SYLLABUS FORM
WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Valhalla, NY 10595
1. CURRENT DATE: Spring 2015
Please indicate whether this is a NEW COURSE or a REVISION: Revision
DATE OF PRIOR REVISION: Spring 2014
2. NAME OF REVISER: Dr. Nalband S. Hussain
3. COURSE #: CHEM 145
4. NAME OF COURSE: Biochemistry of Addiction - Lecture & Lab
5. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
CHEM 145 Biochemistry of Addiction - Lecture & Lab
3 credits
After introducing basic chemical principles, this course examines the chemical nature of addictive and
psychoactive drugs and how they interact with receptors and body metabolism. This class provides 45 of the
classroom contact hours in knowledge of alcoholism and substance abuse required for the credential
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor. Class Hours: 2; Lab Hours: 2; Offered in Fall semesters.
6. NUMBER OF CREDITS: 3
7. NUMBER OF CONTACT HOURS PER WEEK
a. Lab hours: 2
b. Lecture hours: 2
8. APPROXIMATE FREQUENCY OF OFFERING THIS COURSE:
Fall semesters
9. PREREQUISITES or PLACEMENT SCORES: None
10. COREQUISITES: None
11. ASSOCIATED COURSES (such as field courses): None
12. PLACE OF THIS COURSE IN CURRICULUM: Required for Curriculum: Chemical Dependency Counseling.
13. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS/CLASS NOTES: Students must register for both a lecture and lab section.
14. REQUIRED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS 1:
Lecture: Textbook - Inaba, Darryl S. and William Cohen. Uppers, Downers, All Arounders: Physical and Mental
Effects of Psychoactive Drugs. 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill CNS Productions Inc, 2014.
Lab: Lab procedures handouts will be provided to the students prior to performing the experiments.
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Textbooks are subject to change each semester. For updated textbook requirements, please contact the
WCC Bookstore.
15. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) and COURSE OBJECTIVES:
SLO/Objectives* - Upon successful completion,
the student will be able to:
This outcome will be measured* by one or more of
the following instruments (exercises, tools,
observations):
Measure 1: Lecture Exams, Lab Quizzes
and Lab Performance
SLO 1: explain the addiction of drugs based on
the structure-activity relationship.
Objective 1: use the Periodic Table to classify
elements into groups and to determine the
charges expected for ions of the representative
elements, distinguishing between neutral atoms
and the charged forms found in ionic compounds.
Objective 2: distinguish between ionic and
covalent bonding and correlate bonding with
conductivity, solubility and boiling points; apply
this knowledge to understand the nature of
bonding in various drugs.
Objective 3: distinguish between hydrophilic and
hydrophobic compounds and those that contain
both characteristics.
Objective 4: describe the different ways in which
drugs are administered into the body.
Objective 5: explain the biochemical pathways that
are used to produce the effect of a legal addictive
compound (i.e. alcohol).
Objective 6: explain the psychopharmacology of
various categories of drugs: the sensation,
dependence and withdrawal.
Objective 7: demonstrate an understanding of the
interaction between psychotropics and specific
neurotransmitters.
SLO 2: demonstrate the ability to use basic
Measure 2: Lecture Exams, Lab Quizzes
laboratory techniques to study the physical
and Lab Performance
properties of compounds and test for their purity
based on melting point and procedures used in
drug preparation and analysis.
Objective 1: carry out the chemical synthesis of
various legal compounds (e.g., aspirin, methyl
salicylate).
Objective 2: explain how different drugs are
extracted and purified from plant sources.
*Variations from this basic plan may occur depending on the individual instructor teaching the course
and/or the time constraints of a given semester.
16. COURSE GRADING CRITERIA:
The final grade 1 will be based on Lecture and Lab (75 % Lecture and 25% Lab 2)
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Specific grading procedures and any variations from this basic plan will be stated by the instructor at the start
of the term.
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Exception: Students who fail the lab will fail the course regardless of their lecture average.
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17. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: List the different instructional methods you might use, in the course of the
semester. List supplementary learning options, if any:
Lecture: chalk board, PowerPoint presentations (posted on Blackboard) and class discussions
Lab: instructions for performing experiments and lab demonstrations
18. TOPIC OUTLINE: Please see below.
19. UNIQUE ASPECTS OF COURSE (such as equipment, specified software, space requirements, etc.):
Melting point apparatus and organic chemistry lab kits are needed to carry out various lab techniques including
distillation, extraction and synthesis. Laboratory safety goggles are required.
Biochemistry of Addiction
Lecture Topic Outline *
Required Text: Uppers, Downers, All Arounders: Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs By Darryl S. Inaba and
William Cohen. 8th Edition. Published by CNS Productions Inc, 2014.
Topic
1. Elements, ions and compounds;
Periodic table of elements
Chapters
Supplement from:
General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
by K. Timberlake (4th Ed.)
2. Chemical bonding and organic chemistry;
Classification of organic compounds: Alcohols,
ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, amines
and solvents
Supplement from:
General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
by K. Timberlake (4th Ed.)
3. Water and solutions; Hydrophobic and hydrophilic
compounds; Acids, bases, buffers, alkaloids and pH;
Free bases and salts; Carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids
.
Supplement from:
General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
by K. Timberlake (4th Ed.)
4. Psychoactive drugs: History and classification;
How psychoactive drugs affect people from
experimentation to addiction; Neurochemistry and
physiology of addiction
Chapters 1 & 2
5. Uppers: Introduction and classification
and examples including cocaine, amphetamines, caffeine,
nicotine and other semisynthetic and synthetic drugs;
Psychopharmacology of the use of uppers (stimulants),
dependence, withdrawal and sensation
Chapter 3
6. Downers: Introduction and classification, effects
and examples including opiates, semisynthetic opiates,
synthetic opiates and alcohol; Psychopharmacology
of the use of downers, dependence, withdrawal and sensation
Chapter 4
7. Downers: Alcohol –production, metabolism and its effects
at various levels, withdrawal symptoms.
Chapter 5
8. All Arounders: Classification, effects and examples
of naturally occurring and synthetic all arounders;
Psychopharmacology of the use of all arounders,
dependence, withdrawal and sensation
Chapter 6
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9. Other drugs and addictions: Study of drugs used in sports
and other common inhalants
Chapter 7
10. Drug use, prevention and withdrawal symptoms
Chapter 8
11. Treatment: Methods of treatment and drug counseling;
Mental health and drugs
Chapter 9 & 10
*Exact topic content and time allotted to topics will depend on the individual instructor and the time constraints
of a given semester.
Biochemistry of Addiction
List of Experiments to be Performed by the Students*
1.
Viewing of safety video; Introduction to the lab experiments and the laboratory
2.
Laboratory Techniques: Students will get hands-on experience using a balance,
Measuring a liquid, using a Bunsen burner to carry out evaporation
3.
Ionic Compounds and Covalent Compounds: General Properties such as Solubility and combustion
4.
Molecular Models: Study of Organic Molecules using Ball and Stick Models
5.
Distillation of a Mixture of Alcohol and Water
6.
Recrystallization of an Organic Solid (Acetanilide)
7.
Melting Point of Organic Solids using Melting Point Apparatus
8.
Organic Compounds and their Properties: Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Amines and Acids
9.
Extraction of Benzoic Acid from a Mixture of Toluene-Benzoic Acid (with an emphasis on extraction of drugs from
natural resources for ex. Cocaine from coca leaves)
10. Acids, Bases and pH Measurement
11. Synthesis of Aspirin
12. Synthesis of Aspirin (cont.); Purification and melting point of the product; Preparation of other esters
13. Membranes and Dialysis Experiment
14. Alkaloids and their properties (Similarity to drugs)
15. Check-out and Final lab quiz
*The laboratory schedule is subject to change depending on the individual instructor and/or
the time constraints of a given semester.
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