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Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biochemistry (47 credits)

Offered by: Biochemistry     Degree: Bachelor of Science

Program Requirements

U1 Required Courses (23 credits)

* Students with CEGEP-level credit for CHEM 212 and/or CHEM 222 should replace these courses with elective courses.

  • BIOC 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Vera Ugalde, Maria; Pause, Arnim; Reinhardt, Dieter; Kazak, Lawrence; Cockburn, Katie (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisite: BIOL 200

    • Restrictions: A non-terminal course intended to be followed by BIOC 311; BIOC 312 in the U2 year. Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOL 201 or ANAT 212.

  • BIOC 220 Laboratory Methods in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : Introduction to key methodologies for the isolation, detection and characterization of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and subcellular fractions, including spectrophotometry, assays of enzymatic activities and chromatographic and electrophoretic methods. Analysis of biochemical data.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Chang, Natasha (Winter)

    • Prerequisite(s): BIOL 200

    • Corequisite(s): BIOC 212 and CHEM222

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOL 301. Open to students in Biochemistry programs, others with permission of the instructor.

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Hastings, Kenneth E M; Lasko, Paul; Reyes Lamothe, Rodrigo; Champetier, Serge (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour optional tutorial

    • Prerequisite: BIOL 112 or equivalent

    • Corequisite: CHEM 212 or equivalent, or CHEM 204

  • BIOL 202 Basic Genetics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Moon, Nam Sung; Nilson, Laura; Schoen, Daniel J; Hipfner, David; Champetier, Serge (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour optional tutorial per week

    • Prerequisite: BIOL 200 or BIOL 219

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking LSCI 204 or BIOL 302.

  • CHEM 204 Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Similar to CHEM 223/CHEM 243. Emphasis on the use of biological examples to illustrate the principles of physical chemistry. The relevance of physical chemistry to biology is stressed.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Khaliullin, Rustam (Fall) Caire da Silva, Lucas (Winter)

    • Fall, Winter

    • Prerequisites: CHEM 110 and CHEM 120 or equivalent and one full course in calculus

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CHEM 203 or CHEM 213.

  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) *

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : A survey of reactions of aliphatic and aromatic compounds including modern concepts of bonding, mechanisms, conformational analysis, and stereochemistry.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Pavelka, Laura; Vlaho, Danielle; Huot, Mitchell (Fall)

    • Fall, Winter, Summer

    • Prerequisite: CHEM 110 or equivalent.

    • Corequisite: CHEM 120 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who are taking or have taken CHEM 211 or equivalent

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

    • Note: Some CEGEP programs provide equivalency for this course. For more information, please see the Department of Chemistry's Web page (http://www.chemistry.mcgill.ca/advising/outside/equivalent.htm).

    • **Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.

  • CHEM 222 Introductory Organic Chemistry 2 (4 credits) *

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and amines, with special attention to mechanistic aspects. Special topics.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Pavelka, Laura; Vlaho, Danielle; Huot, Mitchell (Winter)

    • Fall, Winter

    • Prerequisite: CHEM 212 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken an equivalent Organic 2 at CEGEP (see McGill University Basic Math and Sciences Equivalence Table at www.mcgill.ca/mathscitable) or who have or are taking CHEM 234.

U1 Complementary Courses** (6 credits)

** Complementary courses listed for U1 and U2 may be taken in later years if necessary to accommodate courses that must be taken in U1 and U2 as part of the breadth component of the program.
6 credits selected from:

  • BIOL 205 Functional Biology of Plants and Animals (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : Unified view of form and function in animals and plants. Focus on how the laws of chemistry and physics illuminate biological processes relating to the acquisition of energy and materials and their use in movement, growth, development, reproduction and responses to environmental stress.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Sakata, Jon; Barrett, Rowan; Soper, Fiona (Winter)

  • MIMM 211 Introductory Microbiology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Microbiology and Immun (Sci) : A general treatment of microbiology bearing specifically on the biological properties of microorganisms. Emphasis will be on procaryotic cells. Basic principles of microbial genetics are also introduced.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Cousineau, Benoit (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours of lecture

    • Corequisite: BIOL 200

  • MIMM 214 Introductory Immunology: Elements of Immunity (3 credits)

    Offered by: Microbiology & Immunology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Microbiology and Immun (Sci) : Basic immunology, organs and cells, elements of innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, elements of adaptive immunity, B-cells, T-cells, antigen presenting cells, MHC genes and molecules, antigen processing and presentation, cytokines and chemokines. Emphasis on anatomy and the molecular and cellular players working together as a physiological system to maintain human health.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Chahal, Jasmin (Winter)

  • PHGY 209 Mammalian Physiology 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physiology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physiology : Physiology of body fluids, blood, body defense mechanisms, muscle, peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Vollrath, Melissa; Ragsdale, David S; Shrier, Alvin; Cook, Erik; Aguer, Céline (Fall)

  • PHGY 210 Mammalian Physiology 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physiology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physiology : Physiology of cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine and renal systems.

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Vollrath, Melissa; Takano, Tomoko; Lauzon, Anne-Marie; White, John H; Aguer, Céline (Winter)

U2 Required Courses (12 credits)

  • BIOC 311 Metabolic Biochemistry (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : The generation of metabolic energy in higher organisms with an emphasis on its regulation at the molecular, cellular and organ level. Chemical concepts and mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis are also emphasized. Included: selected topics in carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism; complex lipids and biological membranes; hormonal signal transduction.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Denis, Maxime; Giguere, Vincent; Gehring, Kalle; Kazak, Lawrence (Fall)

  • BIOC 312 Biochemistry of Macromolecules (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : Gene expression from the start of transcription to the synthesis of proteins, their modifications and degradation. Topics covered: purine and pyrimidine metabolism; transcription and its regulation; mRNA processing; translation; targeting of proteins to specific cellular sites; protein glycosylation; protein phosphorylation; protein turn-over; programmed cell death (apoptosis).

    Terms: Winter 2025

    Instructors: Huang, Sidong; Richard, Stephane; Sonenberg, Nahum; Tremblay, Michel; Dostie, Josee; Giguere, Vincent; Vera Ugalde, Maria (Winter)

  • BIOC 320 Laboratory Methods in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : Modern molecular-biological methods for isolation and characterization of nucleic acids and for analysis of RNA and protein expression, including: plasmid expression, isolation, restriction and ligation; electrophoretic methods and Western blotting; PCR and qPCR applications; immunofluorescence microscopy and basic bioinformatics approaches.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Teodoro, Jose Guerreiro (Fall)

    • Prerequisite(s): BIOC 220

    • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOL 301. Open to students in Biochemistry programs; others with permission of the instructor.

  • CHEM 302 Introductory Organic Chemistry 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Topics covered may include the following: Aromatic compounds, heterocyclic chemistry, sulfur and phosphorus chemistry, organosulfur and organophosphorus compounds, and biomolecules such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, DNA and RNA.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Damha, Masad J (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisites: CHEM 222, or permission of the instructor.

U2 Complementary Courses** (3 credits)

** Complementary courses listed for U1 and U2 may be taken in later years if necessary to accommodate courses that must be taken in U1 and U2 as part of the breadth component of the program.
3 credits selected from:

  • BIOL 373 Biometry (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : Elementary statistical methods in biology. Introduction to the analysis of biological data with emphasis on the assumptions behind statistical tests and models. Use of statistical techniques typically available on computer packages.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory

    • Prerequisite: MATH 112 or equivalent

    • You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.

  • CHEM 267 Introductory Chemical Analysis (3 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Qualitative and quantitative analysis. A survey of methods of analysis including theory and practice of semimicro qualitative analysis and representative gravimetric, volumetric and instrumental methods. The laboratory component includes introductory experiments in analytical chemistry emphasizing classical and instrumental methods of quantitative analysis.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Mauzeroll, Janine; Sewall, Samuel Lewis; Sirjoosingh, Pallavi; Gauthier, Jean-Marc (Fall)

  • CHEM 297 Introductory Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (1 credit)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : Introductory experiments in analytical chemistry emphasizing classical and instrumental methods of quantitative analysis.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.

  • COMP 202 Foundations of Programming (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Introduction to computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, primitive types, methods, conditionals, loops. Introduction to algorithms, data structures (arrays, strings), modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging, exception handling. Selected topics.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: M'hiri, Faten (Fall) M'hiri, Faten (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisite: a CEGEP level mathematics course

    • Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 204, COMP 208, or GEOG 333; not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 206 or COMP 250.

    • COMP 202 is intended as a general introductory course, while COMP 204 is intended for students in life sciences, and COMP 208 is intended for students in physical sciences and engineering.

  • COMP 204 Computer Programming for Life Sciences (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Computer Science (Sci): Computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, types, functions, conditionals, loops, objects and classes. Introduction to algorithms, modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging. Emphasis on applications in the life sciences.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Becerra, David; Blanchette, Mathieu (Fall)

    • Prerequisite(s): CEGEP level mathematics course.

    • Co-requisite: BIOL 112

    • Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 202, COMP 208, or GEOG 333; not open to students who have taken or are taking COMP 206 or COMP 250.

  • MATH 203 Principles of Statistics 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Examples of statistical data and the use of graphical means to summarize the data. Basic distributions arising in the natural and behavioural sciences. The logical meaning of a test of significance and a confidence interval. Tests of significance and confidence intervals in the one and two sample setting (means, variances and proportions).

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.

    • No calculus prerequisites

    • Restriction: This course is intended for students in all disciplines. For extensive course restrictions covering statistics courses see Section 3.6.1 of the Arts and of the Science sections of the calendar regarding course overlaps.

    • You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar. Students should consult http://www.mcgill.ca/students/transfercredit for information regarding transfer credits for this course.

  • MATH 222 Calculus 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.

  • PSYC 204 Introduction to Psychological Statistics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Psychology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Psychology : The statistical analysis of research data; frequency distributions; graphic representation; measures of central tendency and variability; elementary sampling theory and tests of significance.

    Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025

    Instructors: Kreitewolf, Jens (Fall) Kreitewolf, Jens (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have passed a CEGEP statistics course(s) with a minimum grade of 75%: Mathematics 201-307 or 201-337 or equivalent or the combination of Quantitative Methods 300 with Mathematics 300

    • This course is a prerequisite for PSYC 305, PSYC 406, PSYC 310, PSYC 336

    • You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.

U3 Complementary Courses (3 credits)

3 credits selected from:

  • BIOC 450 Protein Structure and Function (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of enzymes. Active site mapping and site-specific mutagenesis of enzymes. Enzyme kinetics and mechanisms of catalysis. Multienzyme complexes.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Nagar, Bhushan; Schmeing, Thomas Martin; Purisima, Enrico; Gehring, Kalle; von Roretz, Christopher; Salavati, Reza; Guarne, Alba; Vera Ugalde, Maria (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisites: BIOC 311, BIOC 312 and/or sufficient organic chemistry.

    • Restriction: Intended primarily for students at the U3 level

  • BIOC 454 Nucleic Acids (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biochemistry : RNA processing, localization and stability. RNAi mechanisms, regulation and applications. Regulation of DNA replication. Genomics: human genome sequence, regulation and organization. DNA repair mechanisms. Special topics on transgenics, genetic diseases and cancer.

    Terms: Fall 2024

    Instructors: Pastor, William; Teodoro, Jose Guerreiro; Gallouzi, Imed Eddine; Nepveu, Alain; Dostie, Josee; Duchaine, Thomas; Huang, Sidong; Watson, Ian; Cockburn, Katie (Fall)

Faculty of Science—2024-2025 (last updated Apr. 3, 2024) (disclaimer)
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