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Undergraduate Catalog

2012 - 2013

BS in Biochemistry (75.0 hours*)

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Students preparing for health-related fields (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine) or those who desire an advanced degree (MS, PhD) in biochemistry, biology, or the health sciences receive excellent preparation from this degree program.

Program Requirements    |    View MAP

  1. No more than three hours of D credit is allowed in major courses.

  2. The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department requires the final 10 hours of required chemistry credit must be taken in residence at BYU for this degree program. These hours may also go toward BYU's 30-hour residency requirement for graduation.

  3. Complete the following:
      †CHEM 111 Honors Principles of Chemistry.
      †CHEM 111 : Principles of Chemistry. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: Honors also.
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: MATH 110
      RECOMMENDED: High school chemistry, physics, and introductory calculus or concurrent enrollment in Math 112.
      DESCRIPTION: Stoichiometry, kinetic-molecular theory, thermodynamics, states of matter, solutions and equilibria, electrochemistry, structure and bonding, chemical reactions, kinetics.
      NOTE: Tutorial included.

                : Honors Principles of Chemistry.

      Course Outcomes


      †CHEM 112 : Principles of Chemistry. (3:3:2)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      †CHEM 112 : Principles of Chemistry. (3:3:2)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: Chem 111 or equivalent.
      DESCRIPTION: Continuation of Chem 111.
      NOTE: Tutorial included.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 113 : Introductory General Chemistry Laboratory. (2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 113 : Introductory General Chemistry Laboratory. (2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: Chem 112 or concurrent enrollment (preferred).
      DESCRIPTION: Principles and techniques of chemical measurements. Concepts introduced in general chemistry lecture courses reinforced.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 201 : Chemical Handling and Safe Laboratory Practices. (.5:1:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 201 : Chemical Handling and Safe Laboratory Practices. (.5:1:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall Blk 1; Winter Blk 1; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 107; or CHEM 113
      DESCRIPTION: Safe handling of chemicals and safe practices in chemistry laboratories.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 227 : Principles of Chemical Analysis. (4:2:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 227 : Principles of Chemical Analysis. (4:2:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 113
      DESCRIPTION: Principles of quantitative analysis, introductory instrumental methods, and computer applications to chemical analysis.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 351M : Organic Chemistry - Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 351M : Organic Chemistry - Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 105; or CHEM 111
      DESCRIPTION: Chemical bonds and molecular structure, conformation and configuration, functional classes, reactions and mechanisms, syntheses.
      NOTE: For majors in chemistry and biochemistry.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 352M : Organic Chemistry--Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 352M : Organic Chemistry--Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 351M; or CHEM 351
      DESCRIPTION: Continuation of Chem 351M.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 354 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory--Majors. (2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 354 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory--Majors. (2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: Chem 352 or Chem 352M or concurrent enrollment (preferred).
      DESCRIPTION: Physical and chemical properties, manipulative skills, isolation and purification, characterization and identification, syntheses.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 391 : Technical Writing Using Chemical Literature. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 391 : Technical Writing Using Chemical Literature. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 227 & CHEM 352; or CHEM 227 & CHEM 352M
      DESCRIPTION: Intensive technical writing course based on chemical literature sources.
      NOTE: Fulfills GE Advanced Writing requirement.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 468 : Biophysical Chemistry. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 468 : Biophysical Chemistry. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 481 & MATH 113 & PHSCS 123; or CHEM 481M & MATH 113 & PHSCS 123
      DESCRIPTION: Applications of physical chemistry to biological systems. Spectroscopic applications, computational methods, structural biochemistry, thermodynamics, equilibria, statistical mechanics, transport properties, kinetics, quantum mechanics.
      NOTE: For biochemistry (BS) majors and those interested in the health professions or biochemistry.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 481M : Biochemistry--Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 481M : Biochemistry--Majors. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 352M & PDBIO 120; or CHEM 352 & PDBIO 120
      DESCRIPTION: First-semester biochemistry. Molecular components of cells, chemical structure and function, enzymes, metabolic transformations, photosynthesis.
      NOTE: For chemistry and biochemistry majors only.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 482 : Mechanisms of Molecular Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 482 : Mechanisms of Molecular Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 481M; or CHEM 481
      DESCRIPTION: Second-semester biochemistry. Nucleic acid biochemistry and molecular biology: nucleotide metabolism, chromosome and chromatin structure, DNA structure and replication, RNA transcription and gene expression, protein synthesis and regulation, eukaryotic gene systems, signal transduction.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 489 : Structural Biochemistry. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 489 : Structural Biochemistry. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 468
      DESCRIPTION: Molecular structures of proteins, RNA and DNA as determinants of biological function. Topics include thermodynamics of folding and binding, structural determination, spectroscopy, modeling, protein recognition.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 495 : Senior Seminar. (1:1:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      DESCRIPTION: Research topics presented by faculty and visiting scientists. Completion of undergraduate portfolio.
      NOTE: Required of all seniors in all chemistry and biochemistry degree programs the last semester in residence.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 584 : Biochemistry Laboratory/Proteins. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 584 : Biochemistry Laboratory/Proteins. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 481M; or CHEM 481; or equivalent.
      DESCRIPTION: Introduction to current biochemical research procedures including spectrophotometry, chromatography, electrophoresis, and immunological techniques. Protein over-expression; isolation and characterization methods. Enzyme kinetics and protein-ligand interactions. Introduction to bioinformatics.
      NOTE: May be taken before or after Chem 586.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 586 : Biochemistry Laboratory/Nucleic Acids. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      CHEM 586 : Biochemistry Laboratory/Nucleic Acids. (3:1:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 482
      DESCRIPTION: Laboratory course covering major techniques involved in isolation, amplification, and cloning of recombinant DNA as well as isolation, synthesis, translation, and identification of RNA.
      NOTE: May be taken before or after Chem 584.

      Course Outcomes


      CHEM 594R : General Seminar. (.5:1:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      DESCRIPTION: Research topics presented by faculty and visiting scientists.
      NOTE: Required one semester in residence of all senior BS majors in chemistry and biochemistry.

      Course Outcomes



      †Note: With department approval Chem 105 may substitute for Chem 111; and Chem 106 for Chem 112.

  4. Complete the following:

  5. After consulting with an advisor, complete five credit hours from the following:

Recommended Course

Note: Supporting courses suggested by most medical and dental schools are found by visiting the Preprofessional Advisement office. The more rigorous chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses required for the biochemistry majors will satisfy the minimum requirements listed there. Elective courses in biochemistry and in biological science are especially pertinent to these preprofessional programs.

*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.



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