Molecular
Biology 2 Description
(v1
as of 11/26/08)
Biology
110641, 2008-2009, 10th-12th grade BCA with Dr.
Don DeWitt in room 227
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Course
Overview:
This
course is an ELECTIVE course for any BCA student and may be taken
during
the sophomore through senior year. This course is usually taken as
three
consecutive trimester independent courses during the same year (Tri. 1:
Mol.
Bio. 1; Tri. 2: Mol. Bio. 2; and Tri.
3: Mol.
Bio. 3). Each course will be shown on the
student
transcript
as a separate course. Please visit the Molecular
Biology Experience webpage for more details.
Warning:
This is a very demanding course and should be taken by students who are
very serious about the following topics. The material presented
in
this course is explored at a level of sophistication equal to that
found
in college. It is advisable that all pre-pre-med / vet /
dental / pharmacy
students take this course to enable them to be comfortable with the
topics
when they are required to study them in college. In addition, any
student who is interested in cellular or molecular biology,
biochemistry
or genetic engineering should take this course.
Finding
Information about Mol. Bio. A massive website has been
developed
for the Molecular Biology Experience. Each trimester as you explore the
course, you will use the website extensively. At the top of the page is
the website URL for Mol. Bio. 2. However the Main Menu for the entire
series
of courses can be found at: http://users.bergen.org/dondew/bio/molbio/molbiology.html.
At
any Mol. Bio. website, you will find a symbol for the SiteMAP 
which if clicked will take you to a very useful index for all of the
Mol.
Bio. courses and any part within each course. Try it, use it, be
happy!
The
most valuable aspect of the Mol. Bio. Experience, according to AAST
alumni,
has been the comfort level that it gives a student when he or she
meets the material again. Instead of panicking, these students relate
that
the college course has been much easier to withstand. Many of
them
have become teachers for their clueless fellow students.
Pre-requisite:at
least concurrent enrollment in Biology (for AAST / AEDT students) or
satisfactory completion of a one year biology course (AMST / ABCT /
AVAGC/
ACA / APT.) The completion of at least one year of chemistry is
recommended.
Successful completion of Molecular Biology 1 is required.
On occasion,
a few advanced students from my current-year Anatomy and Physiology I
course are allowed to take the course as long as they understand how
soon the Protein PPAO is scheduled.
Molecular Bio 2 Specifics:
Through
the
course of study about protein function and lipids, each student
becomes acquainted with the chemistry and functions of an important
molecule of life . This material is found in the text
as
well as an electronic
textbook written
and
distributed by the instructor. Each student then uses these
information sources to answer take-home and in-class assessments.
An important part of this course are the research papers: 1) The
Awakenings Project, and 2) A
Most Awesome Lipid. Specific topics include: a review of
lipid chemistry and function, and cell membrane structure and function.
Objectives:
Upon
the successful completion of the study of Molecular Biology 2 during
trimester
2, the student will be able to:
Proteins
- describe
how amino acids are constructed and how their R-groups determine water
or lipid solubility.
- explain
how amino acids can exist as enantiomers.
- explain
how electrophoresis can be used to separate amino acids.
- explain
how dipeptides, oligopeptides and polypeptides and proteins are made
using
condensation reactions and how they are broken apart using hydrolysis
reactions.
- describe
the four levels of polypeptide organization including: 1) primary, 2)
secondary,
3) tertiary and 4) quaternary.
- describe
how protein structure determines function.
- describe
the functions of proteins including: 1) buffering, 2) defense, 3)
enzymes,
4) food, 5) hormones, 6) membrane components, 7) movement, 8)
protection,
9) transportation, 10) storage and 11) body structure.
- describe
the functions of special amino acids and small polypeptides
including:
- describe
how amino acids can be used to make neurotransmitters (Awakenings
Project)
- growth
factors,
- hemoglobin,
and
- hormones.
Lipids
- describe
the structure of fatty acids including length, and saturation.
- describe
the general chemistry of glycerol and its uses in industrial chemistry
as well as its use in the synthesis of neutral fats and phospholipids.
- describe
how fatty acids and glycerol are joined to form a: 1) monoacylglycerol
(monoglyceride), 2) diacylglycerol (diglyceride), and a 3)
triacylglycerol
(triglyceride).
- describe
how phospholipids are created from a: 1) diacylglycerol, 2) a phosphate
group and 3) a base such as choline or ethanolamine.
- describe
how carotenoids such as beta-carotene and vitamin A are built from
isoprene
units.
- describe
and compare the structures of the steroids such as: 1) cholesterol, 2)
bile salts, 3) cortisol, 4) estrogen and 5) testosterone.
- describe
how the structure of different lipids affects their function in terms
of
placement in membranes and water solubility.
- describe
the structure of waxes.
- explain
how temperature affects the liquid / solid state of neutral fats.
- describe
the function of each of the major classes of lipids including: 1)
neutral
fats, 2) phospholipids, 3) carotenoids, 4) waxes and 5) steroids.
- explain
how the structure of phospholipids allows them to form lipid bilayers
separating
two water filled environments.
- describe
how cell membranes are constructed including: 1) lipid bilayers, 2)
integral
and peripheral proteins, 3) cholesterol, 4) glycolipids, and 5)
glycoproteins.
- explain
how a membrane spanning protein with a water-filled passage can be
constructed
including reference to the placement of hydrophobic (lipophilic) and
hydrophilic
(lipophobic) R-groups on the amino acids making up the protein.
- explain
how the outer and inner faces of a lipid bilayer can be constructed of
different: 1) proteins, 2) phospholipids, 3) cholesterol, 4)
glycoproteins,
and 5) glycolipids.
- explain
the functions of the components of cell membranes.
Assignments:
During
the study of protein, nucleic acid and lipid biochemistry and
fermentation, students will
be given the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of concepts
by:
- writing three 10-page
research papers
- completing
two in-class exams (PPAOs*) on
*
What is a PPAO? Personal Performance Assessment Opportunity :-)
The
percentage value of each assignment and its due date may be determined
by clicking on: Assignment Values
&
Due Dates. Formatting Rules are
available also.
Additional
Information:
Attendance:
Please
refer to the Attendance
Policy for Mol. Bio.
Paper Textbook:
We
are using BIOLOGY, 6th
ed. by Campbell and Reece, 2002. This
book
is an older edition of a standard freshman biology college textbook. We
only use a few chapters in the book. Most of the resources for
assessments comes from in class notes known as "panels".
Internet
resources: Are located on their
on webpage at: Internet
Mol. Bio. 2
Contact
me at: dondew at bergen.org
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