The course is intended to provide the student with the basic notions of chemistry essential to tackle with solid foundations the study of the biological, anatomical, physiological and biochemical aspects of movement and adaptations to physical exercise. The concepts of chemistry will be analyzed in a logical order, starting from atoms and molecules and moving on to solutions, acids and bases, oxidation-reductions, with numerous references to daily life. Aspects of organic chemistry aimed at understanding the structure and function of macromolecules of biological interest will also be proposed.

The course consists of 20 lessons of two hours each. The organization of the lessons is as follows:

Atom and periodic table Subatomic particles- the modern atomic theory - The orbital model and quantic numbers - Energy and filling of the orbitals- Electronic structure of elements (with exercises) - Atomic number and mass number- atomic mass and atomic weight - Ions - Isotops - Radioactivity - Periodic table - Periodic properties of elements [2 lessons].

From atoms to molecules The chemical bond - Energy of bond - The octect rule and its limitations - Covalent bond - Molecule structure and Lewis formulae - Hybrid orbitals - Ionic bond - Metallic bond - Electronegativity and bonds - Molecule geometry - Resonance - Intermolecular forces - Isomerism [2 lessons]

Compounds, chemical reactions and stechiometry  Chemical property periodicity - Hydrides and oxides - Oxidation state - What is a chemical equation - Stoichiometric coefficients and reaction balancing (with exercises) - Different types of chemical reactions - Redox reactions - Molecular weight - Mole concept - Stoichiometry (with exercises) [2 lessons].

Energy and bioenergetic Energy concept and implications on living organisms -  Enthalphy, entropy and free energy of Gibbs - Chemical kinetics - Activation energy of reaction - catalysis - Chemical equilibrium - Le Chatelier  principle - Metabolism [2 lessons].

Solutions Water properties - Solute and solvent - Properties of solutions - Calculation of the concentration of the solutions (with exercises) - The factors that influence the solubility - The osmotic pressure [2 lessons].

Acids, bases and salts The concept of acids and bases - The acid-base theories - The strength of acids and bases - Acid-base reactions and salt formation [2 lesson]

PH and buffer solutions The dissociation of water - The concept of pH and pK - Introduction to the calculation of the pH - Titration curves - Buffer solutions - Physiological buffer systems [2 lessons].

Organic chemistry The carbon as a central element of life - The organic molecules and the functional groups: alkanes and cycloalkanes, alkenes and alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, ethers, amines, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives [2 lessons].

Carbohydrates General aspects and classification - The monosaccharides - Cyclization and anomeric structures- oligosaccharides and polysaccharides - The glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans [1 lesson].

Lipids General aspects and classification - Fatty acids - Phosphoglycerides and sphingolipids - Terpenes and steroids - The fat-soluble vitamins - Prostaglandins [1 lesson].

Amino acids and proteins Amino acids - Structural levels of proteins - The peptide bond - Importance of biological proteins - Enzymes are proteins [1 lesson].

Nucleotides and nucleic acids Nucleotides - DNA and its structure - RNA [1 lesson].

No special prerequisites required

Knowledge and understanding. Acquisition of the theoretical bases of the composition of matter, its transformations and critical understanding of the laws underlying chemistry; understanding of the structure and function of macromolecules of biological interest based on the notions of general chemistry; start to understand the scientific method, the nature and methods of research in chemistry.

Applyng knowledge and understanding.  Ability to identify the essential elements of a chemical/physical phenomenon based on the microscopic behavior of matter; ability to apply laws and theories to concrete situations also through problem solving; application of the general chemistry concepts acquired for the description of the characteristics and functions of macromolecules useful for understanding biological phenomena at a biochemical and cellular level.

Making judgements. The student must be able to critically evaluate the characteristics of individual biological molecules in relation to the presence of specific functional groups; you will have to apply the concepts learned to daily life and the functioning of a biological organism.

Communicative skills. The student must be able to express their knowledge of chemistry and preparation for biochemistry using appropriate terms and adequate chemical language

Learning skills. The student must be able to deepen their knowledge in a critical manner. In this regard, in addition to information on the texts and teaching material, the teacher will provide information on how to find other study material and exercises useful for building an independent path.

Expected results will be verified by written and oral tests

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

none

Teaching

Attending students (i.e. those who have attended at least 50% of the lessons) will be allowed to take an end-of-course test on the initial part of the program, and subsequently the oral test only on the remaining part. Alternatively, they can choose to take the exam using the assessment methods described below

Innovative teaching methods

Discussion on specific topics will be proposed, also using the jove platform, that can be carried in groups during the cours. This material will be available on the University's Moodle platform and will be used to develop short presentations also through using the practice of the "flipped lesson" and "debate".

Attendance

In order to fully achieve the course's educational objectives, attendance at lectures is strongly recommended, although not mandatory. Students are considered 'attending' upon reaching at least 50% of the course hours.

Course books

Tiziana Bellini - Chimica medica e propedeutica biochimica - Zanichelli

Students who have the text adopted in previous years can continue to use it (Stefani Taddei - Chemistry, biochemistry and applied biology - Zanichelli - current edition)

Students can also use high school texts for study

Slides and other teaching materials are available on the moodle-blended learning platform

Assessment

The assessment involves a written and an oral test, with a rating of thirty.

The written exam will assess the knowledge and understanding, the applying knowledge and understanding and the learning skill of the student. The test involves the following parts:

Exercise on electronic configuration 2/30

Exercise on Lewis structures 2/30

Exercise on balancing a an equation of a chemical reaction 2/30

Exercise on concentration of solutions 2/30

Structure of a macromolecule 2/30

5 Multiple choice questions 1/30 each

3 open-ended questions  up to 5/30 each.

The oral examination, which is taken  after passing the written test, will evaluate knowledge and ability in making judgment and in communicating. In addition to being able to express the theoretical concepts outlined in the lesson, the student must demonstrate full comprehension through appropriate examples and applications to biology and everyday life. The oral test will provide a final vote that will take into account the written test

The evaluation criteria are the following: - relevance of the answers in relation to the contents of the programme; - ability to synthesize and grasp the fundamental aspects of the question; - correctness of the disciplinary language used.

Each of the criteria is evaluated on the basis of a multi-level scale of values. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The program and teaching materials are the same for both attending and non attending students.

Non-attending students are invited to consult the teaching material uploaded on Moodle in order to deepen their study of the volumes indicated in the study texts section. 

The assessment methods will be those described below.

Attendance

In order to fully achieve the course's educational objectives, attendance at lectures is strongly recommended, although not mandatory. Students are considered 'attending' upon reaching at least 50% of the course hours.

Course books

Tiziana Bellini - Chimica medica e propedeutica biochimica - Zanichelli

Students who have the text adopted in previous years can continue to use it (Stefani Taddei - Chemistry, biochemistry and applied biology - Zanichelli - current edition)

Students can also use high school texts for study

Slides and other teaching materials are available on the moodle-blended learning platform

Assessment

The assessment involves a written and an oral test, with a rating of thirty.

The written exam will assess the knowledge and understanding, the applying knowledge and understanding and the learning skill of the student. The test involves the following parts:

Exercise on electronic configuration 2/30

Exercise on Lewis structures 2/30

Exercise on balancing a an equation of a chemical reaction 2/30

Exercise on concentration of solutions 2/30

Structure of a macromolecule 2/30

5 Multiple choice questions 1/30 each

3 open-ended questions  up to 5/30 each.

The oral examination, which is taken  after passing the written test, will evaluate knowledge and ability in making judgment and in communicating. In addition to being able to express the theoretical concepts outlined in the lesson, the student must demonstrate full comprehension through appropriate examples and applications to biology and everyday life. The oral test will provide a final vote that will take into account the written test

The evaluation criteria are the following: - relevance of the answers in relation to the contents of the programme; - ability to synthesize and grasp the fundamental aspects of the question; - correctness of the disciplinary language used.

Each of the criteria is evaluated on the basis of a multi-level scale of values. The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.