Chemistry of Living Things: Topics

1. Course introduction (PKU)           post-lecture reading     post-lecture questions     haploid-diploid related videos
2. Science
3. Chemistry, the study of matter and energy
4. Measurements (including units & unit conversions)      problems    answers
5. Atomic Structure    post-lecture reading    problems    answers
        a. Subatomic particles
       b. How subatomic particles fit together in atoms & ions
6. Stability:  Electronic stability is dependent on the environment.  Nuclear stability, almost always not.     pre-lecture reading      problems    answers
        a. What makes nuclei be stable? (Short tour of nuclear chemistry, then on to electrons)
                Nuclear reactions (changes based on nuclear composition & energy)
        b. What makes atoms & ions be stable? (Our main focus is on the Lewis Octet Principle.)
                i) Inert gases are electronically stable as atoms. Most other elements are not.
                ii) Atoms of some elements become more stable by losing/gaining e− (to form ions).
                iii) Atoms of other elements become more stable by sharing e− (to form molecules).

    We will start our consideration or thermodynamics and Gibbs' Free Energy in more detail around this time:  ΔG = ΔH –TΔS

7. Compounds        problems    answers
        a. Ionic
        b. Covalent

8. Covalent bonding patterns and structure       pre-lecture reading/viewing      problems    answers
        a. VSEPR
        b. Orbital Hybridization
9. Intermolecular (weak) attractive forces: States of Matter (including Kinetic Molecular Theory)       problems    answers
         a. Dipole-dipole
        b. London Forces
        c. Hydrogen Bonds
10. Solutions (Concentration units)     moles, molecules, etc.
11. Chemical Reactions (changes dependent largely on electronic structure & energy)
12. Kinetics     worked problem with detailed explanations   problems    answers
13. Equilibrium    pre-lecture reading 1 
14. Water & Acid-Base Chemistry    Intro comments    Post lecture reading     Sample problem    Sample prob.answer
15. Summary of Biochemistry        reading assignment
16. Protein Structure (determines protein function)        reading/viewing assignment
17. Protein Function (Mostly Enzymes & Transporters)      reading/viewing assignment 

18. Carbohydrates (are central to energy metabolism... recognition???)       
19. Lipids (energy and signaling) & Membranes (a kinetic/thermodynamic necessity for life?)        
20. Energy Metabolism (coping with entropy & Gibbs' Free Energy issues)       
21. Nucleic Acids (info) & the Central Dogma (language joke?)  reading/viewing assignment      
22. Genes, genomes, and the relatedness of living things  reading/viewing assignment
22. Course Summary   

          a. Big picture
          b. Things we should have covered, but did not have time for
          c. The nature of scientific debate (with an example?)