Duration
36h Th, 20h Pr, 24h Mon. WS
Number of credits
| Bachelor in veterinary medicine | 7 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The first 11 chapters describe the structure and function of the main components of a cell. These components are water, amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates, nucleotides and nucleic acids, and fatty acids and lipids. In the twelfth chapter, the focus is on cell signaling pathways.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The purpose of the biochemistry course is to explain how the inanimate molecules that constitute a living being organise themselves and interact to give, maintain and perpetuate life.
Furthermore, this course focuses on the basic knowledge students will need in order to understand the Biochemistry of Domestic Animals II course (BLOCK 3 of the bachelor's degree) and the Pathological Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry courses (BLOCK 2 of the master's degree).
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students must have a good understanding of maths, physics, chemistry, organic chemistry and biology.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Theory classes are in the form of lectures. Tutorials and practical classes are organised in small groups and involve preparation for the exam (preparation of questions similar to those asked during the exam). Participation in the practical classes and tutorials is compulsory
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Face-to-face. The theory classes start right at the beginning of the academic year and end before the start of the tutorials and practical classes. The tutorials and practical classes end before the Christmas holidays. The weekly timetable is available on the intranet.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Course notes (slides shown during class), as well as the notes relating to the practical classes and tutorials, are available on e-campus. However, the notes for the practical classes and the tutorials are only provided at the end of these periods, in order to motivate students to look through everything they did in class before going to these tutorials and practical sessions. Anything that is added or removed at the last minute is clearly indicated during class. The most relevant book for the course is "Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry, Seventh Edition" by D.L. Nelson and M.M. Cox, published in 2017 by W. H. Freeman. This book is available in the library and in the Biochemistry department. The purchase of this book is optional.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Continuous assessment
Out-of-session test(s)
Further information:
The Biochemistry of Domestic Animals I course is assessed through a two-hour written exam, involving mainly open questions with short answers, and eventually choice questions (MCQ, True/False). The questions are the same for all students taking the exam the same day, and refer to all the subjects presented during the theory and practical classes and the tutorials. Spelling and correct formulation of sentences will be taken into account in the assessment.
The assessment of the practical classes and tutorials will be in the form of an oral exam. However, students will be exempted from taking this exam if they fulfill the 2 following conditions : (1) an active participation in all the practical classes and tutorials and (2) an average mark of at least 10/20 for the short evaluations that will be organized at the beginning of each practical class and tutorial session and that will focus on the concerned theoretical chapters (precised on eCampus, generally 3 or 4 chapters of the theoretical course). The list of students who are not exempted will be displayed on eCampus before the start of the exam session. Students who aren't exempted will have to do an oral exam on the subjects studied during the practical classes and tutorials. A mark lower than 10/20 for this oral exam will result in two points being knocked off the mark out of 20 for the written exam. A mark of at least 10/20 for this oral exam will exempt the student from taking the oral examination in the case of a second session.
It should be noted that there will be a compulsory written test at the end of the two weeks of practical classes and tutorials. This test won't have a negative impact on the exam. On the contrary, students can earn bonus points from this test which will be added to the exam mark. For instance, a mark of at least 10/20 gives one bonus point to the student, and a mark of at least 15/20 gives two bonus points. These bonus points will only be added to the mark of the exam organized in January. The purpose of this test is to encourage students to study their coursework before the exams. The teacher will correct the test in the presence of the student the same day or the next day. This allows students to see what the teacher expects from them on the day of the exam.
Students who haven't participated in the various practical classes or tutorials, the compulsory written test and its debriefing without any valid justification (a medical certificate or a relative's death certificate) won't be allowed to take the written exam of biochemistry of domestic animals I. The list of these students will be displayed on eCampus before the start of the exam session.
Work placement(s)
not applicable
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The practical and tutorial sessions are organized in cycles of 2 weeks, each cycle initially involving 4 groups of students, as specified on the online timetable. These students will be divided into 4 new groups, 2 of which will attend sessions organized in the morning (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), and two in the afternoon (1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.). During the month of October, students will be invited to express their schedule preference, according to a procedure that will be published on eCampus. On this basis, and taking into account the other compulsory activities in which the students would be registered, the final groups will be constituted and published on eCampus before the end of October, without guarantee that the indicated preference will be satisfied.
Contacts
Prof. Fabrice Bureau (lectures)
Email: fabrice.bureau@uliege.be
Dr. Laurence Fievez (practical and supervised work)
Email: Laurence.Fievez@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
Course notes on eCampus
Biochemestry of Domestic Animals I