Biochemistry 325

Dr. Carl W. Vermeulen
(click his name for his biographical sketch)
Office = Camp 303; Lab = Camp 310; Phone = 757-508-0852; Email = ecoligist@yahoo.com
Office hours = Tues 10-11; Wed 10-noon; Thurs 10-11

Text: Campbell, Mary K., and Shawn O Farrell. "Biochemistry" editions 4 or 5
Lectures and labs are outlined in Dr. V's website:
www.science-projects.com/CB/325Index.html

    The purpose or educational outcome of this upper-division lecture/laboratory course is to give both those students who intend to continue in biochemistry and those from other disciplines wishing an expanded science education an in-depth introduction to this mushrooming field of Molecular Biology or Applied Organic Chemistry (depending on the student's point of view).

    PREREQUISITE: All students shall be assumed to have taken at least one semester of organic chemistry.

    GRADING: This will be via twelve approximately weekly examinations in the laboratory with the lowest two grades dropped. The undroppable final exam will count as a double exam. The grade will then be determined by the normal distribution curve with the average being defined as a curved 85, and each standard deviation will be a corresponding letter grade (all 80's = B, etc.). Furthermore, if you are fortunate to obtain a curved grade of 93 or higher, you will have the option of taking a "curved" 90 on the next quiz, OR taking the next quiz at your own risk. There shall ALSO be further opportunities to gain points through homework, brilliant classroom comments, and constructive criticism of the course. ADDITIONAL grading parameters are given on the laboratory introduction page.

LECTURE ONE:

1. The Scope of the subject "Biochemistry"
   1. Natural Products

   2. Biochemicals
      1. Proteinaceous compounds
      2. Saccharides
      3. Lipids
      4. Nucleic Acids
      5. Other biochemicals such as vitamins and hormones

   3. Metabolism and Enzymology

   4. Control mechanisms on the molecular level (control at higher levels falls successively in the areas of Cellular Physiology and then in Physiology, and finally in Ecology)

2. The PHILOSOPHY and the attitudes of biochemists as seen through the eyes of this instructor will pepper the course.

3. This course is an INTRODUCTION rather than a SURVEY. Many of the topics of molecular biology - genetic engineering, cloning, etc. - are for other courses beyond this course's introductory remarks. But first the student much know in considerable detail the stuff that the genetic factors are dealing with.