Physical Biochemistry

Catalog description

All biological processes are governed by the same physical and chemical principles that control all chemical reactions. Thermodynamics and, kinetics are core disciplines in the study of biophysical chemistry. This course examines the fundamental concepts of physical chemistry and biophysical techniques to study the biological processes in the cell. Topics include entropy, free energy, kinetics of complex biological reactions, non covalent forces that determine protein and nucleic acid stability (hydrophobic effect, electrostatic interactions and the hydrogen bond). Other topics for the course include the structural organization in nucleic acids and proteins, nucleic acid-protein interactions, and the underlying principles of chemical kinetics and thermodynamics that guides their behavior. Prerequisite(s): MS 182 and SC 285 and SL 285 and SC 286 and SC 352 .