This course will review the chemistry of living systems, with an
emphasis on topics of biotechnological and biomedical interest.
The course will also survey the methods used in modern
biochemistry, so that students will be able to understand the
connection between empirical data and the established facts and
concepts presented in the course. The first part of the course
will focus on the relationship between structure and function of
proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and membranes.
Important chemical concepts relevant to these molecules and
their components (amino acids, nucleotides, etc.), such as pH
and weak chemical interactions, will be presented. After an
introduction to enzyme kinetics, the course will concentrate on
the principles and pathways of intermediary metabolism. The
final topics will be concerned with informational biochemistry –
DNA replication, recombination, repair, and transcription, as
well as protein synthesis. This course explores the molecular
basis of cell structure, org