Course: Organic Chemistry for Biologists

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Course title Organic Chemistry for Biologists
Course code UCH/032
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Lesson + Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study 1
Frequency of the course In each academic year, in the winter semester.
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 8
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Kahounová Ludmila, Mgr.
  • Kutý Michal, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Content of lectures: 1. Introduction. Isotopes of carbon, elecron configuration of carbon, hybridization of AO, chemical bond, systematic classification of organic compounds. Isomerism: conformation, constitution(positional,chain,group and tautomeric) and configuration (optical and geometrical E/Z or cis/trans). 2. Instrumental methods in analysis of organic compounds. List of common methods: Mass Spectrometry, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance etc. Structure, izomerism, nomenclature, properties and chemical reactivity of following compounds: 3. Alkanes and cycloalkanes. 4.Alkenes. Dienes, conjugated diens,polymers, terpens. 4.Alkynes. Aromatic compouns. 5. Hydrocarbon Derivatives: Alkyl Halides. 6.Hydroxyl derivatives: Alcohols and Phenols. 7. Ethers and Epoxides. 8. Esters of mineral acids. Sulfur analogs of alcohols & Ethers: Thiols & Thiphenols, Sulfides, sulphonic and sulfinic acids. 9. Nitrogen compounds:Amines, Aryl diazonium salts, azo-, hydrazo- and nitro compounds, Nitriles and Isonitriles. 10. Phosphines - Phosphorus Analogs of Amines. Organometallic compounds. 11. Carbonyl compounds: Aldehydes & Ketones, mono- and disaccharides, polysaccharides. 12. Carboxylic Acids: Functional derivatives-salts,esters,halogenides,amides,anhydrides. Substitution derivatives: halogen-,hydroxy- and aminoacids. 13. Heterocycles: five-membered rings with one heteroatom and their condensed derivatives, five-membered rings with two and more heteroatoms. Six-membered rings with one heteroatom and more heteroatoms. Condensed heterocycles with two and more heteroatoms (purins, pterins, etc.). Content of seminar: Practicing of chemical nomenclature, structure, reactivity, verbal and numerical excercises, repetition of lectured topics. An overview of practical tasks performed in the laboratory: č. 1: Extraction of leaf dyes č. 2: The synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid č. 3: The synthesis of dibenzal-aceton č. 4: Extraction of essential oils by steam distillation

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Projection, Laboratory
  • Preparation for classes - 13 hours per semester
  • Preparation for credit - 13 hours per semester
  • Preparation for exam - 26 hours per semester
  • Class attendance - 52 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The main objectives of a lecture is expansion and deepening of organic chemistry knowledge, which comprises biology and chemistry. Students will get basic knowledge on a structure, properties and nomenclature of organic compounds and thus students will became familiar with significant experimental methods in a research of chemical compounds. The acquired knowledge can be used by students in their future careers in teaching chemistry or research.
This course is designed to introduce modern general and organic chemistry which is necessary background needed to succeed in follow-up chemistry-based courses
Prerequisites
ompletion of a general chemistry course either in secondary school or through some extracurricular program.

Assessment methods and criteria
Written examination, Interview, Development of laboratory protocols, Interim evaluation

The requirement for successful completion of the course is the active participation of students in seminars and lab excercises. Before the final exam students will pass credit test and elaborate report from all lab excercises.
Recommended literature
  • Hesse M. a kol. Spectroscopic Methods in Organic Chemistry. Thieme, 2007. ISBN 9783131060426.
  • McMurry J. Organická chemie. Akademické nakladatelství, VUTIUM, 2015. ISBN 9788021447691.
  • Pacák J. Jak porozumět organické chemii. Karolinum, 2007. ISBN 8024613543.
  • Svoboda J, kol. Organická chemie 1. Vydavatelství VŠCHT, 2007. ISBN 9788070805619.
  • Waisser K., Novotná E. Názvosloví organických sloučenin. Karolinum, 2016. ISBN 9788024634180.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester