PHM100 - Metabolic Biochemistry and Immunology


Overview:

This course examines the biochemistry and regulation of human metabolic pathways, together with the clinical implications of derangement of these systems. The mechanism of relevant drug action, as well as the underlying cellular anatomy of affected organs/systems is also stressed. This course also provides students with an introduction to principles of immunology and the regulatory mechanisms utilized by drugs which alter immune response.

The weekly lecture period totals three hours including student presentation. Students whom wish to sign up for presentations (groups of 4 or less) may do so at the location indicated (see presentations). Additional information available under the "Student presentations" link. Lecture notes are available under the "course lecture" link in one of two e-formats. Exam questions are drawn from lecture material, course handouts and class discussions.

Texts recommended (but not required) for the course include:
"Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations" 7th ed. (Devlin),
"Biochemistry" 6th ed. 7th ed. (Berg, Tymoczko and Stryer),
"Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews, Immunology" 2nd ed. (Doan, Melvold, Viselli, Waltenbaugh),
"Janeway's Immunobiology" 8th ed. (Murphy).



Course Information:

Class term: August 24th - November 13th
Tuesdays 10 am - 12 pm (in person - PB 150)
Thursdays 2 pm - 4 pm (in person - PB 150)



Announcements:

Note concerning institutional copyright procedures:
Instructors present materials for which they have obtained legal copyright permission for sole use in this course. Posting of such materials to third party sites constitutes a violation of the right to use conditions for such materials. Such reproduction is an infringement of copyright and is strictly prohibited. If a student wishes to indpendently record, photograph or otherwise reproduce components of the lecture presentations, course notes or other materials provided by instructors, they must obtain the instructor's prior written consent.

Notice concerning use of artificial intelligence (AI):
Unless otherwise noted by the instructors, use of AI tools and equivalent for PHM100 projects is prohibited.

Official Notice from University:
Accessibility Services is seeking volunteer note takers for students in this class who are registered in Accessibility Services. By volunteering to take notes for students with disabilities, you are making a positive contribution to their academic success. By volunteering as a note-taker, you will benefit as well - It is an excellent way to improve your own note-taking skills and to maintain consistent class attendance. At the end of term, we would be happy to provide a Certificate of Appreciation for your hard work - please contact our office at as.notetaking@utoronto.ca. You may also qualify for a Co-Curricular Record by registering your volunteer work on CLNX before the end of June. We also have a draw for qualifying volunteers throughout the academic year.
Steps to Register as a Volunteer:
1. Register Online as a Volunteer Note-Taker at: https://clockwork.studentlife.utoronto.ca/custom/misc/home.aspx
2. For a step-to-step guide please follow this link to the Volunteer Notetaking Portal Guide
3. Click on Volunteer Notetakers, and sign in using your UTORid
4. Select the course(s) you wish to take notes for. Please note: you do NOT need to upload sample notes or be selected as a volunteer to begin uploading.
5. Start uploading notes.
Interested parties can email: as.notetaking@utoronto.ca if you have questions or require any assistance with uploading notes. If you are no longer able to upload notes for a course, please also let us know immediately . For more information about the Accessibility Services Peer Notetaking program, please visit Student Life Volunteer Note Taking . Thank you for your support and for making notes more accessible for our students. AS Note-taking Team.

OTHER OFFICAL FACULTY OF PHARMACY POLICY STATEMENTS: Pharmacy Statements here


Posted August 24th, 2026:
As per fair use agreements, TUESDAY at 10 am will be the time at which course lectures for the current week will become active.
Questions / office hours are held 11-12pm Tuesday and 12-1pm Thursday.




Navigating the course Website:

For a copy of the course outline, or to download course lectures, click on the "COURSE OUTLINE" or "COURSE LECTURE" links below in the the "COURSE SECTIONS" segment below. In the event of additions, clarification, or modification to class materials following their presentation, this information will be appended to the appropriate "COURSE LECTURE" within 24 hours.



Biochemical Definitions:

For explanations and definitions of biochemical terms used in class, please refer to "The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" (QD415A25094, 2000) in the science library. Be sure to refresh or reload your browser window to view updated material.



Instructor Contact Information:

Dr. Jeffrey Henderson
Pharmacy building, Rm 903
Phone: 416-946-3090
Office hours: Tuesday 11-12 pm, Thursday 12-1 pm
Email: jeff.henderson@utoronto.ca


Dr. Bowen Li
Pharmacy building, Rm 901
Phone: 416-946-5571
Office hours: Tuesday 11-12 pm, Thursday 12-1 pm
Email: bw.li@utoronto.ca


Course TA's:

Shudi Huang                   shudi.huang@mail.utoronto.ca          (962 - Henderson)

Sako Mirzaie                    s.mirzaie@utoronto.ca                      (1162 - Henderson)

Jingan (Charles) Chen   charless.chen@mail.utoronto.ca        (952 - Bowen Li)

Alaa Selim                       alaa.selim@utoronto.ca                    (952 - Bowen Li)

*TA office hours are: Thursday 12-1 pm



Course Sections: (double click)

Course Outline | Course Lectures | Grading and Policies | Student Grades: see Quercus

3D Molecular Viewer: Oxy-Hb | 3D Molecular Viewer: Deoxy-Hb | Protein Database


Download Acrobat Reader if needed.




Useful biochemical Links:

     Protein Data Bank (PDB) master index 

     Molecules in Motion (Hemoglobin) 

     Hemoglobin Biochemistry 

     Biochemical Pathways 

     Interactive Biochemistry 



Course Break:
How do mice handle their biochemistry assignments ?                             But that's only because they are on  DRUGS !


Metabolism . . . the rock and roll version      HERE.






 Site Navigation:


     Faculty of Pharmacy Homepage 

     University of Toronto Homepage 

     Henderson Laboratory Homepage

      Site administrator: Dr. Henderson: jeff.henderson@utoronto.ca