An introduction to the concepts of chemistry underlying important processes in biology and human health, including chemical bonding, energetics, kinetics, equilibria and solubility, properties of water and solutions, acids, bases, complexation and electron transfer, mechanisms of organic reactions and properties of amino acids and carbohydrates.
CHEM 191 aims to instill a fundamental knowledge of chemical structure and reactivity, with particular focus on concepts that provide an understanding of why chemical reactions proceed and how this understanding may be applied to the chemical processes in biological systems.
CHEM 191 provides an introduction to concepts influencing chemical reactions in biological systems including:
- Concepts of Chemical Bonding
- Thermodynamics/energetics of biological systems
- Properties of water
- Reaction rates and chemical equilibria
- Metals in biology – electron transfer, complexation
- Organic/carbon-based compounds – stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, functional groups, polymers
- Biological molecules – carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleic acids, nucleic acids, proteins/enzymes
Prereq: (CAS CH 204 or CAS CH 212 or CAS CH 214) or equivalent.
Introductory biochemistry. Protein structure and folding, enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and allostery; nucleic acid structure; macromolecular biosynthesis with emphasis on specificity and fidelity; lipids and membrane structure; vitamins and coenzymes; introduction to intermediary metabolism. Students must register for three sections: lecture, discussion, and laboratory.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 204 or CAS CH 212 or CAS CH 214) or equivalent.
Introductory biochemistry. Protein structure and folding, enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and allostery; nucleic acid structure; macromolecular biosynthesis with emphasis on specificity and fidelity; lipids and membrane structure; vitamins and coenzymes; introduction to intermediary metabolism.
Not acceptable for credit toward the chemistry major or minor. For students who do not require laboratory credit.
Prereq: two years of high school algebra.
For science majors and minors who require a two-semester general chemistry course. Topics include atoms and molecules; molecular connectivity, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry; stoichiometry and introduction to reactions in aqueous solutions; thermochemistry and the first law of thermodynamics; quantum aspects of light and matter; and bonding in diatomic and polyatomic molecules. Laboratory exercises include the size of an atom, qualitative analysis, thermochemistry, and quantum aspects of light and matter. Students must register for three sections: lecture, discussion, and laboratory.
Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 101).
For science majors and minors who require a two-semester general chemistry course. Topics include properties of gases; solutions and solubility; equilibrium; acids, bases, and buffers; electrochemistry; spontaneity, free energy and the second law of thermodynamics; and chemical kinetics.
Students must have completed CAS CH 101 prior to enrolling in CAS CH 102. Students must register for three sections: lecture, discussion, and laboratory. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Coreq: (CAS MA 123).
A one-semester, terminal general chemistry course for students who do not require a two-semester sequence. Lecture topics include stoichiometry; atomic and molecular structure; theories of bonding; chemistry of the solid, liquid, and gaseous states; properties of solutions; chemical thermodynamics; equilibrium; acids and bases; electrochemistry. Laboratory includes training in basic laboratory techniques such as data collection and recording, statistical interpretation of data, solution preparation, titrations, conducting chemical reactions, use of spectrophotometers, pH and voltmeters.
Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 102 or CAS CH 110 or CAS CH 112). CAS CH 203 and CH 204 meet premedical requirements for organic chemistry.
Fundamentals of contemporary organic chemistry, including skeletal and electronic structure, stereochemistry, and reactions of important functional groups. Applications of organic reactions to important synthetic targets in materials and drug discovery are highlighted, as are reactions pertinent to biochemistry. Laboratory includes training in basic organic chemistry skills, such as extraction, reaction performance, spectroscopy interpretation, and chromatography. Students must register for four sections: lecture, discussion, prelab, and laboratory.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 203).
Fundamentals of contemporary chemistry, including electronic structure, stereochemistry, and reactions of important functional groups, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and multistep synthesis. Laboratory includes extraction, reactions, spectroscopy, and chromatography. Students must register for four sections: lecture, discussion, prelab, and laboratory.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 204).
Laboratory methods in organic chemistry including multistep synthesis, organic qualitative analysis, and instrumental analysis. Students must register for two sections: lecture and laboratory. Meets with CAS CH 214 prelab and laboratory.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 102) or equivalent.
Fundamentals of contemporary organic chemistry, including skeletal and electronic structure, stereochemistry, and reactions of important functional groups. Applications of organic reactions to important synthetic targets in materials and drug discovery are highlighted, as are reactions pertinent to biochemistry.
Not acceptable for credit toward the chemistry major or minor. For students who do not require laboratory credit. Students must register for two sections: lecture and discussion.
Prereq: (CAS CH 203 or CAS CH 205).
Fundamentals of contemporary chemistry, including electronic structure, stereochemistry, and reactions of important functional groups, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and multistep synthesis.
Not acceptable for credit toward the chemistry major or minor. For students who do not require laboratory credit. Students must register for two sections: lecture and discussion.
Prereq: (CAS CH 203).
Fundamentals of contemporary chemistry, including electronic structure, stereochemistry, and reactions of important functional groups, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and multistep synthesis. Laboratory includes extraction, reactions, spectroscopy, and chromatography.
Students must register for four sections: lecture, discussion, prelab, and laboratory. Lecture and discussion sections meet with CAS CH 204 lecture and discussion sections. This course with the more advanced lab is suitable for chemistry or BMB concentrators.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS BI 105 or CAS BI 108 or CAS NE 102 or ENG BE 208) and (CAS CH 204 or CAS CH 214 or CAS CH 212 or CAS CH 174) or equivalent.
Introductory biochemistry focusing on structure/function with applications to medicine, nutrition, and biotechnology, including acid/base chemistry, protein structure, enzyme mechanisms, thermodynamics, and kinetics; nucleic acid structure/function, lipids and carbohydrates; bioenergetics of glycolysis and oxidative energy metabolism; lipid and nitrogen metabolism. Students must register for two sections: lecture and a discussion.
Introduction to chemistry: separation and purification of matter, atomic theory, structure of atoms, molecules and chemical bonding, chemical formulas, equations, stoichiometry; water, solutions, concentration, acids, bases, pH and buffers; gases; reaction kinetics and equilibrium, and radioactivity. Students must register for three sections: lecture, discussion, and laboratory.
Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Prereq: (CAS CH 102).
Principles of quantitative analysis and instrumental analysis. Introduction to error analysis, basic statistics, quantitative lab skills, basic statistics, acid-base chemistry, chromatography, and electronic spectroscopy (atomic and molecular UV, AAS). Lab exercises apply concepts in redox chemistry, acid/base reactions, transition metal chemistry, and other general chemistry topics. Students must register for two sections: lecture and laboratory.
There is an additional USD $200 lab fee for this course.
Pre-requisites: An introductory chemistry course and an introductory mathematics course such as algebra are recommended.
Throughout history, science and chemistry have shaped the evolution of the world. This course is designed according to the learning needs and interests of both science and non-science majors and traces the emergence of chemistry as a discipline, its evolution from past to present, and how it continues to influence and be influenced by politics, morality, and society. Course topics will examine the impact of chemistry on human history and include a deeper look at specific molecules of enormous importance such as cellulose giving rise to the XVIII century Industrial Revolution and other relevant case studies. Students will gain a working knowledge of the history and techniques used in the analysis and transformation of matter.
Introduction to chemical principles: numbers, measurements, chemical calculations, gas laws, solutions, acids, bases, and salts, molecular structure, and nomenclature. Collaborative learning and problem solving; introduction to chemistry laboratory practice.
Pre-requisites: High School Chemistry or equivalent background and High School Mathematics.
Introduction to physical and general chemistry principles; atomic structure based on quantum mechanics; atomic properties; trends in periodic table; chemical bonding (Lewis structures, VSEPR theory, hybridization, and molecular orbital theory); coordination compounds; properties of inorganic and organic acids, bases, buffers.
