Biological molecules such as DNA and proteins are imperative for the functioning of cells and organisms. To understand and appreciate how these bio-molecules work, knowledge and understanding of the underlying chemical principles is required. To achieve this goal, you will explore concepts such as atomic structure, bonding and chemical reactivity and this will help you to better understand the chemical processes that you will encounter in other modules throughout your degree. Core principles such as thermodynamics, molecular forces and the shapes of molecules will be applied in areas such as protein chemistry to investigate amino acids and enzyme activity. At the end of this module, you will understand the importance of chemistry for life and be confident in applying fundamental chemical principles to solve problems. This module is important preparation for your future degree in biochemistry.
Lectures 24 hours, Workshops & feedback 14 hours
MCQ and 1 problem question test worth 20%.
Short Writing Piece: 1 set of 30 short problem questions worth 40%.
Short Writing Piece: 1 set of 4 problem questions worth 40%.
Reassessment Method: Like for like
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Explain the fundamental concepts of atoms, molecules, states of matter, bonding, isomerism and chemical reactivity and the relevance of these concepts to biochemistry.
2. Explain the principles of thermodynamics and equilibria, and their application to biological systems.
3. Describe and identify common chemical structures related to biomolecules including carbon functional groups (eg. alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics and carbonyl compounds).
4. Describe the structures and chemical properties of the amino acids and proteins and the analytical techniques used for their characterisation
5. Solve basic chemical problems related to the four areas above.
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