Overview
This unit will enable you to develop knowledge and understanding of biomolecules, cell function and cellular biochemistry. You will develop a basic understanding of how biomolecules are synthesised, catabolised and interconverted through key biochemical pathways to meet the needs of the cell and organism. Cellular biochemistry will explore aspects of cell-cell communication to provide the necessary knowledge to study disease and drug treatment at the cellular level. This unit will prepare you for advanced level study of cardiovascular pharmacology.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: ECHO11003 Fundamentals of Cardiac Science AND Co-requisite BMSC11002 Human Body Systems 2 OR BMSC11011 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
The weekly study plans provided on Moodle help students keep track of what tasks they should be completing each week.
Continue to make this resource available on Moodle.
Feedback from SUTE
The large pool of revision resources available to students facilitates 'active learning' of the unit content and helps students prepare for the unit's assessment tasks.
Continue to make several different revision resources available for each week and add to these as needed.
Feedback from SUTE; Unit Coordinator
'Staggering' the scheduling of the tutorials so that they focus on the previous week's material (rather than the current week) is more practical for students.
Continue to 'stagger' the scheduling of tutorials so that students have more time to complete the week's material before the tutorial.
- Describe the structure, function and biological roles of the major types of biomolecules and macromolecules
- Describe the relationship between structure and function of the components of biological membranes, especially in terms of selective permeability
- Outline the basic processes involved in metabolic and catabolic pathways relevant to the cardiovascular system
- Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism.
Linked to National and International Standards
1. ASAR Accreditation Standards for Cardiac Sonography - critical practice Unit 8 - Cardiac, Foundation units of competence - 1- 5.
2. European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Core Syllabus
3. American Registry for Cardiac Sonography Core Syllabus
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Online Test - 60% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
All core readings for this unit are provided for free on the unit's Moodle site. If you would like additional readings, you may wish to purchase 'Medical Biochemistry' (complete details below). This textbook contains relevant information, but it is not used directly in ECHO11004, so purchasing it is completely optional.
Medical Biochemistry
Authors: Baynes and Dominiczak
6th Edition (2022)
ISBN: 9780323834506
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.irwin@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Module 1 | Carbohydrates
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Glucose and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Chapter
'Carbohydrates' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Carbohydrates
Module/Topic
Module 2 | Proteins
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Proteins as Biochemical Markers of Cardiac Disorders
Chapter
'Proteins' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Proteins
Module/Topic
Module 3 | Nucleic acids
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Genetic Mutations in Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Chapter
'Nucleic acids' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Nucleic acids
Module/Topic
Module 4 | Lipids
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Lipids in Coronary Artery Disease
Chapter
'Lipids' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Lipids
Online Quiz 1 Opens: Week 4 Friday (2 Aug 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 5 | Cell membranes
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Desmosomes and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Chapter
'Cell membranes' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Cell membranes
Online Quiz 1 Due: Week 5 Monday (5 Aug 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Vacation Week | Catch-up, Assessment preparation, Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 6 | Cell transport
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Channelopathies and Long QT syndrome
Chapter
'Cell transport' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Cell transport
Online Quiz 2 Opens: Week 6 Friday (23 Aug 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 7 | Metabolism I
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Glucose Metabolism and FDG-PET Imaging
Chapter
'Metabolism I' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Metabolism I
Online Quiz 2 Due: Week 7 Monday (26 Aug 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 8 | Metabolism II
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: The Electron Transport Chain in Myocardial ischaemia and Reperfusion Injury
Chapter
'Metabolism II' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Metabolism II
Online Quiz 3 Opens: Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 9 | Metabolic Regulation
'Clinical relevance for echocardiographers' topic: Metabolic Changes in Heart failure
Chapter
'Metabolic Regulation' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Metabolic Regulation
Online Quiz 3 Due: Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 10 | Cell communication
Clinical relevance for echocardiographers topic: Modulation of Cardiac Contractility by Second Messengers
Chapter
'Cell communication' in the Biochemistry Handbook (available on Moodle)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Cell communication
Online Quiz 4 Opens: Week 10 Friday (20 Sept 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial on Online Test
Online Quiz 4 Due: Week 11 Monday (23 Sept 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Revision/Online Test
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test Opens: Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Online Test
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Contact Details for Teaching Staff
The unit coordinator for BMSC12014 is Jordon Irwin. Jordon can be reached via email at j.irwin@cqu.edu.au, by phone at (07) 4923 2550, and via the Q&A forum on Moodle.
Lectures and Tutorials
The lectures for this unit are pre-recorded and available on the unit’s Moodle site. Live tutorials are delivered weekly on Zoom and are also recorded for later viewing on the Moodle site.
Readings in this Unit
All core readings for this unit are available for free on the Moodle site, with each week's chapter noted in the Unit Schedule above. If you would like to do additional reading, you are welcome to purchase the following textbook: Medicinal Biochemistry by Baynes and Dominiczak. Please note that this textbook is not directly used in the unit, so purchasing it is completely optional.
Unit Study Commitment
As per Australian education standards, this unit requires a total study commitment of 150 hours over the term. Here is a suggested weekly study schedule for ECHO11004:
- 2-3 hours watching recorded lectures and attending/viewing the tutorial
- 1-2 hours completing the recommended readings
- 2-3 hours completing the weekly study questions and practice assessment activities
- 3-4 hours revising for the Online Quizzes and Online Test
1 Online Quiz(zes)
A solid understanding of biochemistry is essential for comprehending cardiac physiology and pharmacology. Throughout the term, you will complete four Online Quizzes which will assess your grasp of fundamental biochemistry concepts covered in this unit. These quizzes will focus on the 'basics' for each week, ensuring you have a firm foundation before tackling more challenging material in the end-of-term Online Test. Additionally, the quizzes serve as 'forced revision' to help you avoid falling behind in the content during the term.
You are allowed only one (1) attempt for each Online Quiz, and your combined score for these assessments will contribute 40% to your final grade. No collusion, use of ChatGPT/OpenAI or group work is permitted when completing the Online Quizzes.
Below are the dates and times for each quiz (all times shown are in AEST):
- Online Quiz 1 (covering Weeks 1-4 content): opens at 12:01 PM on Friday of Week 4 (2 Aug 2024) and closes at 12:01 PM on Monday of Week 5 (5 Aug 2024)
- Online Quiz 2 (covering Weeks 5-6 content): opens at 12:01 PM on Friday of Week 6 (23 Aug 2024) and closes at 12:01 PM on Monday of Week 7 (26 Aug 2024)
- Online Quiz 3 (covering Weeks 7-8 content): opens at 12:01 PM on Friday of Week 8 (6 Sept 2024) and closes at 12:01 PM on Monday of Week 9 (9 Sept 2024)
- Online Quiz 4 (covering Weeks 9-10 content): opens at 12:01 PM on Friday of Week 10 (20 Sept 2024) and closes at 12:01 PM on Monday of Week 11 (23 Sept 2024)
4
Other
The due dates/times for each quiz are listed in the Task Description as well as the Unit Schedule.
The quizzes will be graded automatically, with additional feedback from the Unit Coordinator provided via Moodle within one (1) week of submission.
Marks will be awarded for correct responses.
- Describe the structure, function and biological roles of the major types of biomolecules and macromolecules
- Describe the relationship between structure and function of the components of biological membranes, especially in terms of selective permeability
- Outline the basic processes involved in metabolic and catabolic pathways relevant to the cardiovascular system
- Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism.
2 Online Test
At the end of the term, you will undertake an Online Test to evaluate your understanding of the topics covered in this unit (Weeks 1-10 inclusive). This assessment task will primarily focus on your ability to apply the principles learned during Weeks 1-10, aligning with the questions practiced in the weekly tutorials.
You will have only one (1) attempt for this assessment task, and your score from the Online Test will contribute 60% to your final grade. No collusion, use of ChatGPT/OpenAI, or group work is permitted when completing the Online Test.
The Online Test will be accessible from 12:01 PM (AEST) on Friday of Week 12 (4 Oct 2024) until 12:01 PM (AEST) on Monday of Review/Exam Week (7 Oct 2024).
Review/Exam Week Monday (7 Oct 2024) 12:01 pm AEST
The Online Test will end once you click submit, when the time limit is exhausted, or when the due date and time are reached.
Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)
The Online Test will be graded manually, and the results will be returned via Moodle within two (2) weeks of submission.
Marks will be awarded for correct responses.
- Describe the structure, function and biological roles of the major types of biomolecules and macromolecules
- Describe the relationship between structure and function of the components of biological membranes, especially in terms of selective permeability
- Outline the basic processes involved in metabolic and catabolic pathways relevant to the cardiovascular system
- Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
