Academic year: 2007-2008
| Local Key | 1.BIOL.1.22 | Hemis Key | U09270 | Base Key | 2667 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Points | 20 | Lecturer | Dr Tim Hebbes | Coordinator | Dr Tim Hebbes |
| Delivery Mode | Portsmouth Based | Release Status | A | Materials | |
| Normal Level | 1 | Notional Study Hours | Standard Hours | 60 | |
| Scheduled Activities | Lectures: 36, Seminars: 6, Practicals: 9, Workshops 9 TOTAL: 60 | Min Student Numbers | Max Student Numbers | 0 | |
| Prereq Named | None | Postreq Named | None | Coreq Named | None |
| Excluded Combinations | None | Dependancies | None | Prereq Statement | None |
| Ass Weight Exam | 50 | Ass Weight Con | Ass Weight Other | 50 |
None
| 1 | This unit provides a basic foundation in those aspects of chemistry required for further studies in biology. Its aim is to bring students with a diversity of chemical background to a common understanding of the chemical principles important in biology. This basic foundation is then used to develop a detailed understanding of the structure, properties and functions of the common macromolecular constituents of living cells including proteins, carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids |
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able, at threshold level, to:
| 1 | Describe the basic chemical concepts of atomic structure, bonding, stiochiometry, reaction mechanisms and associated energy changes. |
| 2 | Explain the differences between acids and bases, define pH and explain what constitutes a buffer solution. |
| 3 | Recognise the basic structure of simple organic carbon and functional groups, their reactions and to explain isomerism. |
| 4 | Identify biologically-important monomer units and their reactions and how the structure of the resultant macromolecules influences their functional role. |
| 5 | Carry out simple laboratory investigations, present experimental findings in both tabular and graphical form and draw appropriate conclusions. |
Formal lectures will provide theoretical underpinning of learning outcomes 1-4. Seminars will be available on a voluntary basis for students who require additional support in the chemical concepts taught in the unit. Practical work in the laboratory will support learning outcomes 4 and 5. Use of web-based programmes to illustrate the 3D structure of macromolecules will support learning outcome 4.
Two in-course tests, and two open book workshop tests as well as the 1.5 h unseen end of unit examination will assess progress during the course and enable learning outcomes 1-4 to be demonstrated. Formative feedback will be available after the in-course tests. The practical work in the laboratory will be assessed and will be used to demonstrate achievement of learning outcome 5.
| 1 | Examination | 50 | (1.5 hours unseen) MCQ |
| 2 | Coursework | 50 | 2 in-course MCQ tests (20%), 3 practicals (15%), Workshops 2 Openbook MCQ (15%) |
| Pathway Name | Unit Level | Semester | Status | Pathway Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Honours) Microbiology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Animal Development with Parasitology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Biology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Biochemistry | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Biochemistry and Microbiology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Biotechnology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Environmental Biology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Forensic Biology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Forensic Biology and Biomolecular Science | 1 | 1 | C | |
| unknown code [#2694] | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Genome Science | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Molecular Biology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Marine Biology | 1 | 1 | C | |
| BSc (Honours) Marine Biology with Polluted Ecosystems | 1 | 1 | C |
The topics covered in the unit will include:
| 1 | Matter & energy: Review atomic structure, electronic configurations, electronegativity, orbitals, molecular shapes. Covalent and ionic bonding, polar & non-polar molecules, hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. Equations, concentrations, moles and molarity. Chemical equilibrium, reaction rates and their dependence on temperature. Arrhenius’ law, activation energy, transition states and energy changes. |
| 2 | Acid-base chemistry:Bronsted-Lowry definitions of acids and bases, strong and weak acids/bases, Ka and pKa. Ionisation and ionic product of water (Kw), pH scale. Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, buffers. |
| 3 | Organic chemistry: Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, cyclic and aromatic compounds, nomenclature. Functional groups and their biologically important reactions. Biologically important compounds containing oxygen and nitrogen. |
| 4 | Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides, cyclisation, glycoside formation, anomeric configuration. Oligosaccharides and their structural determination. Shape of polysaccharides and the relationship between structure and function. |
| 5 | Lipids:Fatty acids, triacyglycerols, complex lipids, glycolipids and steriods. Determination of the constitution of fats & oils. Phospholipids and the chemistry of biological membranes. |
| 6 | Proteins:Amino acids and peptides, disulphide bonds and post-translational modification. Primary structure determination, chemical and enzymic methods, Edman sequencing. Secondary and tertiary structures. Quaternary structure of oligomeric proteins. |
| 7 | Nucleic acids:Purine and pyrimidines, nucleosides and nucleotides. Single and double stranded DNA and RNA structures. Intercalation, superhelical DNA, principles of DNA sequencing. |
Nil
| Elliott and Elliott, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oxford University Press, 2005, 0199271992, Y | |
| Crowe, Bradshaw and Monk, Chemistry for the Biosciences, Oxford University Press, 2006, 0199280975, Y | |
| Denniston, Toppins & Caret, General Organic and Biochemistry, McGraw-Hill, 2003, Y | |
| Smith, C. A and Wood, E. J., Biological Molecules, Chapman and Hall, 1991, Y | |
| McKee & McKee, Biochemistry, The Molecular Basis of Life, McGraw-Hill, 2003, Y | |
| Nelson, D. L. and Cox, M. M., Principles of Biochemistry, Worth, 2000, Y | |
| Chang, General Chemistry, the essential concepts, McGraw-Hill, 2003, Y | |
| Bloomfield, M. M. and Stephens, L. J., Chemistry and the Living Organism, Wiley: Chichester, 1996, Y |
Nil
Nil
| Key Skills CO | 3.1 | Key Skills NO | 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 | Key Skills IT | 3.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Skills PS | 3.1 | Key Skills ILP | Key Skills WO |
| Owning Department | School of Biological Sciences | Programme Area | *Not assigned as yet | Owning Institution | University of Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Board | School of Biological Sciences | Responsible FHQA | Science | Subject Group | *No Subject Group Assigned |
| External Examiner | Dr S McCready | Programme Coord | *To Be Advised | University Cost Centre | |
| Effective Session | 2006/07 | Withdrawn Date | Suspend Date | ||
| Review Date | Major Release Date | 2003-02-04 00:00:00 | Minor Release Date |
None
| History Version | History Date | Change Style | History Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2003-02-04 00:00:00 | N | |
| 2.0 | 2006-09-26 00:00:00 | M | Reading Listed updated with two additions by JB |
| 2.0 | 2004-05-19 00:00:00 | M | Lecturer/Unit Co-ordinator changed from Dr Taylor to Dr. Hebbes. Amendef schedule of activities. Assessment weighting changed from 70% exam and 30% other to 50% exam and 50% other. Additions to Indicative reading. (Mini Review 13/05/04 - Jan Baker) |