Environment General Courses (ENVIRON)

taught in Beaufort

243. Environmental Biochemistry. Structure, function and evolution of copper and iron based respiratory proteins in response to varied environmental oxygen levels and physiological needs. Lectures and readings on the balance between pathways for metabolic oxygen utilization and alternative disease-causing pathways involving oxidative and nitrosative reactions. Interactive molecular graphics and student presentations supplement text and lectures on allosteric controls and environmental toxins. Topics covered include circulatory processes, reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, reactive forms of oxygen and nitrogen oxides, gene expression regulation, blood pathogens, malaria, sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies. Prerequisites: One semester of organic chemistry or consent of instructor. Instructor: Celia Bonaventura. 1.0 course credit or 3 units. C-L: CBI 243