The chemical processes operating in the natural environment, including acid-base, complexation, redox, photochemical and biotic degradation phenomena are examined. Intermittently throughout the course, the chemistry underlying current issues of water, soil and air pollution, focusing on nutrient, metal and organic contaminants are studied. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week. This course, designed for majors and minors in the physical and biological sciences, is concerned with the synthesis and reactivity of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and their precursors.
Heavy emphasis is placed on the mechanisms by which the syntheses and transformations occur.
Course work involves extensive use of molecular modeling and exposes students to a variety of software packages. Laboratory work is concerned with the synthesis of compounds of biological importance and the examination of their structure and reactivity by chemical and physical means. Three hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory each week. This course studies the laws and theories pertaining to chemical and physical phenomena. Topics include the behavior of gases, the laws of thermodynamics, and chemical and phase equilibria.