CH 309: Biochemistry I

The morphological diversity of living things is fantastic. Nevertheless, many living systems are confined to aqueous environments, constant pressure and salt conditions, and little if any internal temperature fluctuations. Within these chemical restrictions all organisms must carry out chemical reactions that result in the sustenance and proliferation of life. In this course we will discuss the chemical reactions that often are shared among a vast number of organisms. We will start with an outline of the basic chemical environment of the cell and then describe the three-dimensional structures of proteins. We will consider how representative protein structures are assembled and how they perform their respective functions. Through the combined use of kinetic, structural, and genetic approaches, we will examine how enzymes carry out catalysis of chemical reactions within living systems. Three class hours and one three-hour lab per week.