biochemistry

[babydoll_]

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Is there much of a difference between BIOC2181 (Fundamentals of Biochem) and BIOC2101? Is BIOC2101 that much harder?

[Survivor39]

Advanced biochemistry consist of labs every week. In fundamental you only do 50% of the labs done in Advanced (and the easy ones too).

More chemical structure and chemistry-related stuffs to remember in my opinion...

Are you changing majors baby_doll? what's with all the physics and biochem question?

Oh, as to biochem, if you don't like chem and maths, you won't like biochem... Molecular biology (BIOC2201/2291) is better.

[babydoll_]

Nah, since I'm doing a combined degree, I had to spread my 2nd year across two years so I could do my Arts units as well. I did Physiology and Microbiology this year, doing Biochemistry this year and Physics (in case I want to do GAMSAT, which needs a bit of Physics).

I'm trying to keep my options open, so that I can major in either Medical Micro and Immunology, Micro or Pharmacology and I'm pretty sure I need some Biochem for those...

EDIT: Ooh I CAN do BIOC2201! You've done it Survivor39, what is it like? (I don't like chem and maths >:/)

[saves.the.day]

Originally Posted by babydoll_

EDIT: Ooh I CAN do BIOC2201! You've done it Survivor39, what is it like? (I don't like chem and maths >:/)

Out of all my subjects, I look forward to biochem the most. It's been my favourite subject so far. Just to re-iterate: you don't need to have done BIOC2101 to do BIOC2201.

BIOC2201 is more about learning concepts and properties of things like amino acids and proteins as well as knowing the details behind replication, transcription, translation and gene expression.

There isn't any math in the lectures at all. The only maths you have to do would be a few calculations in the practical lab. Just had our prac exam for it today and there were a total of 2 (or 3 but i'm sure it was only 2) calculation questions. As for its similarity to chemistry.. my only experience of chemistry had been in 1st year (never did yr 12) and it is nothing like that. In 1st year I struggled so much with chem and scraped a D but for biochem (last semester adn so far in this semester) I have done much much better than how I performed in chem last year. I dont think the two are alike.

BIOC is interesting and it makes sense and there aren't any curve-ball type questions. The course has been around for a while now so its not in teething stages (cf. MICRO2x). If you do the work you'll get the marks you deserve.

[t-i-m-m-y]

I disagree with mr survivor39.

How much maths is there in biochem? THe most rigorous calculations in biochem involve the 4 operators, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

As for chem, you can get by without learning the chemical structures, well I can so therefore you can too. Sure chemistry gets mentioned, but more of a sidenote. I guess in BIOC2101 there is more chem than 2201 due to the pathways that are taught, but there is no need to understand how the chemical reactions take place --> we focus more on the biological and physiological significance of such reactions, as opposed to the actual reaction kinetics themselves.

I can't really say if BIOC2101 is much harder - but there is a lot of common ground with the fundamentals level course.