Monday, January 16, 2012

Weekly Update January 16, 2012

Weekly Update:  Week 2

TOPIC:  Chemistry

This week, students are asked to review general chemistry and start their exposure to biochemistry.  During this week, we will be focus our studies primarily on biochemistry.

Suggested Reading:

Chapters 2, 3, 4 of  Life: The Science of Biology by Sadava, Hillis, Heller, and Berenbaum.
    • Chapter 2 is a review of general chemistry.
    • Chapter 3 focuses on Proteins, Carbohydrates and Lipids.
    • Chapter 4 focuses on Nucleic Acids.
  • The following two wikipedia articles are jumping off points for protein folding.  This is a critical topic, so use these as a way of delving deeper into this topic

Learning Objectives
  • Review Previous Knowledge: Atomic Structure.
  • Review Previous Knowledge: Bond Types
  • Review Previous Knowledge: Chemical Reactions
  • Review Previous Knowledge: Properties of Water.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of biopolymers and macromolecules.
  • Be able to identify the monomer of each class of biopolyer, its functional groups, and potential isomers.
  • Be able to discuss how form and function are interrelated in biopolymers.
  • Be able to describe condensation and hydrolysis reactions as related to biopolymers.
  • Be able to describe the core structure of an amino acid and the formation of a peptide bond.
  • Be able to describe how a protein folds into a functional end product.
  • Be able to describe the reasons why proteins fold (chemical properties).
  • Be able to describe how the environment can affect protein folding (denaturation).
  • Be able to describe the funciton of chaperones.
  • Be able to discuss the function of proteins
  • Be able to discuss the different types of saccharides and chemical modification of saccharides.
  • Be able to discuss the numbering of carbon atoms in a sugar molecule.
  • Be able to discuss the formation of glycosidic linkages (bonds) and how isomers affect these bonds.
  • Be able to discuss the function of sugars.
  • Be able to discuss the triglyceride, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and phospholipids.
  • Be able to discuss the chemical structure of mucleic acids.
  • Be able to discuss the differences between RNA and DNA.
  • Be able to discuss the theories of how RNA, DNA and life originated.

Schedule

We have class Thursday January 19th.  By that point, we will have had newsletters covering Proteins and Carbohydrates (possibly a little about lipids).  On Thursday we will start with a review of these topics.  In a review, you will be asked to discuss areas that you have found difficult.  The last part of the class will deal with nucleic acids.

Quiz 1 ends on January 20th.
Quiz 2 ends on Jaunary 22nd.
Quiz 3 ends on January 24th.

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