05873 - Chemistry and Biochemistry Propaedeutics

Academic Year 2010/2011

  • Docente: Paola Taddei
  • Credits: 2
  • SSD: BIO/10
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Orthoptics and Assistance in Ophthalmology (for certified professional orthoptists and assistants in ophthalmology) (cod. 0163)

Learning outcomes


Course contents

The chemical bond: strong (covalent, ionic and covalent-ionic) and weak bonds. Elemental substances and inorganic compounds.

Solutions: definitions. Electrolytic and non-electrolytic solutions. Measures of concentration. Colligative properties. The elevation of boiling point. The depression of freezing point. Osmosis and osmotic pressure. Biological implications.

Chemical reactions and equations. Lavoisier's law.  Classification of chemical reactions. Oxidation number. Redox reactions.

Chemical kinetics: collisions and activated-complex. Reaction energy profiles and reaction rate.

Chemical equilibrium: definition. Law of mass action and equilibrium constant. Parameters influencing the equilibrium position. Le Chatelier's Principle.

Acids, bases  and dissociation equilibria. Autoionization of water and  Kw constant. Definition of pH. Hydrolysis. Buffer solutions, Biological buffers. Electronic configuration of carbon. Ibridization and stereochemistry. Aliphatic hydrocarbons. Alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Structural and cis/trans isomerism. Aromatic hydrocarbons and resonance. Heterocyclic  aromatic hydrocarbons. Structure and properties of monofunctional compounds: halides, alcohols, enols, phenols, thyols, ethers, amines, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and derivatives.

Organic reactions: elimination, addition, substitution.

Chirality, steroisomerism and optical activity.

Carbohydrates: aldoses e ketoses (linear and cyclic formulas). Mutarotation and anomers. Disaccharydes and polysaccharides. Lipids. Fatty acids. Triglycerides. Saponification. Phosfolipids and sphingolipids. Nucleosides, nucleotides and polynucleotides. DNA and RNA. Polymers of ophthalmological use.

Readings/Bibliography


Teaching methods


Office hours

See the website of Paola Taddei