October 31, 2022-November 22, 2022
17 half days
Course Director
Martin C. Schmidt, PhD
Professor
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
mcs2@pitt.edu
Course Description
This course focuses on energy (metabolic) pathways essential to homeostasis.
Course Goals:
- To introduce the language and fundamental concepts relevant to the metabolism of the major metabolic fuels.
- To provide a background in the basic concepts and principles required to understand fuel metabolism in human cells and organs at the molecular, cellular, and organ level. This provides a common foundation for the organ-based courses that follow.
- To understand the metabolic pathways of the principal metabolic fuels and the biochemical basis for different metabolic requirements and capabilities of specific organs and tissues.
- To appreciate that homeostasis is a reflection of metabolic regulation that is achieved by hormonal and enzymatic control of key biochemical processes occurring in different organs, and that disease represents an aberration of one or more of these processes.
- To illustrate how basic concepts can be used to solve clinical problems.
Educational Methods
- Lectures
- Small-group learning sessions
- Practice questions
- Simulation session
- Review session (optional)
- Course blog
Evaluation
Evaluation in this course is based on performance on a single multiple-choice final exam. Attendance at small groups is mandatory and material covered in small groups is covered on the final exam.
Grading: This course comprises 36% of the grade for the Foundations of Medicine Block, Section 2. Grading for the block is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.