M.Sc. MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

The admission for three years course shall be made on the basis of entrance test or merit in the qualifying examination. Candidates who have passed the three years B.Sc. degree course with Zoology and Chemistry as the major subject or B.Sc. in Life Sciences or B.Sc. with Anthropology as major subject or a degree equivalent to the above from any recognized university would be eligible for admission to the program.

The duration of the program is 3 years (six semesters for Regular Students and 4 semesters for Lateral Entry Students). The full term course will comprise of 6 semesters of 6 months each.

Admission will be taken directly into 3rd semester of the course which will be opened to those having MBBS/ BDS/ BHMS/ BUMS/ BAMS or B.P.T. qualification from the recognized institute.

THEORY EXAMINATION
Each theory question paper will comprise of long answer questions, short answer questions and brief answer questions maximum marks 80.

PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
It will be of 100 marks and comprise of Practical exercise and Viva voce.

DISSERTATION
It will be of 100 marks and comprise of Practical exercise and Viva voce. Every student has to complete a dissertation which will comprise of a time bound research study to be conducted under supervision of a faculty from respective department. The maximum duration for dissertation completion shall be of 6 months during 5th semester. Dissertation report shall be submitted before the commencement of 6th semester. This report will carry maximum of 50 marks.

FIRST YEAR: SEMESTER - I

THEORY

• Introduction to Biochemistry
• Cell biology & Transport.
• Overview of the Chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and nucleo-proteins.
• Enzymes
• Vitamins
• Hemoglobin
• Hormones
• Xenobiotic
• Basic Immunology
• Food and Nutrition

PRACTICAL

• General Instruction of Students
• Carbohydrate
• Protein
• Urine

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS

• Research Methodology (The foundation, basic concepts, principles & definitions).           
• Design of Experiments (Lab & Animal), concepts of Clinical Trials, Epidemiology studies.
• Probability & non-probability Sampling Methods, sample size determination.

FIRSTYEAR:  SEMESTER-II
THEORY

• General aspects of metabolism.
• Intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates
• Overview of lipid metabolism
• Overview of protein and amino acid metabolism.
• Disposal of nitrogen - urea cycle
• Synthesis and breakdown of hemoglobin
• Purines and pyrimidines
• Overview of metabolism of minerals and trace elements
• Basic concepts of hepatobiliary, thyroid, adrenocortical and medullary pancreatic function tests.
• Elementary knowledge of molecular biology
• Cancer
• Free Radical and antioxidants

PRACTICAL

• Colorimetry
• Blood Glucose
• Centrifuge, Electrophoresis
• Total Serum Cholesterol
• Blood Urea
• Serum Bilirubin
• Serum Calcium
• Serum Alkaline Phosphatase
• Serum Creatinine

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS

• Descriptive and Summary Statistics.
• Elements of Demography, Fertility & Mortality indicators.
• Statistical Inference and Hypothesis testing and tests of significance.

SECOND YEAR:  SEMESTER-III
Biophysical Chemistry and Techniques related to Biochemistry

• Acids, Bases, Buffer system in living body
• Osmosis and Osmotic pressure
• Distribution of fluids in body compartments
• Surface tension and viscosity
• Diffusion and absorption mechanisms
• Thermodynamics of the hydrolysis of ATP
• Centrifugation techniques
• Chromatographic techniques
• Photometry and Colorimetry
• Electron spin resonance, Nuclear Magnetic resonance, crystallography& Mass spectrometry.
• Principles of radioactivity, nature and types
• Electrophoresis
• Introduction of food science
• Study of foods
• Food Fees - Food Fadism
• Nutrification of food
• Human Nutrition and Dietetics:
• Nutritional status
• Nutritional and food requirements
• Balanced diets
• Common disorders of nutrition
• Diet Therapy

Practicals

• Manual Practicals
• Semi-automated Practicals
• Automated Practicals

SECOND YEAR:  SEMESTER-IV

Bio-Organic Chemistry and Bio-statistics

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Heterocyclic systems
• Proteins
• Nucleic acids and Nucleoproteins
• Antibiotics
• Biostatistics

Enzymes, Vitamins & Bioenergetics

• Reaction rates, collision and transition state theories
• Enzyme classification
• Intracellular localization of enzymes, homogenization techniques
• Methods of assay of enzyme activity
• Active site of the enzymes
• Enzyme-substrate complex formation
• Mechanism of enzyme action
• Graphical procedures in enzymology
• Enzyme inhibition
• Immobilized enzymes
• Isoenzymes
• Enzyme regulation
•  Vitamins
•  Bioenergetics

Practicals

• Manual Practicals
• Semi-automated Practicals
• Automated Practicals

THIRD YEAR: SEMESTER-V
Intermediary Metabolism and Regulation

• Introduction to methods of studying intermediary metabolism whole organism studies
• Intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates
• Lipid metabolism
• Protein and amino acid metabolism
• Catabolism of carbon skeletons of amino acids
• Nitrogen balance
• Nucleic acid metabolism
• Metabolism of xenobiotics
• Mineral metabolism

Cell and Molecular Biology

• Introduction to cell biology
• General structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• Cell and tissue culture techniques
• Cell differentiation
• Structure, elements of cytoskeleton and its role in maintaining cell shape
• Hydrophobic effect and organization of lipids
• Nucleic acids as genetic information carriers
• Modes of replication
• Physical properties of DNA
• Genetic code
• Mechanism of translation
• Mechanism of transcription
• DNA replication
• Eukaryotic and prokaryotic protein synthesis
• DNA dependent RNA polymerase
• Post transcriptional processing
• Post translational processing
• Rapid DNA sequencing techniques
• SBS-DNA, A, B&Z DNA
• Physical properties of RNA
• Rapid RNA sequencing techniques
• Classes of DNA sequences
• Satellite DNA
• Recombinant DNA technology

Practicals

• Manual Practicals
• Semi-automated Practicals
• Automated Practicals

THIRD YEAR: SEMESTER–VI
Endocrinology and Immunity

• Hormones of the pituitary and hypothalamus
• Hormones regulating calcium metabolism
• Hormones of the adrenal cortex
• Hormones of adrenal medulla
• Hormones of the gonads
• Hormones and endocrinology and pregnancy and lactation
• Hormones of pancreas
• Introduction to the cells and organs of immunity
• Infection
• The host response
• Nature of antigen and antibody: antigen vsimmunogen
• Measurement of antigen-antibody interactions
• Generation of diversity in the immune response
• Antigenicity
• Central role of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes and products in immune response
• Complement -complements of classical and a1ternate pathways hypersensitivity Types I, II, III and IV responses - immune responses to parasites and tumors.
• Immunodeficiency, auto immunity - Monoclonal cloning and related methodologies.

Clinical Biochemistry

• Role of biochemistry in diagnosis of diseases.
• Gastrointestinal tract
• Hepatobiliary system - Hepatobiliary function tests
• Excretory system - Renal function tests
• Disorders of carbohydrates metabolism
• Disorders of nitrogen metabolism
• Disorders of lipid metabolism
• Blood and coagulation - disturbances of blood clotting mechanisms
• Mineral metabolism
• Inherited disorders of metabolism
• Clinical Enzymology
• Acid base balance
• Fluid and electrolyte balance

Practicals
List of Manual Practicals

• Electrophoretic separation of plasma/serum proteins.
• DNA isolation from cells and its visualization using AGE
• To draw a calibration curve for estimation of BSA by Folin-Lowry method
• Estimation of proteins in blood-serum by Folin-Lowry method

Post Graduates in Medical Biochemistry have good lucrative career pathways wherein they can opt for opportunities in areas of Forensic Science, Biotechnology companies, Pharmaceutical companies, Research institutes teaching and much more.
Jobs directly related to this speciality/your degree include:

• Academic researcher
• Analytical chemist
• Biomedical scientist
• Biotechnologist
• Clinical research associate
• Clinical scientist, Biochemistry
• Forensic scientist
• Medicinal chemist
• Nanotechnologist
• Pharmacologist
• Physician associate
• Research scientist (life sciences)
• Scientific laboratory technician