DCP2205 Introduction to Human Nutrition and Biochemistry

This course introduces the students to the aspects of human nutrition and biochemistry in relation to agriculture and how it relates to human welfare.

Course Objectives

• To explain the importance of human nutrition
• To explain the impact of agriculture to human nutrition and welfare.
• To introduce students to the chemistry of biomolecules and metabolic pathways.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, the student should be able to: 

• Classify foods according to their functions in the body
• Formulate and prepare the correct diet for different categories and weaning dishes
• Compute nutrient contents of different menus
• Plan food requirements for a family or any community
• Appreciate the impact of agriculture on human nutrition and be able to Sensitize the community about agriculture as a means of improving human nutrition and welfare
• Define; an atom, element, molecule, compound and hydrocarbons
• Discuss the chemical properties of water and how this influences biomolecular and cellular function.
• Compare the catalytic mechanisms of different classes of enzymes and be capable of performing simple calculations relating to their activity and inhibition.
• Demonstrate the basic principles of cellular metabolism, including metabolic pathways associated with glycolysis, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acids and amino acids