Biochemistry Laboratory Introduction

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

Students are given a laboratory manual containing notes for each practical (PL) (contextualization, learning objectives and description of the experimental plan). For some PL, include questions that help the students better understand it and tables for summarising data. Students must read the notes before they come to the PL and complete calculations that do not require data to be obtained during the PL. Informal discussion take place in every class, a type of active learing made possible by the small size of the classes. Expository teaching is used only for introducing new concepts. 

Learning Outcomes

 Acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills to work in a laboratory of Chemistry and Biochemistry. 

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Experimental work, to be performed in total or partially, conceived to illustrate the main concepts of general chemistry and some concepts of physical biochemistry, preferably in a biochemical context

Safety procedures in the laboratory and basic laboratory procedures

Density of liquids and solids

Molecular weight

Molar concentration

Colligative properties of solutions

Partial pressure of gases

Le Chatelier principle

Acid-base buffers

Acid-base neutralization reactions

pKa of a weak acid

Complexation reactions

Precipitation reactions

Reaction enthalpies

Specific heat

Rate equation of a reaction

Activation energy of a reaction

Head Lecturer(s)

Ana Margarida Malaquias Pires Urbano

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Mini Tests: 15.0%
Exam: 30.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 55.0%

Bibliography

 K. Wilson & J. Walker (1997), Principles and Techniques of Practical Biochemistry, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

 J. Zubrick (2007), The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques, 7th Ed., Wiley-Interscience, New York.

 J.C. Miller & J. N. Miller (1993), Statistics for Analytical Chemistry, 3rd Ed., Ellis Horwood and Prentice Hall, Chichester.

 A. Eisenberg (1982), Keeping a Laboratory Notebook, J. Chem. Edu., 59, 1045-1046

 J.A Beran, (2014), Laboratory Manual for Principles of General Chemistry. 10th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,

J.M Postma, J.L Roberts and J.L. Hollenberg (2010) Chemistry in the Laboratory, 7^th ed., W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, USA

R.Chang and J. Overby (2011), General Chemistry: The Essential Concepts. 6th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, USA.

V. Alexéev (1983), Análise Quantitativa, Livraria Lopes da Silva − Editora, Porto.

 D. C. Harris (1999), Quantitative Chemical Analysis, 5th Ed., W. H. Freeman and Company, New 3. J. Leonard, B. Lygo & G. Procter (1998), Advanced Practical Organic Chemistry. 2nd Ed., Springer-Verlag, New York.

 J. Mendham, R. C. Denney, J. D. Barnes & M. J. K. Thomas (2002), Vogel: Análise Química Quantitativa, 6.ª Ed., LTC – Editora S. A., Rio de Janeiro.

 J. A. M. Simões, M. A. R. B. Castanho, I. M. S. Lampreia, F. J. V. Santos, C. A. N. Castro, M. F. Norberto, M. T. Pamplona, L. Mira & M. M. Meireles (2000), Guia do Laboratório de Química e Bioquímica, Lidel − Edições Técnicas, Lda., Lisboa.

D. A. Skoog, D. M. West & F. J. Holler (1996), Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, 7th Ed., Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth.