CHEM 441 - Biochemistry I

Units: 4
A detailed description of the structure-function relationships of biological molecules (amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleotides), with emphasis on representative proteins, membrane composition and transport, enzymes and signaling.

Prerequisites: CHEM 332 with grade C- or better.
Equivalent Quarter Course: Students who have completed CHEM 4411 and CHEM 4412 will receive credit for CHEM 441.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Course Typically Offered: Fall & Spring

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Recall the structures of the major macromolecules and their component building blocks;
Define common structural motifs in proteins and list the forces stabilizing globular and fibrous proteins;
Explain how amino acid and protein structure dictate biological function for model proteins such as hemoglobin and collagen;
Distinguish the classes of lipids found in biological systems;
Demonstrate knowledge of biological membrane structure/function and mechanisms of active and passive membrane transport;
Summarize the general properties of enzymes and compare several mechanisms for enzyme catalysis;
Apply Michaelis-Menten kinetics and Lineweaver-Burk methodology to the analysis of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors;
Contrast models for control of enzyme activity involving allosteric regulators and covalent modification;
Compare hormone-initiated regulation of metabolic processes via receptor tyrosine kinases and G-protein coupled receptors.