The overall aim of this module is to provide a grounding in chemistry suitable for students of the molecular life sciences.
PART I AUTUMN TERM
In order to fully appreciate the roles of biological molecules it is first necessary to understand how they are formed from individual atoms, and moreover how the properties of these constituent atoms influence molecular structure and reactivity. This part of the module therefore examines in detail fundamental concepts including chemical bonding, electronegativity, acidity, basicity, hydrogen bonding, the range of common organic functional groups and different types of isomerism.
PART II SPRING TERM
In order to fully understand the complex molecular processes involved in the cell it is first necessary to gain an appreciation of the reactivity of simple organic compounds. This part of the module therefore examines in mechanistic detail a range of reactions that model those commonly occurring in biological systems.
- Module Supervisor: Paul Dobbin