Course details:
The aim of this course is to provide knowledge of fundamental Physical Chemistry applicable to Biological systems.
Module 1: Heat, Work and Energy
Zero-th Law, temperature, work, heat, state functions, first law, heat capacity, reversibility, thermochemistry.
Module 2: Entropy and Free Energy
Second law, entropy, third law, molecular interpretation of entropy, free energy, chemical equilibria, Boltzmann distribution, pressure and temperature dependence of free energy, phase changes, freely jointed chain, chain conformation, rubber elasticity, electrolyte solutions, electrolytes at interfaces, cooperativity, driving forces for self-assembly, coarse grain/Monte Carlo method.
Module 3: Application of Thermodynamics to Biological Systems
Biochemical reactions, metabolic cycles, protein structure, protein folding, nucleic acid structures, DNA melting, RNA.
Module 4: Principle of Chemical Kinetics
Reaction rates, determination of rate laws, reaction mechanisms, temperature dependence of rate constants, relationship between thermodynamics & kinetics, reaction rates near equilibrium, enzyme catalysis: Michaelis–Menten mechanism, DNA renaturation.
Module 5: Basic Principle of Molecular Spectroscopy
Quantum mechanics, particle in a box, properties of waves, molecular Vibrations, infrared Spectroscopy, raman Spectroscopy, microwave spectroscopy, structure determination from spectroscopy, electronic absorption spectroscopy.