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Combining Chemistry and Biology in the Classroom
Author(s) -
Drennan Cathy L.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a39-d
Subject(s) - chemistry , chemistry education , engineering ethics , biophysics , physics , biology , engineering , quality (philosophy) , quantum mechanics
Many undergraduate students majoring in biology take chemistry courses only because they are required. Typically these students are interested in medical research, and while it is easy for them to see the connection between biology research and human disease, most do not see the link to chemistry. To them, chemistry research is titrating a weak acid with a strong base to determine the molecular weight of the unknown acid. My goal as a biochemist is to help students appreciate that chemical principles underlie all biological processes. The dislike or fear of chemistry, especially by biology students, presents a major problem for the future of biological sciences. How can we understand the complexity of macromolecular machines, for example, without employing physical chemistry? The Committee on Undergraduate Biology Education Bio2010 report emphasizes the importance of building strong interdisciplinary programs that include physical chemistry for the education of future biologists. For this to happen, however, chemistry departments must reach out to other disciplines. In this talk, I will discuss teaching initiatives whose goals are to demonstrate to students the vital connection between chemistry and biology, to inspire them to take chemistry courses beyond institutional requirements, to clarify what chemistry research really is, and to train teaching assistants in an interdisciplinary approach to education. These efforts are supported by HHMI Professors Program Grant #52005719.