A consideration of the contribution of thermodynamics to the understanding of the 'driving forces' for physical chemical changes and the nature of the equilibrium state. Topics will include statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, and kinetics.

An examination of the major ideas of biochemistry from the point of view of the chemical sciences rather than the life sciences. The focus will be on structure and reactivity of important biomolecules and the role of energetics and reaction dynamics in biochemical processes. Major metabolic pathways are covered, including those of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.

This course uses a Problem-Based Learning approach to look at the effect of poisons at the molecular, cellular, and physiological levels from the chemistry and biochemistry perspective.

The implications of molecular symmetry as expressed in the language of group theory are explored in some depth. Group theory provides the context for a discussion of the structural and spectroscopic properties of inorganic compounds, particularly those of the transition metals. Topics include molecular orbital theory, vibrational spectroscopy, and electronic spectroscopy.

This course offers a broad introduction to the problems and solutions in the field of environmental and public health. Students will read about and discuss issues that occur in both industrialized and developing countries. Topics include the biological, physical, and chemical agents of environmental contamination; methods used in epidemiology and toxicology to evaluate environmental hazards; policies currently in place to reduce health risks and protect populations from exposure; and emerging global environmental health problems.