3 credits
Spring 2026 Lecture Distance Learning Upper Division
This is a comprehensive one-semester biochemistry course that emphasizes molecules and molecular reaction mechanisms, building upon the principles conveyed in general chemistry and organic chemistry. This course is designed to cover the essential elements of biochemistry traditionally covered in a two semester series. Topics to be covered include: Amino acids, peptides and proteins, molecular models and structure-function relationships, enzymes, enzyme kinetics and enzyme mechanisms, carbohydrates and carbohydrate metabolism, aerobic metabolism, lipids and membranes, lipid metabolism, nitrogen metabolism and integration and regulation of metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on connections between biochemical principles and the fields of medicine, human health and disease, nutrition and biotechnology. This course should serve as excellent preparation for higher-level biochemistry courses as well as standardized pre-health professional exams. CHM 33900 was designed as the 4th semester of the 1-2-1 competency-based curriculum transformation in chemistry as it applies to pre-health professional and life science students at Purdue. However, this course is open to other students who meet the prerequisites.
Learning Outcomes1Demonstrate the ability to think as a scientist.
2Demonstrate the ability to communicate well in writing.
3Apply knowledge of basic principles of chemistry and their applications to the understanding of biological systems.
4Employ knowledge of the general components of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, such as molecular, microscopic, macroscopic, and three-dimensional structure, to explain how different components contribute to cellular and organismal function.
5Demonstrate knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells..
6Demonstrate knowledge of molecular interactions and their importance in biological systems.
7Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics that drive biological processes in the context of space (i.e., compartmentation) and time: enzyme-catalyzed reactions and metabolic pathways, regulation, integration, and the chemical logic of sequential reaction steps.
8Recognize major types of functional groups and chemical reactions that occur in biological systems.
9Apply understanding of the concepts of chemical reactivity and chemical kinetics to predict biochemical processes.
10Apply knowledge of the chemistry of covalent carbon compounds to explain the molecular mechanisms of biochemical enzyme reactions.
11Demonstrate knowledge of thermodynamic criteria for spontaneity of physical processes and chemical reactions and the relationship of thermodynamics to chemical equilibrium as they apply to biological systems.
12Explain maintenance of homeostasis in living organisms by using principles of mass transport, energy balance, and feedback and control systems.
Prerequisites
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.