Learning objectives
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">The objective of the course is to provide the students with:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style=""><span style=""> </span>- the fundamental concepts of chemistry, including stoichiometry; a necessity to prepare laboratory media and for the comprehension of analytical techniques;</span><span lang=""EN-GB"" style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">- the basic knowledge of structure and function of the biological macromolecules.<span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
Course unit content
<p class=""MsoHeading8"" line-height:="" style=""><strong><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-style:="" style="">General and Inorganic Chemistry</span></strong><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-style:="" style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoHeading8"" line-height:="" style=""> </p>
<span lang=""EN-GB"" font-family:="" style="">Elements and compounds. Sub-atomic particles. Atomic number, mass number, isotopes. Atomic structure. Electronic configuration of the elements.</span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
Periodic table. Periodic trends in the chemical properties of the elements.</span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
Chemical bonding: ionic bond; covalent bond (pure, polar, dative). Intermolecular bonding.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" style=""><br />
Atomic and molecular weight, gram atom, gram molecule; related exercises and stoichiometric calculations.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
Inorganic chemical compounds: hydrurs, binary acids, oxides, anhydrides, peroxides, hydroxides, acids, neutral and acidic salts; formation reactions, reaction balancing, nomenclature.<o:p></o:p></span> <br />
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">Oxidation state and oxidation number; balancing ox-red reactions.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Chemical kinetics: rates of chemical reactions. The factors that affect chemical reaction rate: chemical nature of the reactants, concentration (order of a reaction), temperature and catalysts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">Chemical equilibrium: concept of dynamic equilibrium. The general expression of the equilibrium constant. Factors that affect the chemical equilibrium. Le Chatelier’s principle.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Chemical thermodynamics: concept of enthalpy, entropy, free energy.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Solutions. Concentrations units: percent fraction w/w and w/v, molarity, molality. Preparation of solutions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">Colligative properties of solutions: boiling point elevation, freezing point depression; osmosis, osmotic pressure and osmolarity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span lang=""PT-BR"" font-family:="" style="">Acids and bases. Acid-base equilibria. </span><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-family:="" style="">Water ionization. Concept of pH. Calculating the pH of acid and base (strong and weak) solutions. Buffer solutions: properties and pH calculation.<br />
</span>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><strong style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-family:="" line-height:="" style="">Organic Chemistry<o:p></o:p></span></strong></h1>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons: nomenclature, physical properties and characteristic reactions.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Alcohols: nomenclature, physical properties, characteristic reactions. Formation of ethers.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Aldehydes and ketones: nomenclature, physical properties, characteristic reactions. <o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Carboxylic acids: nomenclature, physical properties, characteristic reactions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" style="">Esters: nomenclature, formation reaction, basic hydrolysis. Amides, anhydrides, acid halides: structure and nomenclature.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Amines: structure and nomenclature, basicity, characteristic reactions.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><br />
</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Stereoisomerism and optical activity: basic concepts.</span></p>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""> </p>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><strong style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-family:="" line-height:="" style="">Propaedeutic Biochemistry<o:p></o:p></span></strong></h1>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Lipids: fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids; structure and properties.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Aminoacids and proteins: general structure and classification of the 20 aminoacids that occur in proteins. Acid-base behaviour of aminoacids; isoelectric point. Peptide bond. The different levels of protein structure: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Carbohydrates: structure and properties of the most important monosaccharides (glucose, fructose), disaccharides (maltose, lactose, saccarose) and polysaccharides. Chiral properties.<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style="">Nucleic acids: the sugar and the base components of nucleosides and nucleotides. Nucleosides and nucleotides. Structure and fundamental properties of RNA and DNA.<span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<p class=""MsoNormal"" line-height:="" text-indent:="" text-align:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" line-height:="" style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 line-height:="" style=""><span lang=""EN-GB"" font-family:="" line-height:="" style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></h1>
Bibliography
<p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">All the study materials and supporting web sites are provided by the teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
Teaching methods
<p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial;">Frontal lectures (aided by presentations and animations files) and practicals. Oral exam.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
