Chemistry Content in UBC Biology Courses: Cell Biology and
Genetics Program
Jared Taylor
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative
University of British Columbia
Nov 2008
The required life science courses of the UBC Cell Biology and Genetics program were
analyzed for relevant chemistry topics. The observed chemistry topics were ranked by
their prevalence among the courses. A faculty survey was also developed to gather
wider feedback on the relevant chemistry topics within UBC biology courses. The results
of the survey were used to generate a relevance score for each chemistry topic.
Introduction
As part of the effort between the UBC Life Science departments and the Carl Wieman
Science Education Initiative to improve education in biology at UBC, a number of
courses have been reviewed. These reviews were designed to investigate various issues
such as course content, students’ attitudes, and assessment. This has resulted in the
implementation of certain teaching tools, such as learning goals and clickers, which are
designed to increase student engagement and learning.
While investigating the content of the UBC biology courses, one question that arose was
“what chemistry topics and concepts are important for biology students to know?” The
link between chemistry and biology is very important; indeed, many concepts in biology
can only be completely understood by first understanding the underlying chemistry. For
this reason, introductory biochemistry courses, such as Biology 201, are an essential and
required part of any biology student’s education.
In light of this, a review of UBC biology courses to determine the required chemistry
knowledge was undertaken. As a starting point, the required courses for the Cell
Biology and Genetics (CB&G) program were analysed to determine the relevant
chemistry content. This was followed by a general survey of other UBC biology courses.
Methods
The required courses for the CB&G program at UBC (Table 1) were selected for the
initial analysis of chemistry content. Course notes (and textbooks when applicable) for
each class were collected and analyzed for any chemistry topics that were mentioned or
appeared to be required for understanding the biology concepts presented. When
possible, instructors for each class were also interviewed to gain further insight and
opinions about the required chemistry in each class.
Once the overall list of relevant chemistry topics was compiled from the required CB&G
biology and biochemistry courses, the instructors for the required chemistry courses
were surveyed. This was done to determine where and when the CB&G students would
learn each chemistry topic.
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Table 1.
Required Courses of the Cell Biology and Genetics Program
Biol 111: Cell and Organismal Biology
Biol 112: Biology of the Cell
Biol 121: Ecology, Genetics, and Evolution
Biol 140: Laboratory Investigations in Life Science
Chem 121: Structural Chemistry
Chem 123: Physical and Organic Chemistry
Biol 200: Cell Biology I: Structural Basis
Biol 201: Cell Biology II: Introduction to Biochemistry
Chem 205: Physical Chemistry
Chem 233: Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences
Chem 235: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Biol 300: Biometrics
Biol 334: Basic Genetics
Biol 335: Molecular Genetics
One of:
Biol 302: Community and Ecosystem Biology
Biol 303: Population Biology
One of:
Bioc 302: General Biochemistry
Bioc 303: Molecular Biochemistry
One of the following groups:
Biol 360: Cell Physiology Laboratory
Biol 361: Introduction to Physiology
Biol 362: Cellular Physiology
Biol 361: Introduction to Physiology
Biol 363: Laboratory in Animal Physiology
Biol 364: Animal Physiology
Biol 351: Plant Physiology I
Biol 352: Plant Physiology II: Plant Development
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Finally, a general survey was developed based upon the relevant chemistry topics
observed in the required CB&G classes, which was administered to all faculty members
of the Botany, Zoology, and Microbiology & Immunology departments. The survey
asked faculty members to rank the relevance of each chemistry topic. Results from this
survey were analyzed to provide a broader view of the relevant chemistry topics within
UBC life science courses.
Results
The list of relevant chemistry topics is presented in Table 2, along with the required
CB&G chemistry courses in which each topic covered. Topics that could not be found in
the required chemistry courses are listed as “Unknown”. The number of required
courses from the CB&G program in which these topics are relevant is presented in
Figures 1, 2, and 3. In all three figures, the number of classes in which each chemistry
topic was found to be relevant (either from interviewing the instructors or analyzing the
course notes) is indicated. The chemistry topics are sorted (over all three figures) by the
number of classes in which the topics were found to be relevant. Note that the scale is
maintained across all three figures to allow for comparison.
The results from the chemistry content survey were collected from the faculty members
and analyzed. The rankings for all of the chemistry topics were used to generate a
“relevance score” for each topic at each course level (100, 200, 300, and 400) based
upon faculty members’ opinions. The rankings use the scale shown below. It should be
noted that the faculty survey used a scale from 1 to 5, which was converted the
following scale during data analysis.
0 – The topic is not relevant to the class.
1 – The topic is relevant background knowledge, but it not directly used in the class.
2 – The topic is relevant to the class but is only superficially used during lectures.
3 – The topic is relevant to the class and is extensively used during lectures to explain the
biological concepts.
4 – The topic is relevant to the class, is used extensively during lectures, and the students
must employ it on the problem sets and exams.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 present the relevance score data for each chemistry topic, with each
level of course shown within the overall bars. The sum of the average rankings for each
topic provides the overall relevance score; the chemistry topics are sorted (over all
three figures) by the relevance scores, and the scale is maintained across each.
For example, hydrogen bonding has an average ranking of 1.67 for the 100 level classes,
1.00 for the 200 level classes, 1.27 for the 300 level classes, and 1.50 for the 400 level
classes. This results in hydrogen bonding receiving a relevance score of 5.44 out of a
maximum score of 16.00.
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Table 2.
List of relevant chemistry topics compiled from the required CB&G courses, and the
chemistry classes they are taught in.
Molecular bonding and structure
Orbital hybridization
Single, double, and triple bonding
Lewis structures and skeletal structures
Electronegativity
Resonance structures
VSEPR and molecular shape
Covalent bonds and compounds
Ionic bonds and compounds
Chem 121, 233
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121, 233
Chem 121, 233
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chemical Properties
Polar
Non-polar
Acidity and basicity
hydrophilic and hydrophobic
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Intermolecular interactions
Hydrogen bonding
Van der Waal’s
Electrostatic
Dipoles
Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Chem 121
Solutions
Concentration
Diffusion
Osmosis
Solutes and solvent
Ions
Aqueous solutions
Properties of water
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Chem 123
Chem 121, 123
Chem 121, 123
Unknown
Equilibria
Le Chatlier’s principle
Equilibrium constants and expression
Acid-base Equilibria
pH
pKa
Buffers
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123
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Table 2 continued.
List of relevant chemistry topics compiled from the required CB&G courses, and the
chemistry classes they are taught in.
Equilibria (cont.)
Henderson-Hasselbalch equation
Solubility
Dynamic equilibrium reactions
Populations of molecules
Reaction quotient
Ionization
Unknown
Chem 123
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123
Chem 123, 205
Unknown
Gases
Partial pressures
Dissolved gases
Gas Laws (Dalton’s, Boyle’s, Ideal)
Chem 123
Unknown
Chem 123, 205
Kinetics
Activation energy
Transition states
Catalysts
Chem 123, 205, 233
Chem 123, 205, 233
Chem 205, 233
Thermodynamics
Laws of Thermodynamics
Enthalpy
Entropy
Free energy and spontaneity
Thermodynamics of equilibria
Steady state
Reaction coupling
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Unknown
Organic Chemistry
Organic molecules and functional groups
Skeletal structures
Stereochemistry
Nucleophiles and electrophiles
Leaving groups
Reaction mechanisms
Reaction pathways
Carbohydrates
Nucleic Acids
Polypeptides
Chem 121, 123
Chem 121, 123
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 233
Chem 123, 233
Chem 233
Chem 233
Chem 121 (mentioned)
Chem 233 (briefly)
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Table 2 continued.
List of relevant chemistry topics compiled from the required CB&G courses, and
the chemistry classes they are taught in.
Organic Chemistry (cont.)
Lipids
Tautomerization
Chem 233 (briefly)
Chem 233
Electrochemistry
Reduction and oxidation
Reduction potential
Free energy associated with reduction potential
Nernst equation
Electrochemical potential
Chem 121, 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Chem 123, 205
Unknown
Instrumentation
Mass-spec
UV-Vis spectrophotometry and Beer’s Law
Gas Chromatography
Chem 205
Chem 205
Unknown
Chemical Reactions
Hydrolysis
Condensation
Phosphorylation
Decarboxylation
Hydrogenation
Chem 121, 233
Chem 121, 233
Unknown
Chem 233
Chem 233
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Figure 1: Chemistry Content in Core Cell Biology and Genetics Courses
(Part I)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
Skeletal structures
Hydrogen bonding
Ions
Organic molecules
and functional groups
Polypeptides
pH
Carbohydrates
Concentration
Nucleic Acids
Covalent bonds and compounds
Dipoles
Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity
Lipids
Phosphorylation
Polar
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic
Van der Waal’s
Electrostatic
Dynamic equilibrium reactions
Free energy and spontaneity
Hydrolysis
Non-polar
Acidity and basicity
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Number of Classes
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Figure 2: Chemistry Content in Core Cell Biology and Genetics Courses
(Part II)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
Aqueous solutions
Thermodynamics of equilibria
Reaction pathways
VSEPR and molecular shape
Ionic bonds and compounds
Diffusion
Osmosis
Acid-base Equilibria
pKa
Activation energy
Catalysts
Laws of Thermodynamics
Entropy
Reaction coupling
Reduction and oxidation
Condensation
Decarboxylation
Lewis structures
and skeletal structures
Resonance structures
Buffers
Henderson-Hasselbalch equation
Populations of molecules
Ionization
Transition states
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Number of Classes
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Figure 3: Chemistry Content in Core Cell Biology and Genetics Courses
(Part III)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
Enthalpy
Steady state
Nucleophiles and electrophiles
Leaving groups
Reaction mechanisms
Electrochemical potential
UV-Vis spectrophotometry
and Beer’s Law
Solutes and solvent
Properties of water
Equilibrium constants
and expression
Partial pressures
Dissolved gases
Stereochemistry
Tautomerization
Reduction potential
Free energy associated
with reduction potential
Nernst equation
Electronegativity
Solubility
Reaction quotient
Gas Laws (Dalton’s, Boyle’s, Ideal)
Mass-spec
Gas Chromatography
Hydrogenation
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Number of Classes
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Figure 4: Chemistry Content based on Survey Results (Part I)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
400 Level
Concentration
Ions
Solutes and solvent
Reduction and oxidation
Covalent bonds and compounds
Non-polar
Populations of molecules
Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity
Hydrogen bonding
Diffusion and osmosis
Polar
Acidity and basicity (ionizable)
Functional groups
Reduction potential
Solubility
Ionic bonds and compounds
Steady state
Catalysts
Electrochemical gradients
Reaction coupling
Laws of Thermodynamics
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
Relevance Score
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Figure 5: Chemistry Content based on Survey Results (Part II)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
400 Level
Thermodynamics of equilibria
pH and pKa
Entropy
Electrostatic
Phosphorylation
Van der Waal’s
Single, double, and triple bond
structure
Activation energy
Hydrolysis
Equilibrium constant and expression
Ionization
Buffers
Dipoles
Organic skeletal structures
Polymerization
Dynamic equilibrium reactions
Acid-base equilibria
Condensation
Free energy and spontaneity
Free energy associated with reduction
potential
Enthalpy
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
Relevance Score
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Figure 6: Chemistry Content based on Survey Results (Part III)
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
400 Level
Decarboxylation
Le Chatelier’s principle
Stereochemistry
Electronegativity
Reaction mechanisms
Transition states
Reaction quotient
Henderson-Hasselbalch
VSEPR and molecular shape
Nucleophiles and electrophiles
Resonance structures
Nernst equation
UV-Vis spectrophotometry
Leaving groups
Lewis structures
Orbital hybridization
Dissolved gases
Mass spectrometry
Partial pressures
Gas chromatography
Gas Laws (Dalton’s, Boyle’s, Ideal)
Calorimetry
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
Relevance Score
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Discussion
The analysis of the CB&G courses and the survey of life science faculty members
identified the chemistry topics which are relevant in studying biology at UBC. The
results also give some indication as to the importance of the topics relative to each
other. In many cases, there is agreement in terms of relative importance between the
analysis of the course content (Figures 1, 2, and 3) and the opinions of the faculty
members (Figure 4, 5, and 6). For example, chemistry topics such as ions and hydrogen
bonding rank quite high in both cases indicating biology students need to have a firm
grasp of these topics. At the other end of the spectrum, chemistry related
instrumentation (such as gas chromatography) and ideal gases (gas laws and partial
pressure) were ranked quite low in both cases, indicating that such topics are rarely
seen by biology students outside of their chemistry courses.
However, there are some cases where there is disagreement between the course
content analysis and faculty opinion. Some notable examples are the use of skeletal
structures (also known zig-zag structures or skeletal formulae), and redox reactions.
Skeletal structures are used extensively in biology classes, and biology students must
have a clear understanding of what they represent. It may be that the life science
faculty see the use of skeletal structures as second nature and therefore do not think of
the topic as critical. Reduction and oxidation are also topics where there is
disagreement, although in the opposite direction. Faculty members consider these
topics to be very important (indeed, reduction and oxidation reactions are critical in
biological systems). However, actual discussion regarding reduction and oxidation is
absent in most of the course materials analyzed.
This analysis also pin-pointed some other areas of interest. For example, when
discussing the chemistry content with the chemistry instructors, the HendersonHasselbalch equation was identified as a point of difference between chemistry and
biology courses. In first-year chemistry courses, the use of the Henderson-Hasselbalch
has been almost entirely eliminated; the explanation for this was that students
constantly misused the equation without understanding it. Instead, students are only
exposed to the background acid-base equilibria as pertaining to buffers. However, in
Biology 201, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is used extensively, with the
assumption that students are familiar with the significance of the equation in terms of
buffers and understand how it relates to acid-base equilibria.
Other chemistry concepts are used in the upper-level biology courses that the biology
students will not have previously seen in the required first and second year chemistry
courses. For example, Fick’s Law, Graham’s Law, Van’t Hoff relationship, and the
Goldman equation are all chemistry topics that biology students will encounter,
probably for the first time, in their biology courses. While it is unreasonable to expect
biology students to always be previously exposed to chemistry topics that are perhaps
more esoteric, biology instructors should be aware of such cases so that they can
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sufficiently relate these topics to previously learned chemistry material. This would aid
biology students in seeing the relationship between chemistry and biology, rather than
seeing them as separate (and unrelated) fields.
One area of chemistry that is absent from the CB&G courses is quantum chemistry.
Quantum chemistry concepts are introduced in the first year chemistry courses that are
required for biology students. The use of quantum chemistry topics, however, was not
observed in any of the life science courses that were analyzed. Quantum chemistry is a
relevant field for biology and its concepts are important in completely understanding
certain biological process (for example, electron excitation within chromophores during
photosynthesis). Nonetheless, the analysis of the CB&G courses did not suggest that
such topics were required for biology students to understand the material presented in
the courses.
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