Instructor: Michael Mossing, 452 Coulter, 915–5339, mmossing at olemiss.edu

Schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 11 –12:15, 202 Farley Hall

Text: Principles of Biochemistry- Lehninger 4th Edition Nelson & Cox, WH Freeman Publishing ISBN: 0–7167–4339–6

Syllabus Files for printing:
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Blackboard Site

The course is the first in a two semester Biochemistry series. Students should leave the course with a working understanding of:

• The noncovalent forces that govern biomolecular structure and interactions.

• The structure and function of biological macromolecules, especially proteins.

• Mathematical descriptions of biochemical equilibria and kinetics.

• The practical and evolutionary implications of nucleic acid and protein sequence analysis.

• The basics of biochemical signal transduction

Students are expected to read the assigned chapter from Lehninger in advance of the each lecture. We will cover approximately one chapter per week.

Grades will be based on 10 problem sets, two midterm examinations and a cumulative final. Problem sets will be posted on the web and graded automatically. We will discuss your answers in class. Final grades will be calculated on the basis of ten 10-point problem sets, two 100-point midterm exams and a 200-point final.

Scores above 90% are guaranteed A, 80 - 90% B, 70- 80% C, 60 - 70% D. If the class average is less than 80%, the average will determine the B/C boundary, with the A/B cut-off 1 standard deviation higher, the C/D cut-off 1 standard deviation lower, and the D/F boundary 2 standard deviations below the mean.