Biochemistry – Chemical Principles of Living Systems

Catalog description

This course builds on the principles of general and organic chemistry discussed in PHYL 2100 to build an understanding of the molecules and chemical reactions of living organisms specifically. Students will become familiar with the structures and functions of nucleic acid, proteins, polysaccharides, triglycerides and phospholipids. The processes and pathways that synthesize, catabolize, and transfer the information in these biomolecules will be discussed in detail. Particular emphasis in some units will be placed on the enzymatic mechanisms that allow for rapid production of molecules needed for life at just the right moment. This course requires algebraic manipulations, graphical interpretation, and chemical problem solving and as such PHYL 1200 /1600, PHYL 2100 and a Quantitative Reasoning course are all required pre-requisites.