CHEM191 The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health

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: 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.

Paper title	The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
Paper code	CHEM191
Subject	Chemistry
EFTS	0.15
Points	18 points
Teaching period(s)	Summer School (On campus) Semester 1 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD)	$1,141.35
International Tuition Fees	Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.

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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: This course can only be taken by students who were enrolled in CHEM 191 in the first semester of the previous year, but failed the paper with a minimum of 35%.

Contact

First semester: chem191.admin@otago.ac.nz

Summer School: lhanton@chemistry.otago.ac.nz

More information link

View more information about CHEM 191

Teaching staff

Semester One:
Course Co-ordinator: Dr David McMorran
Lecturers: Professor Lyall Hanton
Professor James Crowley
Associate Professor Bill Hawkins
Dr Dave Warren
Dr Anna Garden
Dr Alan Hayman

Summer School:
Course Co-ordinator: Professor Lyall Hanton

Paper Structure

First semester - Provides an introduction to concepts influencing chemical reactions 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

Summer School - Lectures cover:

• Structure and bonding
• Energetics and equilibria in biological systems
• Reaction rates
• Electron transfer reactions
• Carbon chemistry
• Introduction to biological molecules

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:

• The course comprises 36 lectures covering four modules
• There are several revision lectures
• There are eleven 1-hour tutorials (two per week)
• There will also be a 1-hour 15min progress test
• There is NO lab component to Summer School 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.

Students can purchase either the physical book
Or
An electronic version of the text, readable on computers and tablets. Two versions of this are available:

• The first provides online 24-month access to the eText and Mastering Chemistry (ISBN 9781442563896)
• The second allows for download of the eText (so you have it forever) and access to Mastering Chemistry (ISBN 9781442559462 and 9781442563902)

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

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