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Chem 250 - Organic Biochemistry

Tue/Thu 9:30a-10:45a Goessmann 64 (Peters Aud)

This course will cover an introduction to organic chemistry,
with a tie-in to introductory biochemistry.

This course requires a grade of at least C- or CD in one or more of the following courses or their equivalent: Chem 110, 111, or 112. If you do not have an appropriate college level course in general chemistry, you will be ill-prepared and so cannot take this course.

Click on the arrows below for news related to that day's topic!

This calendar last updated: 5/3/07, 8:37 AM

Syllabus

Tue 1/30 Ch 10 Intro to class; Organic Chemistry
Thu 2/1 Ch 11 Alkanes



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Tue 2/6 Ch 12 Alkenes and Alkynes
Thu 2/8 Ch 13 Benzene and its Derivatives



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Tue 2/13 Ch 14 Alcohols, Ethers, and Thiols
Thu 2/15 Ch 14 Quiz / Alcohols, Ethers, and Thiols



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Tue 2/20 Ch 15 Chirality
Guest lecturer: Professor Steve Hixson
Thu 2/22 Ch 16 Amines
Guest lecturer: Professor Steve Hixson



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Tue 2/27 Ch 17 Aldehyes and Ketones
Thu 3/1
Review
Thu 3/1
Evening Exam 7:00pm, GSMN 20



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Tue 3/6 Ch 18 Carboxylic Acids
Thu 3/8 Ch 19 Carboxylic Anhydrides, Esters, Amides



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Tue 3/13 Ch 20 Carbohydrates
Thu 3/15 Ch 21 Quiz / Lipids



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Tue 3/20
Spring Break - No Class
Thu 3/22
Spring Break - No Class
Tue 3/27
Organic Overview
Thu 3/29 Ch 27 Bioenergetics



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Tue 4/3 Ch 28 Catabolic Pathways
Thu 4/5 Ch 29 Biosynthetic Pathways



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Tue 4/10 Ch 22 Proteins
Thu 4/12 Ch 22 Proteins



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Tue 4/17
Monday schedule - no class
Thu 4/19
Review
Thu 4/19
Evening Exam 7:00pm, GSMN 64



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Tue 4/24 Ch 22/23 Proteins/Enzymes
Thu 4/26 Ch 23/24 Enzymes / Chemical Comm



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Tue 5/1 Ch 25 Nucleic Acids / Review for quiz
Thu 5/3 Ch 25 Quiz / Nucleic Acids



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Tue 5/8 Ch 25/26 Nucleic Acids / Gene Expression
Thu 5/10
Special Quiz (covering Exam 2)
Gene Expression / Special Topics / Biotechnology



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Tue 5/15
Biochemistry Overview



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Tue 5/22
Final Exam 1:30p - 3:30p, GSMN 20
Chapter 10
Tip: review bonding, VSEPR, molecular orbitals, electrtonegativity, and bond polarity
Chapter 11
Tip: review atomic orbital hybridization: sp, sp2, sp3
Chapter 12
See structures of fatty acids at our own site. Scroll to the bottom. How many double bonds does arachidonic acid have?
Read about trans fats - why they're used and why they're bad. Is arachidonic acid a trans fat?
Chapter 13
The amino acid Phe is 'benzen on a stick'!
Chapter 24
Read about teenage mood swing receptors. Another article also appears in Scientific American.
Chapter 23
A number of groups in the Chemistry Dept at UMass study the mechanism of enzymes. A new member of the Dept, Jeanne Hardy, aims to create new allosteric regulation sites in enzymes. Mike Knapp and Mike Maroney study redox enzymes. Yours truly studies the enzyme that makes RNA.
Chapter 26
A recent paper in Plant Cell talks about transcription factors controlling the formation of secondary walls in woody plant tissues.
Chapter 28
New cancer treatment turns on mitochondria
Biotechnology
Genetic engineering troubles
Detection of specific bacteria in the field