A comprehensive treatment of biochemistry and molecular biology stressing structures of biological molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids, enzymology and selected aspects of metabolism and bioenergetics.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: A term paper is required.
Athena Title
Biochem and Molecular Biol I
Undergraduate Pre or Corequisite
CHEM 2212 and CHEM 2212L
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will apply an understanding of basic thermodynamics to chemical reactions in biological systems.
Students will explain how proteins and enzymes achieve specificity and affinity.
Students will describe common elements of enzyme mechanisms and explain and give examples of how coupled reactions are used in enzyme mechanisms.
Students will describe basic enzyme kinetics and noncovalent inhibition mechanisms.
Students will illustrate the principles that underlie the application of common analytical methods in biochemistry.
Students will describe structures, functions, and transport of lipids and carbohydrates in living systems, including examples of dysfunction.
Topical Outline
The topical outline for the course has not changed. Topics will include the chemistry of life, thermodynamics of biological systems, macromolecular structure and function, membrane transport and bioenergetics, and enzyme kinetics and regulation. An outline of the syllabus is as follows:
1. The Chemistry of Life: Organic chemistry of biological molecules, Weak chemical forces, Water as a solvent, Acid/base equilibria and pH
2. Thermodynamics of Biological Systems: Thermodynamics principles, Heat, work, energy, enthalpy, and entropy, Chemical equilibria, High-energy compounds and coupled reactions
3. Structure and Function of Biological Macromolecules: Amino acids, polypeptides, and proteins, Carbohydrates, polysaccharides, and cell surfaces, Lipids and biological membranes, Nucleotides nucleic acids, and gene expression
4. Membrane Transport and Bioenergetics: Membrane organization, Passive and facilitated diffusion, Channels and pores, Primary and secondary active transport
5. Enzyme Kinetics and Regulation: Chemical kinetics and catalysis, Enzyme kinetics and specificity, Cooperativity and allostery, Enzyme mechanisms
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
