Intersegmental Major Preparation Curriculum Committee (IMPAC)
Nursing Discipline
Integrated Chemistry Course Prototype
Approved April 13, 2002
The chemistry, biology and nursing faculty at the April 13 year-end meeting
approved the prototype integrated chemistry course of James Armstrong, chair,
Chemistry Department, San Francisco City College. It is anticipated that other faculty
who are interested in developing an integrated chemistry course will use this format as a
prototype. The course description, objectives and lecture outline follows below.
For more detailed information, Dr. Armstrong's email address is jarmstrong@ccsf.org
Chemistry 32-002
4 units with a lab (4 or 5 unit course)
Course Content
Chemistry 32 is a one semester course covering basic principles of chemistry, with
emphasis on organic chemistry and biochemistry. The course is designed to meet the
needs of students pursuing a degree in a variety of health-related areas. It is also intended
as preparation for those students intending to take Microbiology or Physiology.
Chem 32 is not intended for students who are in health-related fields that require two
semesters of chemistry. Chem 32 is not preparatory course for chemistry majors.
Course Textbooks
Karen Timberlake, 7th edition, Chemistry for Lecture.
Valerie Meehan, Experiments in Medical Chemistry for the laboratory session.
Equipment
Safety glasses
Electronic calculator
Grading
The grade in Chem 32 is based on four components: labs, homework, quizzes and exams.
Only one grade is given for the course: the laboratory grade is not separate.
Laboratory component: is worth 20% of the grade and the laboratory instructor
determines the grading policies.
Homework component: Every class day, the student is given a set of review problems
that the instructor has "invented"; these will relate to the previous day's class and must be
turned in to the instructor. The student receives 2 points for each reasonably completed
homework assignment or 1 point if the homework is substantially incomplete.
In addition, the instructor selects 4 problems from the review problem set and checks
them. The student receives 1 point for each correct problem. If the student get 3 of 4
problems correct, this is a perfect score. If the student gets 4 of 4 problems correct, the
4th problem counts as a bonus point. Bonus points will be added to any points the student
loses on other homework problem sets.
The student is permitted to miss 3 homework sets without penalty. All subsequent
missed homework will be counted as a zero. Homework will be accepted until the
answer key is posted, which is immediately after class. Late homework will not be
accepted and is counted as a missed homework set.
Quizzes: worth 15 points each. A short quiz will be given at the beginning of class every
Thursday, unless there is an exam scheduled that week. Quizzes cover the material from
the previous week's lectures and readings
Exams: There will be 3 midterm exams. Each exam is worth 100 points. There will be a
3-hour final exam worth 200 points and is a comprehensive exam.
Makeup work: There are no makeup quizzes or tests. The student is allowed 2 missed
quizzes without penalty; a zero will be given for any additional missed quizzes.
Excessive absences from quizzes may cause the student to be dropped from the course.
If the student misses an exam, a zero will be given. At the end of the course, the zero
will be replaced with the percentage earned on the relevant portion of the final exam. If
the student misses 2 exams, the student is dropped from the course.
Attendance: Any student who does not turn in homework for 2 consecutive weeks is
subject to be dropped from the course. Any student who misses 3 consecutive quizzes
and/or exams is subject to being dropped from the course. Any student who falls below
25% of the possible points on quizzes and exams is subject to being dropped.
Lecture Schedule: Topic Text: Timberlake
Lecture 1: Elements, atoms, subatomic particles
Lecture 2: Isotopes, electron shells, valence electrons
Lecture 3: Compounds, ionic and covalent bonding
Lecture 4: Polyatomic lions, bond polarity
Lecture 5 Water, solutions, electrolytes
Lecture 6: Moles, equivalents, molarity, osmolarity
Lecture 7: colloids, osmosis, dialysis, acids, bases
Lecture 8: Chemical equations, acid-base reactions
Lecture 9: pH, buffers
Lecture 10: Hydrocarbons, linear alkanes, cycloalkanes
Lecture 11: Exam 1: (chapters 2,4,5,8, and 9)
Lecture 12: Branched alkanes
Lecture 13: Alkenes, alkynes, aromatic compounds
Lecture 14: Alcohols, phenol, thiols, ethers
Lecture 15: Aldehydes and ketones
Lecture 16: Monosaccharides, chirality
Lecture 17: Disaccharides, polysaccharides
Lecture 18: Carboxylic acids, amines
Lecture 19: Esters, amides
Lecture 20: Fatty acids, waxes, fats
Lecture 21: Exam 2 (chapters 10,11,12,13 and 14)
Lecture 22: Phosholipids, membranes, steroids
Lecture 23: Amino acids, peptide bonds, protein structure
Lecture 24: Denaturation, enzymes
Lecture 25: Mass relationships in reactions, energy, temperature
Lecture 26: Calorimetry, nutrition, energy in reactions
Lecture 27: Digestion, metabolic coenzymes, metabolism
Lecture 28: Important metabolic pathways (handout)
Lecture 29: Nucleic acids, DNA replication
Lecture 30: Protein synthesis, the genetic code, mutations
Lecture 31: Exam 3 (chapters 15, 16, 6 and 17)
Lecture 32: Final Exam (all chapters)
(Developed by Nursing Faculty)
A. Competencies
1. Identify and describe the chemical elements and their functions as they relate to the
biochemistry of the human body, nutrition, functioning of the human biological
systems and pathophysiology of diseases.
2. Identify and describe the chemical elements and their functions as they relate to
drugs, solutions and laboratory tests.
3. Identity and describe the chemical elements and their functions as they relate to
replication and cellular metabolism.
4. Identify and describe the three units of measurement: metric, Apothecary and
household as they relate to drug calculation and administration.
5. Use dimensional analysis to solve problems in conversions, ratios, proportions in
calculating medication dosages and IV drip rates.
B. Biochemistry content Application to Nursing
Inorganic
Atoms and elements: pharmacology, biochemistry of body
systems
Chemical compounds pharmacology, nutrition and
pathophysiology
Chemical reactions pharmacology, biochemistry of body,
pathophysiology, nutrition
Energy and states of matter nutrition, biochemistry of body systems
Gas Laws biochemistry of body systems,
pathophysiology and interpreting laboratory
tests
Aqueous systems biochemistry of body, pathophysiology,
pharmacology and interpreting laboratory
tests
Acids, bases and salts biochemistry of body systems,
pathophysiology, pharmacology and
interpreting laboratory tests
Organic
Hydrocarbons nutrition, biochemistry of body systems,
pathophysiology and pharmacology
Alcohols, esters and thiols same
Aldehydes and ketones same
Carboxylic acids same
Esters and amides same
Biochemistry
Carbohydrates nutrition, biochemistry of body systems and
Vitamins, minerals, enzymes pathophysiology
Proteins Same
Lipids Same
Nucleic acids, enzymes, metabolic Biochemistry of body systems and
pathways pathophysiology
Catabolic processes and biochemistry of body systems, nutrition and
biochemical energetics pathophysiology
Laboratory Sessions
1. Identify and convert the three systems of measurement, metric, Apothecary
And household from one system to another using sample problems.
2. Calculate solute and solvent for a solution using sample problems
3. Use hypertonic and hypotonic solutions to predict osmosis and diffusion rates
across a gradient.
4. Calculate and measure energies of physical and chemical transformations and
determine amounts of heat required to effect relevant changes in a substance.
5. Describe the different characteristics of solutions, suspensions and colloids.
6. Identify the components of a buffer and its function to maintain constant pH.
7. Identify the properties in acids and bases and the effects of neutralization on each
solution.
8. Describe the ionization process in water as it relates to pH balance.