Course Details

A generalized survey of the animal kingdom based mainly on study of similarities and differences in their external features with examples from Platy helminthes, Annelids, Arthropods, Fishes, Amphibians, Birds and Mammals.

Plant cell structure and organization; functions of plant cell organelles, diversity, characteristics and classification of plants.  Plant reproduction; heredity and evolution; elements of ecology and types of habitats.

Principles of atomic structure, isotopes, empirical and molecular formulae.  Electronic configuration, periodicity and building up of the periodic table.  Hybridization and shapes of simple molecules, Extraction of metals.  Comparative chemistry of Group IA and IVA elements.  Preparation, properties, structure and application of some selected compounds.  Introduction of Transition metal chemistry and nuclear chemistry.

Historical survey of the development and importance of organic chemistry, IUPAC Nomenclature and classification of organic compounds, Homologous series, Covalent bonds and hybridization to reflect the tetravalency of carbon in organic compounds, electronic theory in organic chemistry.  Qualitative and quantitative organic chemistry;  Determination of empirical and molecular formulae: simple techniques of writing structural formulae; Isolation and purification of organic compounds; saturated hydrocarbons; structural isomerism and reactions of alkanes and cycloalkanes, mention of their chemistry and uses in petroleum; Unsaturated hydrocarbons: alkanes, alkynes, cycloalkenes: cis-trans isomerism; simple electrophilic addition reactions; Polymerization.

Principles of atomic structure, isotopes, empirical and molecular formula; nuclear structure, atomic fission and nuclear energy.  The electronic structure and arrangement of electrons in atoms;  electronic configuration of 1^st and 2^nd rows of elements.  Properties of gases: equation of state, kinetic and molecular theory of gases, and heat of a gas.  Equilibrium and thermodynamics; Thermo chemistry, Enthalpy of reactions, bond energies, thermodynamic cycles, Hess’s law, Born Haber cycle, the meaning of Ka, Kp and Kc, Le Chatelier’s principle, PH, ionic equilibrium, buffers indicators, solubility product, common ion effect, redox reactions.  Electrode potentials, electrolytes and electrolysis.  Kinetics:  The Position of equilibrium and the rate at which it is attained.  Factors influencing the rate of reactions.  Introduction of activation and catalysis.

Physical:  Determination of heats of reaction, effect of solutes on boiling points of solvents, partition coefficient.  Determination of molecular mass by Dumas and Victor Meyer methods.  Measurements of rate equation and activation energy.  Other experiments based on the scope of the lectures and as approved by the Department.

Organic:  Safety precaution instructions, classification of organic compounds by their solubility in common solvents.  Qualitative analysis for common elements in organic compounds.  Identification and classification of acids and bases functional groups.  Identification of the following: neutral functional groups, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, anhydrides and others.  Acetylation of aniline as an example of the preparation of solid aniline derivative.  An electrophilic addition reaction.

Space and time, frames of reference, units and dimension, kinematics; Fundamental laws of mechanics, statics and dynamics; Galilean invariance; universal gravitation; Work and energy; Rotational dynamics and angular moments conservation laws.

Electrostatics; Conductors and currents; Dielectrics; Magnetic fields and induction; Maxwell’s equations; Electromagnetic oscillations and waves and their applications.

Molecular treatment of properties of matter, elasticity: Hook’s law; Young’s shear and bulk model; Hydrestacles; steamlines, Berncculi and continuity equations, Keynoids number.  Viscosity; Laminar flow, Poiseulle’s equation.  Surface tension; adhesion, cohesion, capillarity, drops and bubbles; Temperature; the zeroth law of thermodynamics, heat; gas laws of thermodynamics; Kinetic theory of gases.  Applications.

This introductory course emphasizes quantitative measurements, errors, and graphical analysis.  A variety of experimental techniques will be employed.  The experiments include studies of matters, the oscilloscope, mechanical systems, electrical and mechanical resonant systems, light, viscosity, etc, covered in the above physics course.

Elementary set theory: subsets, union, intersection, complements, Venn diagram, Real numbers, Integers, Rational and irrational numbers, Real sequences and series, Theory of quadratic equations, Binomial theorem, Circular measure, Trigonometric functions of angles of any magnitude, trigonometric formulae.

Function of real variable, graphs, limits and idea of continuity.  The derivative, as limit of rate of change; Integration as an inverse of differentiation: methods of integrals; Application to areas, and volumes.

Acidity and alkalinity: pH and pKa values and their effects on cellular activities; Buffers.  Chemistry/structures of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids.  Chemistry of amino acids proteins and their derivatives; methods of isolation and identification; Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins; determination and biochemical applications of the structures of proteins; Nomenclature of nucleosides and nucleotides; Effects of acid and alkali on hydrolysis of nucleic acids; Structure of DNA and RNA; prokaryotic versus eucaryotic organisms.

Introduction to Enzymes: types, properties, classification and nomenclature, Biological oxidations and bioenergetics; Gibb’s equation, chemical coupling, phosphrylations, ATP and NADPH cycles; Metabolism, Introduction to metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids.

Hereditable and non-hereditable characteristics; Chromosome theory of inheritance; the chromosome of Eukaryotes; bacteria and viruses; Linkage, crossing over, sex linkage , sec chromosome and sex determination.  The mechanisms of genetic recombination.  Introduction to population genetics.

The Microscope: types of microscopes and their uses.  Preparation of microscope slides; Photometry; Colorimetry; Chromatography; Electrophoresis; Conductimerty;  Experimental designs.

Stereochemistry and molecular orbital theory of simple molecules including homo-and hetero-atoms; Comparative group relationships of the elements in the periodic table. Chemistry of group IIIA (Boron group), VA (Nitrogen group), noble gases, and 1^st row of transition metals.  Concepts of hard and soft acids and bases.  Chemistry in aqueous and non – aqueous media.  Oxidation and reduction reactions.

Factors affecting structure and physical properties of organic compounds (atomic orbitals, bonding and hybridization); Factors affecting availability of electrons, inductive, mesomeric hyperconjunction and steric effects; Introductorysterochemistry (optical activity, conformational isomers, chirality etc):  Methane, energy of activation and free radical substitution reactions in alkanes; Alkyl halides preparation, properties and nucleophilic reactions; Aromticity and electrophilic substitution reactions.  Elimination reactions.

The laws of thermodynamics, entropy, free energies; Feasibility of chemical systems, phase rule and productive uses, phase equilibrium; Reaction rates, rate laws, molecularity and order of reactions; Mechanism and theories of elementary processes, photochemical reactions.

Instrumentation and practical classes covering the chemistry syllabus of 200 level; Analysis of some metals, organic compounds and nutrients from samples; Methods of separation of chemical compounds; Chromatography.

Historical aspects; Scope of microbiology; General characteristics of  micro-organisms, growth and reproduction, sterilization and disinfection; Brief survey of microbes as friends and foes.

The heritage of the past African political development governments; The European impact and westernization; Contemporary Nigeria, its legal system, ethics and society, educational challenges, media language and culture.

Problems and challenges of nationhood and development in a changing world; Government and stability; Religious tensions – caused and solutions; Military government in Nigeria and Africa; Budget and development planning; Developmental goals for Nigeria, strategic foreign policy issues, mobilization for national development; Economic development; Economic potential of Nigeria, mineral resources in Nigeria.

Types of computer, Hard and soft wares; Operations of computer; Practicals involving the usage of basic computer programs.

The courses involves teaching and practicals on the application of computer; Computer programs; Uses of computer;; Computer application in research; Storage and retrieval of data, computer programs for data presentation.

Structures and functions of vitamins and coenzymes; Classification and nomenclature of enzymes; Genetics of enzymes; Inhibition mechanisms in enzyme-catalyzed reactions.  Effects of temperature, PH, inhibitors etc on enzyme-catalyzed reactions.  Michaelis-Menten equation. Allosteric/regulatory enzymes; Active sites of enzymes; Estimation of kinetic parameters – enzyme activities, Vmax, Ki, etc. Zymogen activation; Digestive enzymes, etc.  Isolaton, purification and characterization of enzymes.  Recent advances in enzymology.

Degradation and digestion of carbohydrates – sugars; glucolysis; Tricarboxylic acid cycle; Phosphogluconate pathway; Glyoxylate pathway; Pentose phosphate pathway; Cori cycle; Calvin pathway.  Gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.

Classification of lipids fatty acids, trighlycerides, glycosylglycerols, phospholipids, waxes, prostaglandins; Lipid micelles, monolayers and bilayers; Lipoprotein systems; Oxidation and synthesis of fatty acids; Choloesterol synthesis; Formation of ketone bodies.  Integration of lipid metabolism; Acetic acid as a central precursor for biosynthesis of lipids.

Amino acids as building blocks of proteins; Covalent backbone of proteins; Amino acid sequence of proteins; Protein isolation, fractionation, purification and characterization.  Biological functions of proteins; Oxidative degradation of one carbon units.  Biosynthesis of amino acids and some derivatives; Urea cycle; Metabolism of inorganic nitrogen; Disorders of amino acid metabolism.

Genome organization and biosynthesis of proteins; Replication of DNA; Transcription and Translation of RNA; Inhibitors of protein biosynthesis; Metabolism of purines and pyrinidines, nucleosides and nucleotides; Abnormalities in nucleic acid metabolism; Xeroderma pigmentation and skin cancer.

Principles of instrumentation; Principles, methodologies and applications of electrophoresis; Chromatography: types and procedures; Spectroscopy and spectrometry; Centrifugation and isotopic techniques.

Structure, composition and functions of biological membranes; Isolation, characterization and classification of members, chemistry and biosynthesis of membranes; molecular organization of membrane components.  Natural and artificial membrane bilayers – the unit membrane hypothesis; Membrane transport system – active versus passive transport systems; Transport of sugars and amino acids; lonophores.

An introduction to be the theory and application of physical and chemical methods for determining the constituents of foods, Food processing; Preservation and storage of traditional foods, roots and stem tubes, fruits and fruit drinks, seeds and grains, green and leafy vegetables;  Food poisoning and intoxication.

Food nutrients; Energy values of foods and energy expenditure by mammalians.   Nutritive value of foods – carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, mineral elements, and water; Nutritional disorders: prevention and therapy.  Nutritional status and nutritional requirement dietary allowances;  Assessment of nutritional status; Nutritional requirements in relation to physical activity and ageing, diet and  disease; Obesity and under nutrition.

High – energy compounds: chemical potentials, electrochemical potentials; Electron transport system and oxidative phosphorylation; Regulation of ATP production; Chemical thermodynamics; Oxidations and reductions.

Qualitative and quantitative tests on carbohydrates, lipids, proteins; analysis of serum enzymes, ions and molecules; Food analysis; Practical laboratory exercises to cut across a wide spectrum of general biochemistry Laboratory practicals may be arranged on the basis of 6 hours per week in one semester or 3 hours per week for two semesters.

Students will be attached to some industrial organizations i.e. clinical laboratories food and pharmaceutical industries for up to3 months in order to gain practical experience in the application of Biochemistry.

Theory and working of selected instruments and their applications in practical of organic and inorganic chemistry: UV – Visible and IR spectrophotometer, Flame emission and atomic absorption spectrometer, NMR for nuclei other than hydrogen fluorescence and phosphorescence spectrometer, X – ray and Radiochemical methods.  Thermal analysis: introduction to electrometric methods of analysis.  Data handling; Process instruments and Automatic analysis.

Gibbs and Helmoltz’s functions, chemical potential and partial molar quantities, criteria for transfer of equilibrium between phases; Thermodynamics of Gases: The perfects gas mixture, the Joule – Thompson effect, fugacity of a perfect gas and its temperature dependence, the equilibrium constant for a homogeneous gaseous reaction, equilibrium constants for a heterogeneous reaction.

Thermodynamics of Solutions: Ideal and non-ideal solutions.  Raoutl’s and Henry’s laws, molecular aspects of solutions, activity coefficient,  reaction in solution assessed by changes in enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy; Properties of electrolytes: ionic properties of solution and mean activity coefficient by Deby-Huckel model; Transport properties of electrolytes; ionic properties of solution and mean activity coefficient by Deby-Huckel model; Transport properties of electrolytes; Onsanger conductivity law and transport number of ions; Organic electrochemistry, cell potential and feasibility of ionic reactions.

Preparation, properties and reactions including mechanisms: Alcohols, Ethers, and Epoxides, Carboxylic acids and their derivatives: Aldehydes and ketones, carbonion I (Acidity of hydrogen, abdol, Claissen and  crossed Claissen condensation); Tautomerism; Diekman and Reformatsky reactions, P-unsaturated compounds; carbanion II (Malonic ester and acetoacetic ester syntheses); Decarboxylation of P-keto acids, Amines polyfunctional compounds; polynuclear aromatics.

A survey of current status of microbial genetics including discussion of methods and findings in the areas of nutagenesis, isolation and biochemical characterization of mutants; adaptation, transformation, transduction, conversion and coagulation.  General and specialized methods and techniques in microbial gentics; Experiments with virulent phages, temperature phages and lysogenic bacteria.  Fugal and other lower eucaryotic genetics.

General principles of physiology: physio-chemical properties of cell membrane, transfer processes and bioelectric activity.  Control  systems and homeostasis (neural and hormonal), feedback mechanisms. Compositions and functions of blood, blood volume, haemopoiesis, haemostatisis, blood group and transfusion.  Basic immunologyand abnormal haemoglobins.  Heart and circulation.

Essentials of the physiology of respiration, metabolic rate, respiratory acidosis and alkalosis.  Digestive sections; their compositions, functions and control mechanisms of the Alimentary canal.

Fluid compartments of the body.  Functions of the kidney and urine formation, thirst mechanisms.  Water, electrolyte and acid – regulation.  Buffer mechanisms.  Clearance studies.  Functions and control of the functions.  Control of  calcium and glucose metabolism.

Embryogenesis of different reproductive organs.  Medical genetics.  Sex hormones.  Reproductive cycles. Physiology of pregnancy, parturition and lactations.  Foetal and neonatal circulation / respiration.   Excitable tissues (nerve and muscle), reflexes ad receptors.  Introduction to nervous system (central and peripheral), neuro-transmitter substances.  Special senses: Vision, hearing, taste, and smell.

steady state enzyme kinetics.  Transient kinetic methods.  Chemistry of enzyme catalysis.  Regulatory enzymes. Molecular for allosterism; Multisubstrate kinetiecs; Multienzyme assays.  Criteria for determining purity of enzymes.  Enzymes reconstitution.  Regulations of enzyme activity and synthesis.

Structure and functions of macromolecules.  Storage and structural polysaccharides; mucopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, structural and other proteins; Bacteria cell wall synthesis of complex lipids, lipoproteins and nucleic acids.

Biochemistry of muscles, kidney, lover and adipose tissue.  General metablism of the brain, and neuronal biochemistry; Biochemistryof reproductive organs. Detoxification and excretion in tissues.

Relationship between the physicochemical properties and biological functions of inorganic ions.  Biochemical functions of inorganic ions.  Ligand complexes and their biochemical significance.  Electrolyte metabolism.  Nitrogen fixation and sulphur cycle.

Replication, transcription and translation, brief review. The genetic code and its relationship to cellular functions; DNA replication in a cell – free system; Genetic transformation, transduction  and conjugation; Gene mutation, mutagenic agents, and their applications to gene transfer.  Gene mapping.  Structure of eucaryotic genome.  Recombinant DNA technology and its application.  Hybridomas.

The relationship of Krebs cycle to protein, carbohydrate, lipid and nucleic acids metabolism.  Integration of  metabolic pathways; Turnover rates and metabolic pathwaysl Turn – over rates and metabolic pools; Intrinsic and extrinsic control of metabolic pathways; Regulation of enzymes of metabolic pathways – feedback inhibition versus enzymes synthesis, catabolite repression and product repression, the lactose operon and the arabinose operon; Identification of different regulatorymechanisms in metabolic pathways.

Organization of plant cells; photosynthesis; Allaloids and flavonoids; plant hormones.  Biosynthesis of carotenoid pigments; Biochemistry of plant development;  The plant cell wall structure, formation and growth; Lignin formation; Free amino acids, pyrimidines, purines and nucleosides in plants;  Metabolism of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins; synthetic growth regulators and herbicides and herbicides; Structure – function relationship of plant hormones.

Evaluation and design of experimental biochemistry from available information and data. Analysis interpretation and interference drawing from biochemical research data.

Hormones; Immunochemistry; Oncology, Neuro-biochemistry; Monoclonal antibodies; Free radicals in biological systems; Collagen; biosynthesis etc.  These may be taught or seminars be given by academic staff and students.

The purpose of this course is fo familiarize students with operations of  information.  Students will therefore go round with lectures to laboratories housing specialized equipment under the supervision of the lectures.  Part of the course will also cover the effective use of the library, preparation of dissertations or theses, papers or journal publications, and journal reviews.  Special assignment and essays will be given to students.

Independent research undertaken into selected areas / topics of interest in the academic staff.  Students will be required to carry out literature survey on the topics, perform experiments and produce short reports (preferably at the end of second semester).  Students will be subjected to both seminar and eternal oral examination on the projects undertaken.

A short review of microbial physiology and genetics;  a review of general pathways, control and application industrial  processes; Continuous culture methods; principles and applications; The chemostat and its application in industrial fermentations – alcoholic, amino acids, antibiotics, and other secondary metabolites.  Primary and secondary metabolism; Process evaluation and development; over production of metabolites – amino acids, taste enhancers, vitamins, toxins, etc; Methods for screening and selecting micro-organisms and plants for the purpose of overproduction; Strain selection / development and enhancement; Gene dosage and its applications in industrial processes.

Cellular metabolism f intact cells; Biochemical aspects of host-parasite relationship; theories of the mechanism of drug action; Drug resistance and other factors affecting drug efficacy; Nigerian traditional medical plants; Management of therapy of common aliments in Nigeria, e.g. malaria, sickle cell anaemia etc.

Basic concepts of immunology, structure of antigens, antigenic determinants; Cellular response, genetics of response to antigenic stimulation; Structure and classification of lymphoid tissues and thymus in immuno responses: Hypersensitivity immuno-patholgy, autophathology, auto-immunology, tumor and transplantation immunology; Immunoprophylaxis and serotherapy.  Practicals on modern techniques in immunology and immunochemistry.