BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY -
Chemistry 347-348; Biological Sciences 347-348
Chemistry 647-648
Course Information and Syllabus (download pdf version from here)
Objectives:
This is a two semester, calculus-based course in physical biochemistry. The
emphasis is largely on solution thermodynamics, kinetics, statistical mechanics,
and spectroscopy as used in biochemistry and molecular biology research. The
primary goal is to develop an intuitive, practical understanding of the principles
necessary for a physical understanding of biochemical processes, and to develop
an appreciation of the utility of quantitative information.
Instructor:
Dr. John Shriver (office: MSB 311); 256-824-2477;
Please feel free to contact me by email (shriverj@uah.edu) if you have questions.
Office hours: By appointment
Lectures:
MWF at 9:10 AM.
Attendance is essential. You will responsible for material covered in class.
Syllabus, assignments, and exams:
347 - course outline, problem sets (answers), and exam schedule.
348
- course outline, problem sets (answers), and exam schedule.
CH 647-648 follows the same course outline with the same problem set and exams as the 347-348 series. In addition, the student must write a paper on a current research topic related to the material covered in the class. Further details should be obtained from the instructor.
Texts:
There is one text for both semesters (347 and 348) of this course:
"Physical Chemistry" by Thomas Engel and Philip Reid, Addison-Wesley, San Francisco, 2006. (ISBN-13: 9780805338423) Corrections to text errors here.
Recommended for extra reading: “Warmth Disperses and Time Passes” by Hans Christian von Baeyer, Modern Library, NY 1999 (available from amazon.com).
I also recommend"e: The Story of a Number" by Eli Maor, Princeton University Press, 1998 (also available from amazon). An excellent survey of useful mathematical concepts built around the history of the development of calculus. Like "Warmth Disperses and Time Passes", it puts a human face on mathematics that is rare.
Additional references and handouts will be supplied as required. An outline of the specific topics to be covered here. Lectures will be used for covering the most important and difficult points which require further elaboration. You will be responsible for all of the text material indicated below unless indicated otherwise. Quizzes and weekly assignments will be used to encourage regular study.
Software:
You will be expected to be able to use Mathematica for performing calculations, simulations and nonlinear least squares fitting of data. There are various purchase options available for students, including a standard license ($139.95), or a single year ($69.95) and single semester (six month, $44.95) licenses. I would recommend that you obtain at least the year license if you are taking both 347 and 348. The student version is a completely functional package, identical to what normally sells for about $1900. Versions are available for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux operating systems. The software can be downloaded with online purchase.
Grading:
There will be four regular exams plus
a final exam. Each will contribute
equally to the final course grade. No makeup exams will be given - but the
lowest exam score may be dropped. The
final exam cannot be missed or dropped. Homework performance will contribute
to the final course grade with a weight of one regular exam.
In addition, a bonus grade of 10 percentage
points will be assigned for class performance. Studens taking the course for graduate credit
(CH 647-648) will turn in an original paper discussing a current research topic
based on the current papers in the biochemical/biophysical literature. The grade
on this paper will contribute to the final course grade with a weight of one
exam.
Academic Honesty:
Your written assignments and examinations must be your own work. Academic misconduct is not acceptable. To insure that you are aware of what is considered academic misconduct, you should review carefully the definitions and examples provided in Article III, Code of Student Conduct, Student Handbook, p. 93. If you have any questions related to this point, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
Classroom Conduct:
All students in the class must treat others with civility and respect and conduct themselves during class sessions in a way that does not unreasonably interfere with the opportunity of other students to learn. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in points being deducted from a student’s final numerical average, up to a maximum of 15 points.
Disabilities:
I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class procedures. Please see me after class or during my office hours to discuss appropriate modifications. You should also contact Student Development Services in UC 113 (telephone 824-6203) for further assistance.
Consent to the use of Turnitin.com:
UAH is committed to the fundamental values of preserving academic honesty as defined in the Student Handbook (7.III.A, Code of Student Conduct). The instructor reserves the right to utilize electronic means to help prevent plagiarism. Students agree that by taking this course all assignments are subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. Assignments submitted to Turnitin.com will be included as source documents in Turnitin.com's restricted access database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism in such documents. The terms that apply to the University's use of the Turnitin.com service, as well as additional information about the company, are described at www.uah.edu/library/turnitin.
Homework: Homework assginments will be due on the date given with each assignment.
Course grades: Grades will be
assigned using the following scale:
100-90 A; 80-89 B; 70-79 C; 60-69 D; below 60 F
Misconduct will be handled according to the University Code of Conduct.
Complaints:
If you have difficulties or complaints related to this course, your first action usually should be to discuss them with me. If such a discussion would be uncomfortable for you or fails to resolve your difficulties, you should contact Professor James Baird, Chair of the Department of Chemistry. Professor Bairds's office is MSB 203C. His telephone number is 2416. If you still are unsatisfied, you should discuss the matter with the Dr. Daniel Rochowiak, Associate Dean of the College of Science. Dean Rochowiak’s office and telephone number are MSB C207 and 824-6605.
url: http://chemistry.uah.edu/shriver.htm
The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899
site updated: 16 August 2007 (jws)