This module, though aimed for those with a desire for knowledge of more detailed molecular/biochemical processes, will also prove ideal for others seeking a supplementary course to Biology of the Cell (BS13510) that is currently core for all degree schemes in Biological Sciences. It will concentrate on the major energy converting systems in living organisms serving to synthesise ATP, namely photosynthesis and mitochondrial respiration, and the ways by which the chemical energy in nutrients is released for use by the cell.

The module will provide, via a series of integrated lectures and practicals, a platform to explore how Energy and Life are interrelated and interlinked through fundamental laws of energetics. It seeks an understanding of the energy harnessing at molecular levels with a view to underpinning concepts in bioenergetics in general, and its particular relevance, to all life forms on our planet. It will emphasise the importance of ATP and its cycle as one energy currency of the cell with attention to ion currents and gradients in locomotion, osmotic balance, bioluminescence etc. The multifaceted approach will explain the mechanisms of the production of ATP by photosynthesis and by the degradation of the organic compounds that are the products of photosynthesis. Equally, it will deal with the oxidation of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids and the important role of the mitochondrion and its ion current in the process of oxidative phosphorylation or the so-called chemi-osmotic hypothesis. For the complete picture, it will also be necessary to cover essential aspects of how such compounds arise in nature. Where pertinent interesting and applied physiological aspects of the processes will be highlighted in nutritional disorders (Kwashiorkor), obesity, exercise, thermogenesis, pollination and ruminant metabolism