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Biochemistry 1

General

Prefix

CHEM

Course Number

480

Course Level

Undergraduate

Department/Unit(s)

Biology & Chemistry

College/School

College of Science and Engineering

Description

Structure and function of the 4 major biological polymers: nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates and their monomers. Application of thermodynamic principles to bioenergetics, introduction to biological (enzyme) catalysis, introduction to metabolic pathways including glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport/oxidative phosphorylation.

Prerequisites

Credits

Min

3

Max

3

Goals and Diversity

Learning Outcomes

Outcome

Apply fundamental energetic and mechanistic properties from general and organic chemistry towards explaining chemical phenomena in biological systems.

Outcome

Identify basic structure of amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, and monosaccharides and explain in chemical detail how these monomers build the 4 major biological polymers carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Outcome

Analyze, evaluate, and interpret ligand-binding and enzyme kinetic data/graphs.

Outcome

Construct different chemical strategies for how enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions.

Outcome

Interpret thermodynamic principles in metabolic processes such as flux and enzyme regulation.

Outcome

Apply metabolic principles to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidation phosphorylation.

Course Outline

Course Outline

Review of basis chemical and thermodynamic principles. 5% Lipid structure and function. 8% Nucleic acids structure and function. 8% Amino acid chemistry. 5% Protein polymer structure and folding. 8% Protein function, ligand binding and allostery. 10% Protein function, enzyme kinetics and catalysis. 10% Carbohydrate structure and function. 8% Introduction to metabolic principles. 8% Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis/fates of pyruvate. 10% Citric acid cycle. 10% Electron transport chain and ATP biosynthesis. 10%

Dependencies

Courses

CHEM480 is a prerequisite for:

Programs

CHEM480 is a completion requirement for: