Office Hours: Sims312A - TR 4:00-5:15 [email
for an appointment if these times are not convenient]
Required Course Texts:
Course Objectives:
Course Outline: This is the second half of General Chemistry, an
introductory chemistry course for science and engineering majors. This
course focuses on learning chemistry by examining molecular medicine. Fundamental
General Chemistry principles such as molecular structure, solubility, noncovalent interactions, thermodynamics, equilibria, kinetics, and electrochemistry represent the
primary reasons for how and why drugs work. Students leave this course
with both with a better understanding of relevant chemistry principles
and fundamental insights into the scientific basis of modern
medicines. This knowledge is useful for future science courses, is very
helpful in better understanding human health at the molecular level, and is
extremely important in being able to make informed decisions as scientifically
literate citizens in a society increasingly engaged with molecular medicine.
Perhaps most importantly, molecules that
enter our bodies are of tremendous human interest, whether these substances be
medications, nutrients, toxins, or substances of abuse. Learning science by
understanding how these molecules interact with and affect us can be a very
rewarding and enriching experience. Such knowledge and insight can also
lead to discoveries that help to improve the quality and length of human life.
The
thematic approach being used in the course is organized in the following
manner:
·
The
first half of the course examines the various types of molecular drug targets
in the human body and provides a molecular framework for how our body
works. The first half also introduces several important quantitative
relationships that underlie much of chemistry and biochemistry.
·
The
second half of the semester examines a number of specific topics of interest in
medicinal chemistry to include anti-inflammatory therapeutics, steroids, cancer
treatments, nerve synapse drug targets, neural signaling, psychoactive drugs,
and opioid analgesics.
Schedule: Lectures are scheduled TR at the appointed hour and
location. The course syllabus provides the specific schedule as the semester
progresses. All course information is posted on the chemistry
department's web page (chem.winthrop.edu).
Class Preparation: This is both a very interesting and a very
challenging course. Once a principle is covered during a lesson, students
will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of that concept throughout the
remainder of the semester. Lecture discussions will assume that students
understand material from previous lessons. Graded problems throughout the
course often cannot be answered without being able to successfully apply
previously discussed principles. It is very important for students to
continuously review course material. Athletes practice every day, often
for years, to master specific skills. Successful students (and faculty)
have learned to continuously reexamine those topics and principles that are not
completely clear to them. Students are also encouraged to study in groups;
teaching peers is perhaps the most effective way to learn chemistry.
Students
are responsible for all assigned study material and for all material discussed
in lecture. A great deal of important information will be provided during
lecture; take excellent notes!! Lectures are not designed to
reiterate assigned readings but to focus on conveying important information
from various sources to understand the General Chemistry concepts that
represent the molecular basis of modern medicine. You are expected to spend
whatever time it requires to develop and to demonstrate an understanding of
these subjects and lecture materials. You must complete each reading and
problem assignments prior to class. For each class I
recommend that you do the following:
Graded Exercises
Grades:
Percentages will be calculated based upon total earned points divided by total
points tested. There will be no makeups for graded
exercises. You must score better than 50%
on the final exam to pass the course. You must score an A on the final
exam to earn an A in the course. The
following grade range will be used: A = 93-100%; A- = 88-92%; B+ = 85-87%; B =
80-84%; B- = 76-79%; C+ = 72-75%; C = 66-71%; D = 56-65%; F = <56%
Attendance: You are expected to attend all class meetings for the
full scheduled time. A student who is absent for any reason is
responsible for obtaining the assignments from the instructor or a classmate. Roll
will be taken occasionally and the attendance practices of students will be
taken into account when final grades are assigned. Absence from a test or quiz
without a written doctor's excuse or similar external agency valid
documentation is inexcusable. An unexcused student absence will result in
a zero for the missed grade AND a deduction of 20-100 points (determined by the
weight of the missed test) from the student's previously earned points in the
course. For excused absences, missed exercises will not be included in
neither the earned nor total points when calculating overall course grades.