For students with little or no background in chemistry. The first half of this one semester course includes an introduction to general principles of chemistry including measurements, atomic structure, chemical bonding, naming compounds, states of matter, solutions, and chemical reactions with applications in health care. The second half of the course covers aspects of organic and biological chemistry that directly affect health care. They include sections on hydrocarbons, organic functional groups, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, and metabolic pathways that provide energy for life.
Concurrent enrollment in CHM 138L is required.
Prerequisites
Reading proficiency as established by District Policy.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Describe matter, its properties, and the changes it undergoes.
- Perform calculations involving measurement.
- Develop an understanding of atoms and molecules.
- Use the Periodic Law to describe the structure of the atom.
- Develop an understanding of forces between particles.
- Evaluate the states of matter.
- Describe the properties of solutions and colloids.
- Solve problems involving reaction rates and equilibrium.
- Investigate the concept of acids and bases as applied to the medical community.
- Describe the characteristics of radioactivity and how it is applied in nuclear medicine.
- Describe the characteristics of organic compounds.
- Describe the important characteristics of glucose and other carbohydrates.
- Describe the characteristics of lipids and their biological importance.
- Describe the characteristics of proteins and explain their importance to the structure of the cell.
- Describe the general characteristics of enzymes and their importance to body chemistry.
- Explain the composition, structure, and function of DNA and other molecules involved in the use and expression of genetic information.
- Outline the metabolic reactions of the body.
- Explain the basic concepts of blood chemistry.