Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences

3 credit hours · Undergraduate

A course for students in the life sciences. The course covers the chemistry of the principle functional groups in organic molecules with special emphasis on the relevance of organic functional group chemistry to molecules of biological importance. The functional group classes include: alcohols, thiols, phenols, ethers, epoxides, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amides, anhydrides, acid chlorides, nitriles, amines, amino acids, proteins, and carbohydrates. The course emphasizes the mechanistic approach to functional group reactivity and makes the connection to biochemistry at every opportunity. The stereochemical features of molecules of biological interest are emphasized.