BCHM 100A: INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY

SPRING 2016 SYLLABUS

Instructor:

Emily Westover, westover@brandeis; Kosow 108, ext. 6-2304

Open Office: M 1-2; W 11-12 or by email appointment

Assistants:

Patrick Finneran (pfinneran@brandeis); Camila Pazos (cpazos@brandeis); John Stiller

(jstiller@brandeis)

Meetings:

Lecture 10:00 10:50 am, MWH, Abelson 131

Recitation 6:30 7:50 pm, H, (A-H) Ros 118; (I-P) Lown 201; (R-Z) Lown 301

Textbook:

Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry by Nelson and Cox, 5th or 6th Ed.

Learning Objectives
Biochemistry illuminates the molecular details of living things. In your studies this semester, you will:
explain biological phenomena using chemical and biochemical terminology, facts and concepts;
evaluate the relationship between molecular structure and function;
describe and construct metabolic pathways with chemical detail; and
communicate biochemical concepts effectively.
You will show your achievement of these Learning Objectives through:
Class Reflections (10 per semester, 3 pts. per submission, 30 pts. max.)
o Each week, you will submit a reflection on the class material by 5:00 pm Sunday.
Instructions and links are available on Latte. Your 10 best scores will be recorded.
Recitation Exercise (10 pts. each, 5 best scores will be recorded)
o At the beginning of recitation, you will turn in 2 solutions to posted problems. You will
engage in a group activity and take a quiz based on material covered in the previous week.
My Biochemistry Project (20 pts.)
o You will choose a molecule to describe in biochemical detail in a short (~350 word) essay.
Details for the project assignment are posted on Latte.
3 Exams (100 pts. each)
o Exams will be given on Thursday, February 11, March 10 and April 14 during the
recitation period (6:30-7:50 pm) and will be comprehensive.
Final Exam (100 pts.)
o The final exam is comprehensive and scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at 9:15 a.m 12:15 p.m. *Do not make travel arrangements that interfere with this exam.*
Expectations

Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that you will spend a minimum of
12 hours per week engaged in activities related to this class (e.g., attending class and recitation,
reading, working on problem sets, writing reflections, and preparing for exams).
If you need a University-sanctioned accommodation, I ask that you contact me immediately.
I ask you to stay apprised of information given in class and via LATTE.
During class, I expect you to only use electronic devices to participate in class activities.
I expect you to completely follow the Universitys Academic Integrity policies.
For your final grade, I will only consider your 3 best exam scores and your 5 best recitation
scores. To be fair to all students, I do not offer make-up work or exams.
I hope you will learn biochemistry; to this end, all assessments will be comprehensive.
I will assign letter grades based on percentage of total points earned: A: >93%, A-: 93-90, B+: 8985, B: 84-80, B-: 79-75, C+: 74-70, C: 69-65, C-: 64-60, D+:59-55, D: 54-50, F: <50%.

Spring 2016 BCHM 100a Schedule (subject to change)

Date

Topic

1
2

W 1/13
H 1/14

Biochemistry is cool!
Wonderful world of water

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H

1/20
1/21
1/25
1/27
1/28
2/1
2/3
2/4
2/8
2/10
2/11

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

M
W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H

2/22
2/24
2/25
2/29
3/2
3/3
3/7
3/9
3/10
3/14
3/16
3/17
3/21
3/23
3/24

29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

W
H
M
W
H
M
W
H
M
W

3/30
3/31
4/4
4/6
4/7
4/11
4/13
4/14
4/18
4/20

39 M 5/2

Lehninger Sections

1.1-1.3
2.1-2.2
January 18 No Class
Buff Buffers
2.2-2.3
All about Amino Acids
3.1
Primarily Proteins
3.2-3.4
Proteins in the Secondary
4.1-4.2
1,2,3,4 Protein Structure, I want more
4.2, 3
Fold it
4.4
In a Bind
5.1
Great Globins
5.1
Can you cooperate
5.1
Breathe, just breathe
5.1
Review
Lectures 1 12
February 15-19 No Class
Enzym-atic
6.1
Energetic Enzymes
6.2
Block that Enzyme
6.3
Exemplary Enzymes
6.4
Sugars, Fats, and Nucleotides, oh my!
7.1, 9.1, 10.1
Crack the carbonyl
13.2, 13.4
Metabolism boost!
13.1
Whats in your metabolic toolbox (part 1)?
13.1
Review
Lectures 1 21
Whats in your metabolic toolbox (part 2)?
Various
Whats in your metabolic toolbox (part 3)?
Various
Chop that Sugar
14.1-14.3
PDH Complex
16.1
Cycle the citrate
16.1, 16.2
Cycle the citrate again
16.2
March 28 No Class
OxPhos is the Boss
19.1
Amazing ATPase
19.2
Break down the fat
18.1, 18.3
Pimp that PLP
18.1, 18.2
Break em amino acids down
18.2
Break em amino acids down (part 2)
18.2
Eureka Urea
Review
Lectures 1 - 35
Sugar shuffle
14.4
Make fat
21.1
April 21 29 No Class
R-E-G-U-L-A-T-E
15.1
FINAL: Thursday, May 12, 9:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m.

Recitation
No Recitation

Recitation 1
Recitation 2
Recitation 3
Exam #1

Recitation 4
Recitation 5
Exam #2
Topic Due, Recitation 6
No Recitation
Recitation 7
Recitation 8
Exam #3
Biochem Project Due