Bioorganic chemistry studies the chemistry of organic biomolecules. It is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry.
Bioorganic chemistry studies the chemistry of organic biomolecules. It is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry. Please recall that organic chemistry investigates all molecules that contain carbon and hydrogen, and biochemistry focuses on the network of molecular pathways in the cell. Bioorganic chemistry employs organic chemistry to explain how enzymes catalyze the reactions of metabolic pathways and why metabolites react the way they do. Bioorganic chemistry aims to expand organic-chemical research on structures, synthesis, and kinetics in a biological direction.
This one-semester course will cover several advanced chemistry topics and will discuss the chemistry behind biological processes. The course begins by introducing you to the mechanisms behind the most common biological chemical reactions (Unit 1). You will then take a closer look at the metabolic processes of biomolecules. You will apply your knowledge of the structural features of organic molecules to biomolecules (Unit 2). The next four units will cover the chemistry of metabolic processes in the cell: lipid metabolism (Unit 3), carbohydrate metabolism (Unit 4), amino acid metabolism (Unit 5), and nucleotide metabolism (Unit 6). This course will also discuss the medical significance of the relevant deficiencies of these pathways.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Identify and characterize lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, and nucleic acids.
Recognize chiral organic molecules, and explain their biological significance.
Explain the process of electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions, redox reactions, and enzyme catalyzed reactions.
Define the role of coenzymes and allosteric regulators in enzyme catalyzed reactions.
Compare and link terpenoid and steroid biosynthesis.
Compare and contrast the biosynthesis and the break down of biomolecules in the cell.
Predict the products of substitution, elimination, condensation, and redox reactions.
Design enzyme catalyzed reactions that lead to high-energy compound products.
Explain why certain lipids and amino acids are essential while others are not.
Determine the significance of fermentation during anaerobic metabolism.
Explain why certain metabolic pathways are called “cycles.”
Explain what happens if a eukaryotic cell lacks oxalic acid, ribulose bisphosphate, or ornithine.
Compare and contrast the Citric Acid Cycle and the Calvin Cycle.
