CHEM 1490 - MOLECULAR DRIVING FORCES

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Long Description This course introduces the foundational principles of physical chemistry as they apply to complex biological systems. Students will explore how core concepts from thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, kinetics, and intermolecular forces govern the behavior of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. The course will bridge macroscopic observations with microscopic molecular driving forces, providing a quantitative framework for understanding and predicting biological phenomena. Topics will include the role of entropy in determining equilibrium, the thermodynamics of biomolecular interactions, the kinetics of enzyme catalysis, and the molecular basis of self-assembly and recognition. Through a combination of theoretical principles and case studies in chemical biology, students will develop the analytical skills necessary to address contemporary research questions at the chemistry-biology interface.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis
Course Requirements: PREQ: (CHEM 0310 or 0730) and (PHYS 0110 or 0175 or 0476) and (MATH 0230 or 0235); CREQ: CHEM 1810 or CHEM 1880 or BIOSC 1810 or BIOSC 1000

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