The study of Biochemistry concludes with a final exam, worth 6 credits. To be eligible for the final exam, students must successfully complete all requirements of both Biochemistry 1 and Biochemistry 2 courses, as well as the Chemistry exam (fall semester) and the Veterinary and Food Chemistry exam (spring semester).
The final exam grade will be determined by the examiner based on four partial grades:
- Practical course grade
- Grade of the written part of the exam
- Grades for the two topics of the oral exam
The final exam grade is not automatically calculated as the average of the partial grades.
Written part of the exam
- During the summer exam period at least 4 dates will be provided for the written part of the exam. These dates will be determined after consultation with the students and will be announced during the semester.
- At least two dates will be offered in the autumn and the spring semester for inactive students and in the May/June as well as in the August/September exam periods. Altogether 4 chances are given for inactive students to try the written part of the exam during an inactive year.
Students can register for the written exam exclusively via the Neptun system. After registering for the exam, the student may modify or cancel their registration in the Neptun system until 10:00 a.m. on the working day before the exam.
Topics of the written part of the final exam
The written test of the final exam consists of „A” and „B” and „C” parts covering the following theoretical topics:
Topics of exam part „A”:
- Structure of Biological Membranes: Overview of biological membrane structures and transport mechanisms across membranes.
- Proteinogenic Amino Acids: Classification and structure of proteinogenic amino acids.
- General Characteristics of Proteins: General properties and functions of proteins.
- Peptide Bond and Protein Structure: Formation and characteristics of the peptide bond, protein structure, denaturation and renaturation of proteins, classification of proteins, with a focus on collagen, elastin, and keratin.
- Enzyme Characteristics and Mechanisms: Characteristics of enzymes, mechanisms of enzyme action, and the reversibility of enzymatic reactions.
- Enzyme Kinetics and Regulation: Enzyme reaction velocities, factors influencing enzyme activity, regulation of enzyme functions, and the roles of zymogens and isoenzymes.
- Carbohydrate Chemistry: Chemistry of carbohydrates, including monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and both homo- and heteropolysaccharides.
- Lipids in Biochemistry: Biochemical roles and structures of lipids.
- Glycerol Phosphatides and Sphingolipids: Biochemistry and structure of glycerol phosphatides and sphingolipids.
Topics of exam part „B”:
Structure of nucleotides and nucleic acids. The function of DNA.
- DNA Replication: Mechanisms of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including mutations and DNA repair mechanisms.
- Transcription and Regulation: Transcription processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, regulation of transcription, and its influence on gene expression, including epigenetic regulatory mechanisms.
- Ribosome Structure and Protein Synthesis: Structure of ribosomes, activation of amino acids, and phases of translation (initiation, elongation, termination). Post-translational modifications and protein transport.
- Recombinant DNA Technology: Theoretical background and principles of recombinant DNA technology.
Exam part „C”:
Most important chemical structures (see the list on the e-learning website))
Structure of the written final exam
- Single choice questions (1 point for each correct answer):
- Exam part „A”: 20 correct answers, 20 points
- Exam part „B”: 20 correct answers, 20 points
- Chemical structures: name the given structures
- Exam part „C”: 10 structures, 10 points (1 point/chemical name)
Rules of the written exam
- Rules for the written part of the exam are the same as those of the midterm. Students have 75 minutes to complete the test.
- Written exam is accepted if the student scored at least 60% (30 points) of the maximum 50 points and achieves 60% in each part (A, B, and C):
- Part A: at least 12 points
- Part B: at least 12 points
- Part C: at least 6 points
- Results will be posted on the Division homepage no later than the first working day after the exam.
- The written exam will be available for review during a limited period. The datee and time for the review will be announced along with the results. There will be no additional opportunities to view the exam.
- Prohibited items: Sunglasses, earplugs, earphones, AirPods, or any other equipment that could suggest cheating are not allowed during the exam, in accordance with midterm regulations.
- Test Review: Review times will be announced in advance. There will be only one opportunity to review the exam at the designated time. Afterwards, exams will be archived and inaccesible.
- During the review period, mobile phones, tablets, and electronic devices are not allowed. Only paper-based documents may be used. The use of devices to view slides or notes (for the purpose of photography) is strictly prohibited.
Evaluation of the written exam:
45 – 50 points: excellent (5)
40 – 44 points: good (4)
35 – 39 points: medium (3)
30 – 34 points: satisfactory (2)
0 – 29 points: unsatisfactory (1)
The grade for a successful written part of the exam will be considered in the final grade for any of the following exam periods. If a student passes the written part of the exam, they may retake it once on a subsequent date. However, if they do so, the final grade will be based on the result of the retake.
Once the oral exam is passed, the written part of the exam cannot be retaken.
Students exempt from Biochemistry 1 are also exempt from the written part of the exam.
Oral exam
- The oral exam can only be taken after a successful written exam and must be completed not earlier than the second working day after the written exam.
- Registration for the oral exam is only available through the Neptun system.
- Oral exams begin at 8:00 AM on the announced exam days, unless otherwise stated.
- Oral exam begins with a short written “minimum requirement” or “entrance” test, where students must answer 10 short questions. To proceed with the oral exam at least 6 of the 10 questions must be answered correctly. Students have 10 minutes to complete the entrance test.
- Students are required to complete the entrance test by 8:10 AM at the latest. Late arrivals will not be permitted to take the test. In such cases, the student will be deemed to have failed the oral exam.
- Only a pen brought by the student is allowed to be used during the entrance test as well as in the preparation phase of the oral exam.
- The oral exam can only be completed if the student has their “black book” with them.
- After successfully passing the entrance test, examinees will draw two topics for the oral exam. They will have at least 30 minutes to prepare.
- If a student needs to leave the examination room during the preparation time for any reason, they must draw new topics upon return.
- If the examiner finds any assisting material, mobile phones, smartwatches, earphones, or any other electronic devices or non-electric helping materials on or with the student during the preparation phase, the exam will be immediately terminated, regardless of whether the device was switched off or not in use.
- During the exam, the examinee will verbally demonstrate their understanding and competence regarding the assigned topics. The purpose of the exam is not only to test factual knowledge, but also to assess the student’s understanding of the connections between different parts of the material and their ability to apply this knowledge in future studies.
- Consequently, the examiner may ask further questions on any topic from Biochemistry 1 and 2 (including those students who exempt from Biochemistry 1). It is recommended that students also attend the Biochemistry 1 lectures to ensure full preparedness.
- Students attending the additional exam on Biochemistry of Ruminants and Vitamins may also be asked questions related to topics closely connected to ruminants and vitamins, such as basics of intermediary metabolism and composition of macromolecules. Therefore, it is advised that these students attend all lectures of Veterinary Biochemistry 1 and 2.
- If the grade of any oral topic is “unsatisfactory (1)”, the final grade will be “unsatisfactory (1)”, regardless of the other partial grades. In this case, the student must retake only the oral exam; the result of the written part and practical course grade will still be considered in the final grade for the next exam period.
- Student has the following number of chances within one exam period:
- 3 chances in the May / June exam period
- 2 additional chances in the August / September exam period. If the student cannot attend the exam in the May/June period for any reason, the 3 chances for that period will be lost, and only 2 chances will remain for the August / September period.
- An unsuccessful oral exam can be retaken no earlier than the third day after the unsuccessful attempt. If the student passes the oral exam, there is an opportunity to try to improve the final grade by retaking the oral exam.
Entrance test example questions:
- What is the cofactor of pyruvate carboxylase?
- How much ATP is produced from one molecule of glucose during anaerobic glycolysis?
- Name an organ where ketogenesis takes place!
- What is the starting molecule of cholesterol synthesis?
- What is the regulatory enzyme of β-oxidation?
- Which biogenic amine is produced by the decarboxylation of glutamate?
- Name an example of an aerobic flavin-dependent enzyme!
- What monosaccharide is starch composed of?
- Name an antivitamin of folic acid.
- Which volatile fatty acid is glycogenic?
- Which reduced coenzyme is primarily formed during the pentose phosphate pathway?
- What is the physiological concentration of blood glucose in healthy ruminants?
- Name an enzyme that catalyzes transamination!
- In which organ/cell is the enzyme carotenase found in horses?
- Name one of the enzymes that regulate glycolysis.
- Which monomers are the components of lactose?
- How many ATP molecules are produced in the citrate cycle by the entry of one Ac~CoA?
- Name an omega-3 fatty acid!
- In which organ is direct bilirubin (Br-II) formed?
- Name an example of an NPN substance!
Topic list of the oral exam
Topic list I.
- Biological oxidation in general. Biochemistry of high-energy phosphate compounds
- Glycogenesis and glycogenolysis
- Glycolysis
- Gluconeogenesis
- The glycerol phosphate shuttle. The Pasteur effect and the Cori cycle. Oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl~CoA
- The citrate cycle
- The respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation
- The pentose phosphate pathway
- Blood glucose level and its regulation
- Fructose and galactose metabolism
- Essential and non-essential amino acids. Transamination of amino acids. Oxidative deamination of amino acids. Reactions of the N-free carbon chain of amino acids
- Decarboxylation of amino acids. Biogenic amines and their degradation. Glutathione, carnosine and anserine
- Detoxification of ammonia
- Synthesis and degradation of purine nucleotides
- Synthesis and degradation of pyrimidine nucleotides
- Structure and biochemical role of hemoglobin. Synthesis of hemoglobin
- Porphyrin degradation. Myoglobin, cytochromes, catalase, peroxidase. Iron metabolism
- Absorption and transport of lipids in the body. Lipolysis and lipogenesis
- β-oxidation of fatty acids
- Synthesis of fatty acids
- Ketogenesis and ketolysis. Biochemical background of ketosis
- Biochemistry of cholesterol, bile acids and steroid hormones
Topic list II.
- The central role of the liver in intermediary metabolism
- Detoxifying activity of the liver
- Biochemistry of muscle, adipose tissue, kidney and brain
- Characteristics of carbohydrate metabolism in ruminants
- Characteristics of nitrogen metabolism in ruminants
- Biochemical background of ketosis in ruminants
- Characteristics of lipid metabolism in ruminants. Biochemistry of milk production
- Vitamins in general. Provitamins, antivitamins
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role, deficiency and overdose of vitamin A
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role, deficiency and overdose of vitamin D
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of vitamin E
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of vitamin K
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of thiamine
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of riboflavin
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of nicotinic acid
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of pantothenic acid
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of pyridoxine
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of biotin
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of folic acid
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of cobalamin
- Structure, metabolism, biochemical role and deficiency of ascorbic acid
- Biochemistry of essential fatty acids and lipotropic factors (choline, inositol)