B.SC. (HONS) BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE PROGRAMME

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REVISED PROGRAMME

1. The Programme has been revised thoroughly taking into consideration the required courses outlined in the National minimum standard from the National Universities Commission.

2. In view of the fact that NUC minimum standard has not been considered adequate, more desirable and necessary courses taught in the old programme are being retained in order to maintain the quality of the degree programme.

3. For more effective teaching, the time devoted to tutorials has been increased in many of the courses.

4. Inevitably, the number of units to be obtained before a student can graduate has increased from 136 in the old programme to a minimum of 156 in the revised programme.

5. The introduction of Student Industrial Work Experience by NUC is placing the Biochemistry degree programme along professional lines and the implications for running the industrial attachment scheme are monumental.

6. Some courses have been re-numbered so that Harmattan Semester courses have odd numbers while Rain Semester courses have even numbers. Others have had their titles, syllabuses and units expanded. For Example,

(a) “Advanced cell Biology” (2units) is now “Advanced Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering (3units).

(b) Introductory Biochemistry (BCH 304) which used to be taught as a 4 unit course for one semester, is now expanded to two 3 unit courses (Introductory Biochemistry I and II).

7. The following new courses have been introduced:

Course Code	Course Title	L	T	P	U
BCH 308	Bioenergetics	1	1	0	2
BCH 312	Students’ Industrial Work Experience	0	0	9	3
BCH 408	Industrial Biochemistry	2	1	0	3
BCH 409	Bioinorganic Chemistry	1	0	0	1
BCH 410	Seminar	0	1	0	1
BCH 415	Biochemical Reaction Mechanisms	2	0	0	2

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF BIOCHEMISTRY COURSES

Course Code (BCH)

S/No	Course Title	New	Old	Units
1.	Cell and Molecular Biology	202	201	2
2.	General Biochemistry I	301	301A	3
3.	General Biochemistry II	302	301B	3
4.	Introductory Biochemistry I	303	304	3
5.	Introductory Biochemistry II	304	304	3
6.	Functional Biochemistry	306	302	3
7.	Bioenergetics	308	NIL	2
8.	Protein Structure and Function	310	303	3
9.	Students’ Industrial Work Experience	312	NIL	3
10.	Enzymology	401	401	3
11.	Advanced Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering	402	305	3
12.	Lipids	403	403	3
13.	Regulation of Metabolic Processes	404	404	3
14.	Physico-Chemical Methods in Biochemistry	405	405	3
15.	Metabolism of Drugs and other Foreign Compounds	406	409	2
16	Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis	407	402	3
17.	Industrial Biochemistry	408	NIL	3
18.	Bioinorganic Chemistry	409	NIL	1
19.	Seminar	410	NIL	1
20.	Experimental Biochemistry I	411	408	3
21.	Experimental Biochemistry II	412	406	3
22.	Research Project I	413	407	3
23.	Research Project II	414	407	3
24.	Biochemical Reaction Mechanisms	415	NIL	2
25.	Microbial and Plant Biochemistry	416	408	2

B.Sc. DEGREE PROGRAMME

1.Objectives

(a) To provide a good background in physical, biological and mathematical sciences for each student.

(b) To provide a sound and all-round education in the basic science of biochemistry up to the bachelor’s degree level;

(c) To make students aware of the relevance of biochemistry in various ways and areas in meeting the manpower needs of the country;

(d) To provide appropriate courses for students from various Faculties – Science, Pharmacy, Education, Technology, Health Sciences, Agriculture; who require a working knowledge of Biochemistry;

(e) To provide specialized training in biochemistry at higher degree levels.

2. Degree Offered

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Biochemistry

3. Admission Requirements:

(a) University Matriculation Examination (UME)

Students intending to read for the B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry must have at least five credits in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) including English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. For the UME, candidates are required to answer questions in Chemistry, Physics and either Biology or Mathematics in addition to English Language.

(b) Direct Entry

Candidates who, in addition to the five relevant credit passes at SSSCE or “O” level, have passed with a satisfactory grade at “A” level in Chemistry and in one of Physics, Mathematics and Biology, may be considered for exemption from equivalent courses in the programme and will be credited with the units for such courses.

4. Requirements for the award of a degree

The minimum requirement for the award of the B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry is a Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 156 units of course work, made up of :

(i) General University requirements

(ii) Faculty requirements

(iii) Departmental requirements including compulsory courses

(iv) Restricted electives and other approval electives.

5. Curriculum

(a) Faculty Requirements: Option A

UNITS

CHM 101: Introductory Chemistry I 5

CHM 102: Introductory Chemistry II 5

MTH 101: Elementary Mathematics II 5

MTH 102: Elementary Mathematics II 5

PHY 101: General Physics 1 3

PHY 107: Experimental Physics IA 1

PHY 102: General Physics II 3

PHY 108: Experimental Physics IB 1

PHY 204: Introduction to Modern Physics 3

PHY 208: Experimental Physics IIB 1

MTH 201: Mathematical Methods I 4

MTH 202: Mathematical Methods II 4

Sub-Total 40

(b) Special Electives 12

ZOO 101 - Introductory Zoology I 3

ZOO 102 - Introductory Zoology II 3

ZOO 103 - Experimental Zoology 1

BOT 101 - Form and Function in Plants 4

CHM 201 - Basic Inorganic Chemistry 4

CHM 202 - Basic Organic Chemistry 4

CHM 203 - Basic Physical Chemistry 4

CHM 205 - Experimental Physical/Inorganic Chemistry I 1

CHM 304 - Thermodynamics 3

CHM 305 - Chemical Kinetics 2

CHM 307 - Application to Spectroscopic Methods 3

CHM 309 - Experimental Physical Chemistry 2

CHM 312 - Experimental Organic Chemistry II 2

MCB 201 - General Microbiology I 3

CSC 201 - Computer Programming I 3

BCH 202 - Cell and Molecular Biology 2

BCH 301 - General Biochemistry I 3

BCH 302 - General Biochemistry II 3

BOT 203 - Introductory Genetics 4

CHM 206 - Experimental Organic Chemistry I 4

BCH 306 – Functional Biochemistry 3

BCH 308 – Bioenergetics 2

BCH 310 – Protein Structure and Function 3

BCH 312 – Student Industrial Work Experience 3

BCH 401 – Enzymology 3

BCH 402 – Advanced Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering 3

BCH 403 – Lipids 3

BCH 404 - Regulation of Metabolic Processes 3

BCH 405 - Physico-chemical Methods in Biochemistry 3

BCH 407 – Nucleic acids and Protein Synthesis 3

BCH 410 - Seminar 2

BCH 411 – Experimental Biochemistry I 3

BCH 412 – Experimental Biochemistry II 3

BCH 413 – Research Project I 3

BCH 414 – Research Project II 3

BCH 415 – Biochemical Reaction Mechanism 2

Sub-Total 99

Sub-total 5

Chosen from the courses listed below

BCH 406 – Metabolism of drugs and other foreign Compounds 2

BCH 408 – Industrial Biochemistry 3

BCH 409 – Bioinorganic Chemistry 1

BCH 416 – Microbial and Plant Biochemistry 2

BCH 306 – Aromatic and Heterocyclic Chemistry 2

CHM 314 – Alicyclic, Bifunctional Aliphatic and Terpenoid Compounds 2

MCB 301 – Microbial Genetics and Molecular Biology 2

MCB 303 – Immunology and Immunochemistry 3

FST 305 - Introductory Food Microbiology 3

CSC 208 – Computer Applications 2

(d) Free Electives

In view of the large number of Chemistry courses required in a meaningful Biochemistry Programme, the number of units allocated to compulsory courses does not give room for free electives within the minimum number of units require for graduation. Students who wish may however take extra units as free electives in addition to this required minimum.

UNITS

SCHEDULE OF COURSES

PART I

Course Code

Course Title

L

T

P

U

Course

Course Title Code

L

T

P

U

CHM 101

Introductory Chemistry

3

1

3

5

CHM 102