Biochemistry 451 (Fall
2007)
Welcome: Perhaps
you’ve heard…This class features mind-altering, cerebral-bending exams but is
also THE reason to be chemistry major!
Welcome aboard!
Instructor: Gregory Miller
Office and Hours: SC 262, MWF
Phone:
541-552-6408
E-mail: millergr@sou.edu
Lecture
Times:
Text: R.H. Garrett and C.M. Grisham. Biochemistry.
Third Edition.
Grade Determination:
Grades
will be based on the total number of points accumulated during the course of
each term and will closely adhere to 100%-90%, A; 89%-80%, B+/B/B-; 79%-67.5%,
C+/C/C-; and 67.5%-55%, D+/D/D-.
There will be a total of 445 points to be earned this term. There will be two 100-point in-class
examinations and a 150-point comprehensive final exam. There will also be a take home test worth 75
points due the final day of class, Friday, November 30. Finally, there will be 2 pseudo-announced
10-point quizzes given during the course of the term. These quizzes will be given during the final
10-15 minutes of class and will be “team”-based. A “team” will be randomly assigned the day of
the quiz and will consist of 4-5 students.
The “team” quiz is designed to accomplish certain goals: 1) promote
attendance, 2) promote keeping up with the material (this class gets real hard
to cram for during the winter and spring terms), 3) promote discussion of the
lecture material among classmates, and 4) give students access to the methods
used by peers when “solving” complex, application-based problems. It is possible (or even likely) that one team
member will “carry” the team to the correct answer on a given quiz. It is also likely that team members will have
conflicting ideas about the answer. At
such a point, discuss the possible ideas with the other team members and decide
together on a solution to the problem.
The possibility exists that a student could be “talked out” of the
correct answer by his or her team; however, keep in mind that the quizzes have
minimal impact on the overall course grade AND very few situations in real-life
are ever solved without the consultation of peers and/or colleagues. Missed quizzes will not count against a
student only if you have informed me prior to the quiz date of your
inability to attend a specific class. Q:
What do make-up quizzes and the tooth fairy have in common? A: Neither of these things exist.
Each
exam is typically written out of a total ~105-108 points and then graded out of
100, allowing for a maximum lecture score of greater than 100%. The exams will be returned for you to review
following scoring but are the property of the instructor and must be re
turned in at the end of the day to receive credit. I will remind you
and check before leaving class (so not to worry). You can appreciate that
good biochemistry exam questions (both fun and challenging) are hard to write!
Students auditing or sitting in on the class will not be allowed to test if the
class must be taken for credit in the future.
Missed Test
Policy:
In
the event an in-class exam is going to be missed, please make every effort to
see me prior to the test date. Make-up
exams will be given but the test is not the one given in class
although it addresses the exact same material. Given the
choice, I believe you would prefer to take the test given in class.
Tentative Class
Schedule:
Week
of:
Sept. 24. Chap 1 (C1), begin C2 1: Introduction, 2: Water
Oct. 1. finish C2,
begin C3 3:
Thermodynamics
Oct 8. finish C3,
begin C4 4: Amino Acids
Oct 15. finish C4, begin C5 5:
Primary Protein Structure
Oct 22. finish C5, begin C6 6:
Secondary, Tertiary Structures
Oct 29. finish C6, begin C7 7:
Carbohydrates
Nov 5. finish C7,
begin C8 8: Lipids
Nov 12. C8 and C9 9: Membrane Transport
Nov 19. C10-12 10-12:
Nucleic Acids
Nov 26. C10-12 we will be behind
Exam
and Final Schedules:
Exam 1: Friday, October 19, in
class
Exam
2: Monday, November 16,
in
class
Final
Exam: Friday, December 7,
10:00 am -12:00 pm
Recommended
Homework Problems:
These are recommended problems to help further understanding. They will
not be graded or collected in any way. Please come by my
office to discuss these or any problem(s) in the text.
Chap 1: 3, 8, 10, 11 Chap
7: 2, 9, 11, 13
Chap
2: 2, 4, 5, 6, 12 Chap 8: none
Chap
3: 2, 4, 9, 12 Chap
9: 2, 9, 11
Chap
4: 2, 4, 5, 8 Chap
10: 2, 4, 5, 13,14
Chap 5: 1, any of 2-9 Chap 11: 1,
2, 10, 11
Chap
6: 2, 7, 10 Chap
12: 4,
5, 8, 11, 13
Attendance
Policy:
Class
attendance is not required, but is very strongly encouraged. Attendance
at review sessions is obviously not required but is also highly encouraged to
the extent you can be there. Exam
questions are always based on lecture material. I cannot guarantee that
the class schedule will not change during the course of the term, that homework
questions will not be added or deleted from the above list, or that test dates
will not have to be moved to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. Being
in class gives everyone an early "heads up" if changes need to occur.
Classroom
Ethics:
In
all subjects, academic honesty is mandatory. Guidelines to SOU student
conduct regarding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can be
found on the web at http://www.sou.edu/studentrights/
SOU
Disability Services:
If
you are in need of academic support because of a documented disability (whether
it be psychiatric, learning, mobility, health related, or sensory) you may be
eligible for academic accommodations through disability services for
students. Contact Sarah Ann Hones, Director, DSS, at 552-6213, or
schedule an appointment in person at the