Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences

(4 Credits)

This course builds up biomolecules and macromolecular assemblies from atoms and electronic structure using quantum concepts. It then establishes the connection between the microscopic molecular world and the macroscopic world of thermodynamics and reaction kinetics. Topics include particles, waves, energy levels, and other quantum concepts, electrons and their spin, atomic and molecular orbitals, chemical bonding theory, spectroscopy, X-ray scattering and electron microscopic, energetic particle therapies, laws of thermodynamics, properties of solutions, chemical and biochemical equilibria, acids and bases, phases and phase coexistence in membranes and organelles, rate laws, reaction kinetics, drug binding kinetics, and diffusion. Prerequisites: Either CHEM-UA 125 (General Chemistry I & Laboratory) and CHEM-UA 126 (General Chemistry II & Laboratory) or CHEM-UA 129 (Accelerated General Chemistry), PHYS-UA 11 (General Physics I) and PHYS-UA 12 (General Physics II), all with grades of C or better. MATH-UA 122 (Calculus II), CHEM-UA 140 (Mathematics of Chemistry), or equivalent is strongly recommended.