BS00120 - BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

Module Identifier

BS00120

Module Title

BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

Academic Year

2007/2008

Co-ordinator

Dr Hazel M Davey

Semester

Semester 1

Other staff

William A Adams, Dr Christopher L Davey

Course delivery

Lecture

19 x 1 h lectures

Seminars / Tutorials

10 x 1h seminars

Other

2 x 3h workshops

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment Length/Details	Proportion
Semester Exam	2 Hours	70%
Semester Assessment	Two three hour workshops	30%
Supplementary Exam	2 Hours	70%
Supplementary Assessment	Resubmission of failed or missing work	30%

Learning outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the structure of atoms and molecules and how these relate to the periodic table
relate general properties of elements to the periodic table
give examples of the different types of bonding in molecules
identify the main functional groups in organic compounds
use chemical symbols in simple equations to show chemical reactions
outline the principles governing reaction equilibria and pH
demonstrate an understanding of molar concentrations and calculate amounts of compounds needed for specific concentrations.

Aims

The module aims to introduce students who have little grounding in chemistry to the language and concepts of the subject to give them sufficient background for their biological studies. It will also introduce, where appropriate, some biochemistry to prepare for level 1.

Content

The course will consist of twenty lectures from the Introductory Chemistry module and, in addition, ten tutorial sessions devoted to further explanation of the lecture topics and the introduction of some biochemistry.
The curriculum will include the following.
The concept of atoms and elements.
The structure of atoms in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons.
The concept of atomic number and electronic configuration will be put in the context of the periodic table and this will be used to explain some rationale and order to the properties of the elements.
This will lead to a consideration of simple molecules, a description of ionic and covalent bonding, and the idea of valency.
A section on organic chemistry will deal with the special properties of carbon, hydrocarbons and homologous series, isomerism (including chirality), and an introduction to functional groups and their nomenclature.
The carboxyl and amino functional groups will be dealt with in the context of acid, bases and buffers. This will also include the concept of equilibria.
The concepts of moles and molar concentrations will be introduced together with Avogadro's constant and calculations for making up solutions of known concentration.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Crowe, Bradshaw & Monk (2006) Chemistry for the Biosciences Oxford University Press

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 3