Department of Chemistry, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
CH10088 Introduction to biological chemistry |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Certificate |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: EX 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims & Learning Objectives: To provide an introduction to the subject of biological organic chemistry as a basis for understanding molecular processes affecting other areas of sciences, with reference to the themes of types of biological molecule, structure and bonding, reactivity and mechanism. After studying the Unit, students should be able to: * Account for the mechanisms by which simple biological reactions occur * Name and draw diagrammatically a selected range of biological compounds and functional groups * Describe the relationships between organic mechanisms and their related biological equivalents. * Describe methods for the interconversion of selected biologically-important functional groups * Solve straightforward problems involving the material covered. Content: Structure and bonding: Lewis theory, formal charge; resonance; hybridization; delocalisation; conjugation; colour in biological molecules; conformation, configuration, chirality. Reactivity: chemistry of functional groups including alcohol's, carbonyl groups, and nitrogen important groups; imines, amines, enamines and heterocycles. Mechanism: energy profiles, acidity, basicity, nucleophilicity, electrophilicity, electrophilic addition, nucleophilic substitution, elimination; nucleophilic addition/elimination, kinetic vs. thermodynamic control. |