathematics?(only in Norwegian).
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.