Chemistry

The course aims to build students' organic chemistry experimental skills and knowledge. The course outlines is as follows: Experiment 1: Melting point determination Experiment 2: Recrystallization Experiment 3: Distillation Experiment 6: Extraction Experiment 8: Chromatography (1) Experiment ten: alkenes and alkanes Experiment 12: Preparation and properties of chloroalkane Experiment Thirteen: Properties and Reactions of Alcohols Experiment Fourteen: Preparation of Ethers Experiment 16: Preparation of cyclohexanone Experiment Eighteen: Diels-Adel Reaction Experiment 20: Preparation of Aspirin and Its Properties

This course introduces students to our current understanding of life processes at the molecular level. It covers various topics related to the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids as the storage molecules of genetic information, the dynamic nature of cell membranes, and generation of biological energy. This course provides the foundation for students to learn more advanced subjects such as neuroscience, gene therapy, development of new crops, drug discovery, and protein engineering.

There is an old saying, “You are what you eat”, which means the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mind and health. Since the discovery of fire, culinary practices have been instrumental in the progress of human evolution. Culinary practices may be regarded as one of the oldest and most widespread applications of chemistry and physical sciences in everyday life. Traditionally, understanding and knowledge on cooking are based on collective experiences of diverse individuals passed down from generations to generations. This course explores everyday life cooking and food preparation activities from scientific perspectives. It examines critically the “folk knowledge” of cooking from the viewpoints of chemical, biological, physical and social studies. This course promotes science literacy through exploring concepts and theories that are behind everyday cooking and cuisines. Using knowledge of cooking as a starting point, students explore the intimate relationship between sciences, personal life and society through daily life examples and laboratory demonstrations. All course contents including practical sections are designed to be suitable for students having little or no science training.

This course introduces the basic concept of structure and function of biological molecules in the cell; proteins; carbohydrates; nucleic acids, and lipids. This course provides in-depth discussions of structure-function paradigm and complex macromolecular interactions.