Medical Chemistry
An extraordinary subject
Applied chemistry for MEDICAL STUDENTS
It spans from:
– General Chemistry
– Inorganic Chemistry
– Analytical Chemistry
– Organic Chemistry
To:
– Biochemistry
– Physiology
– Pharmacology
Organization of our curriculum

General chemistry (physical chemistry)
(McMurray, Fay: Chemistry, 4th Edition;
Darrel D. Ebbing: General Chemistry)
All other similar texbooks can be used
Organic and bioorganic chemistry
(P. Gergely: Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry
For Medical Students, 3rd Edition)
Analytical Chemistry: Practices and
seminars only!
(G. Oszbach: Laboratory Experiments in Medical
Chemistry, 1998)
Bioinorganic Chemistry:
Obligatory subject
(P. Gergely: Introduction to Bioinorganic
Chemistry for Medical Students)
Elective course (2 credits)
(W. Kaim, B. Schwederski: Bioinorganic
Chemistry: Inorganic Elements in the
Chemistry of Life)
Laboratory Safety
Chemistry laboratory can be a
DANGEROUS PLACE to work in
Eye safety:
ALWAYS wear approved safety
glasses or goggles
Further rules and regulations will be discussed
on the first meeting with lab instructors:
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7-8:
Dr. Zoltán Berente
Dr. Veronika Nagy
Ms. Erika Turcsi
Dr. Veronika Nagy
Dr. Tamás Lóránd
Dr. Attila Agócs
Dr. László Márk
Intranet

Medical Chemistry lectures and exam
samples can be found at the following link:
http://intranet.pote.hu/OKTATAS/biokemia/
medical_chemistry.html
Chemistry
The science that is concerned with the
characterization, composition, and
transformations of matter
Development of modern chemistry
1. Practical arts (-to 600 B.C.)
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
–
–
–
–
Production of metals from ores
Manufacture of Pottery
Brewing, baking
Preparation of medicines, drugs and dyes
2. Greek (600 B.C. to 300 B.C.)
– Concept of four elements (earth, air, fire, water)
– Atomic theory
3. Alchemy (300 B.C. to 1650 A.D.)
Alexandria, Arabs
– Chemical apparatus, laboratory operations
– Philosopher’s stone, elixir of life
– Iatrochemistry (a branch of alchemy concerned with
medicine)
4. Phlogiston (1650 to 1790)
Combustion:
wood + oxygen gas (from air)
containing gases
ashes + oxygen
According to the phlogiston theory:
wood
ashes + phlogiston (removed by air)
WOOD = ASHES + PHLOGISTON
5. Modern Chemistry (1790- )
Antoine Lavoisier
– Laws of chemistry
– Modern terminology
Main branches of chemistry
Analytical chemistry: separation, identification, and
composition of materials
Organic chemistry:
chemistry of the carbon compounds
Inorganic chemistry: chemistry of the compounds other
than carbon compounds
Physical chemistry: study of the physical characteristics
of materials and mechanisms of their
reactions
Biochemistry:
chemistry of living systems
Nuclear chemistry:
chemistry of subatomic particles and
nuclear reactions