CHE 203 is a survey of organic chemistry and biochemistry designed for students planning to major in the health sciences. The course will present an overview of how biological systems work at the molecular level. To understand these systems, students are required to have taken CHE 125 Introductory Chemistry, or an equivalent course. Students will begin their their study by focusing on the chemistry of carbon. Carbon can combine with itself and other non-metals to produce more types of molecules than all the other elements on the periodic table combined. These carbon-based compounds are called organic compounds because many were derived from compounds that were made by living organisms. Students will spend time surveying major types, structures and properties of organic compounds, and then they will focus on organic compounds found in living systems, or biochemistry. During their study they will look at the chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, vitamins, metabolism and nutrition. It is important to remember that a student majoring in chemistry or biochemistry will take at least 4 chemistry courses before beginning an in-depth biochemistry course. Students are going to tackle the topic of biochemistry with their introductory chemistry knowledge.
Learning chemistry is similar in some ways to learning to play the piano or to speak a new language. It requires a lot of practice to become familiar with the vocabulary, the pace of the work, and the new ways of thinking in this new environment. Students will have ample opportunity to practice in this course, and will be expected to provide evidence of their work each week. This steady work toward meeting the goals of the course will help their chances at success in the course, but they must make the commitment to do the work to learn.
UW Colleges Catalog Course Description for CHE 203: Survey of Biochemistry - 3 credits. An elementary course in the chemical makeup and metabolic processes of living organisms, for non-science majors. Together CHE 125 and CHE 203 constitute a year course with emphasis on organic and biological chemistry for non-science majors. This course fulfills the UWC requirement for Natural Sciences [NS]. If combined with CHE 211, this course will also fulfill the UWC requirement for Laboratory Sciences [LS].
Prerequisites: A grade of C- or better in CHE 125, or a grade of C- or better in CHE 145 with consent of the instructor, or consent of the instructor.
For this journey, the student will focus on the following goals:
Successful completion of this course will enhance the student's ability to:
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Gail Vojta