Overview
An introduction to the concepts of chemistry underlying important processes in biology and human health, including chemical bonding, energetics, kinetics, equilibria and solubility, properties of water and solutions, acids, bases, complexation and electron transfer, mechanisms of organic reactions and properties of amino acids and carbohydrates.
CHEM 191 aims to instil a fundamental knowledge of chemical structure and reactivity, with particular focus on concepts that provide an understanding of why chemical reactions proceed and how this understanding may be applied to the chemical processes in biological systems.
CHEM 191 is a required part of the Health Sciences First Year programme at Otago and is a prerequisite paper for a number of other science courses.
CHEM 191 First Semester:
It provides an introduction to concepts influencing chemical reactions in biological systems including
- Concepts of Chemical Bonding
- Thermodynamics/energetics of biological systems
- Properties of water
- Reaction rates and chemical equilibria
- Metals in biology - electron transfer, complexation
- Organic/carbon-based compounds - stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, functional groups, polymers
- Biological molecules - carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleic acids, nucleic acids, proteins/enzymes
CHEM 191 Summer School and Semester Two:
This is a course designed to enable students who failed CHEM 191 in the first semester of the previous year to pass the paper and allow them to proceed to other courses that have CHEM 191 as a prerequisite.
In 2026 this 'catch up' version of CHEM 191 will also be taught in Semester two. Again, students can only take this course if they have failed CHEM191 in the previous semester.
About this paper
| Paper title | The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health |
|---|---|
| Subject | Chemistry |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Summer School
(On campus)
Semester 1 (On campus) Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,318.20 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- CHEM 112
- Schedule C
- Science
- Notes
- (i) It is strongly recommended that students enrolling in CHEM191 have a minimum of 14 credits in NCEA Level 3 Chemistry (or equivalent). (ii) May only be taken at Summer School by students who were enrolled in CHEM191 in the first semester of the previous year, and passed the lab requirements but failed the paper as a whole.
- Eligibility
First semester:
There are no specific entrance requirements for students taking CHEM 191. However, having gained at least 14 credits at NCEA Level 3 (or equivalent) in chemistry is strongly recommended.Summer School and Semester Two:
This course can only be taken by students who were enrolled in CHEM 191 in the previous first semester but failed the paper with a minimum of 35%.- Contact
First Semester: chem191.admin@otago.ac.nz
Summer School and Second Semester: Dr David Warren
- More information link
- View more information about CHEM 191
- Teaching staff
Semester One:
Course Coordinator:
Lecturers:
- Professor James Crowley
- Associate Professor Bill Hawkins
- Associate Professor Anna Garden
- Dr Andrea Vernall
- Dr David Warren
- Dr Eng Tan
- Associate Professor Christina McGraw
Semester Two:
Course Coordinators:
Summer School:
Course Co-ordinator:
- Paper Structure
First semester - Provides an introduction to concepts underpinning chemical reactions in biological systems, including:
- Concepts of chemical bonding
- Thermodynamics and Equilibria
- Acid-Base and Electron Transfer Reactions - roles of metal ions in biology
- Reaction rates
- Organic/carbon-based compounds - stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, functional groups, polymers
- Biological molecules - saccharides, amino acids, nucleic acids, proteins/enzymes
- Teaching Arrangements
First semester
- The course comprises 36 lectures and five 3-hour laboratories
- Attendance of laboratories is compulsory
- A progress test will be held
Summer School and Semester Two:
- The course comprises 36 lectures covering four modules
- There are eleven compulsory 2-hour tutorials (one per week)
- There will also be a 1-hour 15min progress test
- There is NO lab component to Summer School and Semester Two CHEM 191 as you carry over the marks that you were awarded for lab work in your previous year's CHEM 191 course
- Textbooks
Chemistry: The Central Science - Brown, LeMay, Bursten, Murphy, Woodward, Langford, Sagatys & George 15th Edition
Students can purchase either the physical book
Or
An electronic version of the text.Note that the textbook is highly recommended for CHEM 191 and CHEM 111, but not essential. You are not required to have a copy of the book, but it will be referred to in lectures.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Apply an understanding of chemical structures and processes to biological systems
- Write chemical equations to describe reactions
- Use knowledge of chemical bonding and reaction mechanisms to predict and rationalise the outcome of chemical reactions
- Use mathematical procedures to analyse data and solve chemistry problems
- Safely use appropriate apparatus to carry out chemistry reactions in the laboratory