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Course Description

Summary

Biochemistry is an intermediate chemistry course in which students apply principles from general and organic chemistry, as well as general biology, to understand the molecular processes that characterize life. Biochemistry is a broad discipline that is growing rapidly in its scope – new developments and discoveries are being made daily. The goal of this class will be to give students a solid background with which they can appreciate the latest developments and research reports. We will begin with fundamental principles of bioenergetics and enzyme kinetics, and then quickly move into a detailed look at metabolism, specifically the individual reactions and mechanisms by which organisms extract chemical energy from carbohydrates and lipids to generate the ubiquitous energy currency, ATP. The emphasis will be on understanding both the chemical “logic” of these pathways and the supporting experimental evidence for the purported mechanisms. Students will also have the opportunity for independent work which will allow them to apply these ideas to topics of their own specific interests; there will be at least three writing assignments (research article response essays) and an independent research project.