General Chemistry with Elements of Bioorganic Chemistry 1100-1BO09

The programme comprises four interconnected thematic blocks, leading from the fundamentals of chemical structure and interactions to the chemical basis of nerve cell function:
1. Chemical foundations of structure and interactions in biological systems.
Atomic structure to the extent necessary for understanding charge, ions, and chemical bonds. Electronegativity, bond polarity, and molecular polarity. Chemical bonds: covalent and ionic. Non-covalent interactions: electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, and hydrophobic interactions.
2. Energy, enthalpy, entropy, and equilibrium in biological systems.
Chemical reactions and processes as transformations of molecular systems. Chemical equilibrium as a dynamic state. Process energy and the direction of chemical transformations. Enthalpy as a concept related to the formation and breaking of interactions. Entropy as a concept related to the degree of order in a system. The relationship between interactions, molecular ordering, and the possibility of a process occurring. Activation energy as a reaction barrier.
3. Water, pH, buffers, and biological ions in aqueous solutions.
Water as a polar environment for biological processes. Polarity of the water molecule and the hydrogen-bond network. Dissolution of ionic and polar substances. Hydration of ions. Hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and the hydrophobic effect. The relationship between water, enthalpy, entropy, and the self-organization of amphiphilic molecules. Acids and bases in aqueous solutions. pH and pKa as concepts explaining the charge of biological molecules. Protonation and deprotonation of functional groups. Biological buffers and their importance for the stability of the cellular environment. Biological ions in aqueous solutions: Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, and H⁺. Concentration gradients and electrical gradients. Qualitative significance of ion gradients for the formation of membrane potential.
4. Chemical basis of nerve cell function.
Amino acids as the basic building blocks of proteins. The peptide bond. Protein structure: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. The relationship between protein structure and function. Enzymatic catalysis as lowering the energy barrier of a reaction. ATP as a carrier of chemical energy in the cell. The biological membrane as a system resulting from the amphiphilic nature of lipids. Selective permeability of the membrane. Membrane proteins: ion channels, pumps, transporters, and receptors. Transport across membranes as a consequence of concentration differences, molecular charge, and the cell’s energy requirements. The Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase pump as an example of a protein using ATP to maintain the uneven distribution of ions. Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Cl⁻ channels as proteins enabling selective ion flow. The relationship between ion gradients, channel opening, and changes in the electrical state of the membrane. Chemical foundations of neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. The role of Ca²⁺ in neurotransmitter release. Neurotransmitters and receptors as examples of molecular recognition. Termination of the synaptic signal by reuptake or enzymatic degradation. The importance of energy metabolism for maintaining ion gradients and nerve cell excitability.
The lecturer expects students to have a background in natural sciences at the secondary-school level.
The lecture is assessed by a graded examination.
Description prepared by K.A. Krzyśko, September 2026.