This module introduces students to carbohydrates, amino acids, and proteins and their role in living organisms. 

An insight to these fundamental molecules of life and their roles will be discussed in the context of their physical properties, shape, and reactivity. 

This module builds on the general principles of organic chemistry that are used to identify patterns of reactivity and how this influences the roles of these molecules.

• Draw the different representations of carbohydrates to identify stereochemical elements and predict reaction outcomes. 

• Draw the structures of proteinogenic amino acids, di-, and polypeptides at varying pH. 

• Explain the interactions between amino acids in relation to the different protein structure levels. 

• Relate structure and reactivity of compounds to their role in the chemistry of life. 

• Predict curly-arrow mechanisms for biological transformations by applying fundamental principles of organic chemistry. 

• Solve equations relating to changes in Gibbs free energy. 

• Use electronic resources such as ChemDraw and databases to generate alternative identifiers for the molecules of life.  

17 x 1-hour lectures will deliver the core course content, addressing all the learning outcomes.

2 x 1 hour formative workshops, 2 small group tutorials will enhance knowledge of key learning outcomes through problem solving. 

Academic skills: 

• You will take part in tutorials during which discussions on the topics raised will enable you to demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and offer potential solutions, allowing you to develop your critical thinking and verbal communication skills. 

• You will develop skills in critical judgment in evaluating electronic and printed resources around the module topic. 

Chemistry Specific Skills: 

• You will develop the skills to rationalise the reaction mechanisms of the fundamental molecules of life using the curly arrow formalism of organic chemistry. 

• You will be able to propose biochemically relevant reactivity of previously unseen molecules using the principles of organic chemistry. 

• You will be able to predict when a cofactor will be required for a biochemical transformation. 

• You will be trained to in using electronic resources relevant to field of organic chemistry. 

Employability skills:    

This module is delivered and aligns with the following University Graduate Attributes:    

• Contribute to discussions, negotiate, and present with impact.  

• Consider own personal and professional ethical, social, and environmental responsibilities.  

• Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, reliability, and competence.  

• Be mindful of the Climate Emergency and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals  

• Identify, define, and analyse complex issues and ideas, exercising critical judgment in evaluating sources of information.  

• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and engage in the pursuit of new knowledge and understanding. 

• Investigate problems and offer effective solutions, reflecting on and learning from successes and failures.  

• Generate original ideas and apply creative, imaginative, and innovative thinking in response to identified needs and problems.  

• Actively reflect on own studies achievements and self-identity  

• Demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and creativity in dealing with challenges, and be open to change.  

• Identify and articulate own skills, knowledge and understanding confidently and in a variety of contexts.  

• Engage with new ideas, opportunities, and technologies, building knowledge and experience to make informed decisions about own future. 

Graduate Attributes – Assessment:    

Workshop                   20% 

• Identify, define, and analyse complex issues and ideas, exercising critical judgment in evaluating sources of information. 

Exam                          80% 

• Identify, define, and analyse complex issues and ideas, exercising critical judgment in evaluating sources of information. 

Sustainable Development Goals:      

This module does not align with any of the Sustainable Development Goals, but its topics do underpin all. 

Formative assessment: The first two workshops will be assessed formatively, and feedback provided either orally or in written form. This will give students an opportunity to consolidate the factual module content and to practice applying this to solving problems 

Summative assessment: An examination (80%) will assess the learning outcomes through solving of mechanistic and structural chemical problems and calculations. The relevance of these results should be used to explain biological processes and methods of chemical analysis. Information searching and retrieval skills in the context of the learning outcomes will be assessed through a workshop exercise (20%).

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:

All resit assessments will be held in the Resit Examination period, prior to the start of the following academic session. 

Carbohydrates 

Structure of aldose and ketose sugars. Pyranose and furanose forms of sugars, alpha and beta anomers and the anomeric effect. Representation of carbohydrates as Fischer, Haworth, “zig-zag” and Mills projections. Structure of glycosides and their chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, tests for reducing sugars. 

Structural and signalling roles played by carbohydrates in biology. 

Glycolysis 

Gibbs Free Energy changes and roles of ATP in driving biochemical reactions in context of glycolysis. Role of NAD+/NADH and other cofactors in redox reactions. Reactivity of thioesters and key reactions such as hydrolysis. 

Stages of glycolysis and the mechanisms of the key biological transformations. 

Citric Acid Cycle 

Synthesis of acetyl-CoA by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and the role of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). 

Intermediates in the citric acid cycle and the mechanisms of the chemical transformations. Outline of the electron-transport chain and ATP synthesis. 

Amino Acids 

Structure and stereochemistry of alpha amino acids and the side chains of the proteinogenic amino acids. 

Side chain functional groups, polarity, pKa and charge at pH 7. 

Ability of side chains to engage interactions (hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonding). 

Proteins and Peptides 

Condensation of amino acids to dipeptides, polypeptides, and proteins, and (briefly) the biological significance of these molecules and polypeptide analysis. 

Role of thiamine pyrophosphate and pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) in amino acid biosynthesis.

Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 8th edition, David L. Nelson and Michael M. Cox, W. H. Freeman, ISBN-13: 978-1-31-922800-2 

Organic Chemistry, 2nd Ed, J Clayden, N Greeves, S Warren, Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0199270293 

Biochemistry, 9th Edition, Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Lubert Stryer, W. H. Freeman, ISBN-13: 978-1-31-911465-7  

The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways, 2nd Ed, J. E. McMurry, T. P. Begley, MacMillan, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-1-936221-56-1