[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2004/2005

Biological Thermodynamics
CHEM 386 FA
Crosslistings:
MB&B 386

This course is addressed to undergraduate and graduate students interested in biological chemistry and structural biology. The course presents thermodynamic methods currently used to relate structure to function in biological molecules. Topics include: binding curves, chemical ligand linkages, binding polynomial, cooperativity, site-specific binding processes and allosteric effects. Several models for allosteric systems, such as the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model, the induced-fit model and the Pauling model are analyzed in detail. Applications of these models are illustrated for functional regulation of respiratory proteins and for protein-nucleic acid complexes involved in control of gene expression.

MAJOR READINGS

Wyman & Gill, BINDING AND LINKAGE: FUNCTIONAL CHEMISTRY OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES, University Science Books, 1990.
DeCera, THERMODYNAMIC THEORY OF SITE-SPECIFIC BINDING PROCESSES IN BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES, Cambridge University Press, 1995.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

One midterm exam; a final exam.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: NONE    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: (MATH121 AND MATH122 AND [MB&B381 or CHEM381 or MB&B581]) Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email

Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459