The course work required for the Biochemistry degree is rigorous and comprehensive, and gives students a solid grounding on which to base their career goals. There are two emphasis areas within the Biochemistry major: Chemistry and Biology. The choice of emphasis depends on the career plans of the student, and determines from which course groupings upper-division electives are selected to complete the major requirements. The Biology emphasis is geared toward students interested in the health professions, while the Chemistry emphasis is generally chosen by students interested in pharmacy, forensics, or biophysical sciences. The program focuses on the development of laboratory and critical thinking skills, and hands-on laboratory experience. In addition, participation in an independent research project (BCH 197) or research tutorial (BCH 190), carried out under the supervision of a faculty member, is possible. Internships in industry (BCH 198-I) are also available, and often lead to valuable job experience and employment opportunities.

The department offers both B.A. and B.S. degrees. The major and emphasis requirements are the same for both, and most students choose the B.S. degree. The B.A. degree requires 12 additional units of Humanities and Social Sciences courses, and 16 units or a course 4 equivalency level of a foreign language (see College Breadth Requirements).

Transfer Students

1. First-year calculus, equivalent to MATH 009A-MATH 009B-MATH 009C
2. General chemistry, equivalent to CHEM 001A-CHEM 001B-CHEM 001C
3. Organic chemistry (must be completed with a minimum grade of "B" in each term)
4. General biology, equivalent to BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA, and BIOL 005B (and BIOL 005C, if available)
5. General physics (calculus-based) equivalent to PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C or PHYS 040A, PHYS 040B, PHYS 040C

Students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.70 in transferable college courses.

Degree Requirements

University Requirements

College Requirements

Some of the following requirements for the major may also fulfill some of the College's breadth requirements. Consult with a department advisor for course planning.

Major Requirements

1.  Lower-division requirements (51 units)

a)  BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA, BIOL 005B, BIOL 005C
b)  PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C, PHYS 02LA, PHYS 02LB, PHYS 02LC
c)  CHEM 001A-CHEM 001B-CHEM 001C
d)  MATH 009A-MATH 009B-MATH 009C

2.  Statistics requirement (2 or 5 units): One course from STAT 020, STAT 100A, or STAT 105

3.  Upper-division requirements (46-49 units)

a)  BIOL 102
b)  CHEM 109 or CHEM 110A; CHEM 112A-CHEM 112B-CHEM 112C
c)  BCH 102, BCH 110A-BCH 110B-BCH 110C, BCH 184
d)  Two courses from BCH 120/BMSC 120, BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153, BCH 162, BCH 183, BCH 185/BPSC 185, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212, BCH 241/CHEM 241

4.  BCH 190 or BCH 197 are available as elective courses to juniors who have completed BCH 102 and to seniors. No more than 9 units of courses numbered 190-199 may be counted towards the major.

Chemistry Emphasis

a)  Lower-division requirements (5 units): CHEM 005
b)  Upper-division requirements (8 units): two courses from CHEM 110B, CHEM 113, CHEM 125, CHEM 150A-CHEM 150B, CHEM 166 (BCH 241/CHEM 241 and other graduate courses may be substituted by students with a GPA of 3.00 or better with permission of the instructor and the faculty advisor.)

Biology Emphasis

a)  Upper-division requirements (9-15 units). Choose three biological science courses from the following:
(1)  BCH 120/BMSC 120, BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153, BCH 162, BCH 183, BCH 185/BPSC 185, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212, BCH 241/CHEM 241
(2)  BIOL 105, BIOL 108, BIOL 114, BIOL 117, BIOL 121A/MCBL 121A, BIOL 121B/MCBL 121B, BIOL 121L/MCBL 121L, BIOL 128/CBNS 128, BIOL 151, BIOL 155/BPSC 155, BIOL 157, BIOL 159/NEM 159, BIOL 160, BIOL 161A, BIOL 161B, BIOL 167, BIOL 171, BIOL 173/ENTM 173, BIOL 175, BIOL 176, CBNS 111, CBNS 150/ENTX 150
(3)  BIOL 104/BPSC 104, BIOL 132/BPSC 132, BIOL 143/BPSC 143, BIOL 155/BPSC 155, BPSC 134, BPSC 135, BPSC 148
(4)  BIOL 100/ENTM 100, BIOL 173/ENTM 173, ENTM 128
(5)  CBNS 106, CBNS 116, CBNS 120/PSYC 120, CBNS 120L/PSYC 120L, CBNS 124/PSYC 124, CBNS 125/PSYC 125, CBNS 169
(6)  ENSC 100, ENSC 155
(7)  CBNS 150/ENTX 150, ENTX 101

Graduate and upper-division courses can be substituted with permission of the instructor and the faculty advisor. Graduate courses require a GPA of 3.0 or greater in the sciences.

Students should be aware that CHEM 005 is often a requirement for admission to professional schools.

Note A maximum of 12 units of 190-199 courses may be counted toward the 180 unit graduation requirement. All courses used towards the Biochemistry major requirements must be taken for letter grades.

Sample Programs

Bachelor of Science

GRADUATE PROGRAM

The Department of Biochemistry offers a graduate program leading to the M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This program emphasizes basic biochemistry with research specializations in the areas of molecular biology, physical biochemistry, molecular endocrinology, plant biochemistry and molecular biology, signal transduction, and biomedical research. It is designed for students who are planning a career of research and teaching in biochemistry at colleges and universities or who wish to engage in biochemical investigations of fundamental or applied nature in private, governmental or commercial laboratories.

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree in physical, biological, chemical, or agricultural sciences are invited to apply to the program. Regardless of the area of their major for the baccalaureate degree, students should have taken the following courses prior to beginning graduate study in biochemistry or plan to make up deficiencies soon after entering graduate school:

1. One year of calculus
2. One year of general physics
3. One year of organic chemistry
4. An introductory course in physical chemistry
5. At least two courses in biology at the upper-division level, including genetics

Students applying to the graduate program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology should arrange to take the GRE General Test in time for their scores to be submitted with their application.

Doctoral Degree

Students who are candidates for the Ph.D. degree normally enter the graduate program in the fall quarter at the beginning of a new academic year and begin their training according to the plan suggested by their individual advisory committees. At the end of the first quarter, the students select their major professors and are ready to initiate a research project. At the end of the first year, the students submit a written report describing their research efforts and relating them to current biochemical work in related areas. After the second year, students take a comprehensive written qualifying examination, then submit and orally defend a research report in which they describe the research they have performed thus far and develop a plan for their complete dissertation research project. This fulfills the Graduate Division's requirement for an oral qualifying examination; students completing these requirements are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Following completion of their research, a written dissertation is submitted, and students conclude their studies with an oral defense of the dissertation. As part of the program, each student is required to serve at least two quarters as a teaching assistant.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters

Master's Degree

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Introduction to the biological basis of human nutrition in the context of plant-animal-microorganism cycles and the characteristics of different food classes. The effects of nutritional needs, food availability, and the expanding human population are discussed. Students record and evaluate their own diet. Norman

BCH 097. Research Tutorial in Biochemistry. (1)

Laboratory, three hours. Prerequisite(s): lower-division standing, minimum grade point average of 3.5, approval of undergraduate advisor and consent of instructor. Laboratory tutorial in Biochemistry. To provide biochemistry laboratory experience for exceptional lower-division students. A written report is required at the end of each quarter. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). The course may be repeated for up to 3 units.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): BIOL 005C, CHEM 112A-CHEM 112B-CHEM 112C (CHEM 112C may be taken concurrently). An introduction to the chemistry and molecular biology of living organisms based on a study of the structure, function, and metabolism of small molecules and macromolecules of biological significance. Examines selected animals, plants, and microorganisms to develop a general understanding of structure-function relationships, enzyme action, regulation, bioenergetics, intermediary metabolism, and molecular biology. Credit is not awarded for BCH 100 if it has already been awarded for BCH 110A, BCH 110B, or BCH 110C. Byus, Dugaiczyk, Henry, Norman

BCH 102. Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory. (4)

Lecture, two hours; laboratory, two 4-hour laboratories. Prerequisite(s): BCH 100 with a grade of "C-" or better or BCH 110A with a grade of "C-" or better or consent of instructor. Introduction to biochemistry laboratory techniques including spectrophotometry, pH and buffer preparation, methods of protein determination, principles and uses of chromatography, enzyme assay, theory and measurement of radioisotopes (liquid scintillation counting), SDS-gel electrophoresis, theory of centrifugation. Most experiments include a quantitative component" upon which the student's performance is graded. Debus, Liu

BCH 110A-BCH 110B-BCH 110C. General Biochemistry. (4-4-4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): BIOL 005A; BIOL 05LA; BIOL 005B; CHEM 112A-CHEM 112B-CHEM 112C; MATH 009A-MATH 009B; for BCH 110B: a grade of "C-" or better in BCH 110A or consent of instructor; for BCH 110C: BIOL 102 or concurrent enrollment in BIOL 115 or consent of instructor and a grade of "C-" or better in BCH 110B or a grade of "C-" or better in BCH 100 or consent of instructor. Consideration of biological molecules including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids; 110A: structural aspects of biological molecules and principles of enzymology; 110B: metabolism, control mechanisms, and photosynthesis; 110C: molecular biology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes. Debus, Dugaiczyk, Gallie, Luben, Norman, Roberts, Spindler

BCH 120. General Biochemistry Related to Biomedical Sciences. (4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): BCH 100 with a grade of "C+" or better or BCH 110A-BCH 110B with grades of "C-" or better or consent of instructor. Lectures on biochemical and molecular aspects of modern endocrinology, nutrition, metabolic diseases, and blood chemistry. Emphasis is on relation of the above topics to medicine. The discussion sections are used for presentations on topical medical problems. Although the course is designed specifically for the curriculum of the Biomedical Sciences Program, it may be appropriate for students in other departments. Cross-listed with BMSC 120. Henry, Luben, Norman

BCH 153. Plant Biotechnology. (4) F, Odd Years

Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour; laboratory, six hours. Prerequisite(s): BCH 110C or BIOL 107A; upper division standing; consent of instructor. A study of modern techniques in plant genome modification. Topics include nucleic acid cloning and sequencing, plant tissue culture and genetic transformation, controlled-environment plant growth, gene mapping, and germplasm collections. Also explores the history of plant biotechnology; economic, agricultural, nutritional, medicinal, and societal relevance; and regulatory issues. Cross-listed with BIOL 153 and BPSC 153. Credit is awarded for only one of BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153 or BIOL 109. Close

BCH 162. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory. (5)

Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour; laboratory, two 4.5-hour laboratories. Prerequisite(s): BCH 102, BCH 110A-BCH 110B-BCH 110C all with grades of "C+" or better (BCH 110C may be taken concurrently); consent of instructor. Purification, quantitation, and analysis of DNA, RNA, protein, and lipid. Molecular techniques include DNA cloning, in situ hybridization, restriction mapping, PCR, and DNA sequencing. Biochemical techniques include in vitro transcription and translation, immunochemistry, phase extraction, affinity chromatography, and gel shift assays.

BCH 183. Plant Biochemistry. (3)

Lecture, three hours. Prerequisite(s): BCH 110A-BCH 110B or BCH 100. The course is designed for the student interested in plant biochemistry who wishes to become informed about biochemical structures, systems and metabolic pathways which are unique to plants; for example, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, cell walls, and seed development and germination.

BCH 184. Topics in Physical Biochemistry. (4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion,one hour. Prerequisite(s): BCH 100 with a grade of "C-" or better or BCH 110A with a grade of "C-" or better, and CHEM 112A-CHEM 112B-CHEM 112C, and CHEM 109 or CHEM 110A; or consent of instructor. Lectures on the application of spectroscopy, imaging, and other physical methods in biochemistry including study of macromolecular structure, nucleic acid-protein interactions, subcellular structures, bioenergetics, mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis, enzyme kinetics, and metabolism. Dunn, Roberts

BCH 185. Molecular Evolution. (4)

Lecture, two hours; discussion, two hours. Prerequisite(s): BCH 110C or BIOL 107A; BIOL 108 recommended. Explores the evolution of genes, proteins, and genomes at the molecular level. The focus is on the processes that drive molecular evolutionary change. Attention is also given to the analysis of molecular data within the framework of evolutionary theory. Cross-listed with BPSC 185. Clegg, Dugaiczyk

BCH 190. Special Studies. (2-4)

Individual study, six to sixteen hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing and consent of instructor. Literature review and tutorial in select modern biochemical topics. Course is repeatable.

BCH 197. Research for Undergraduate Students. (1-4)

Prerequisite(s): junior status and consent of the instructor. Directed research and preparation of written report. Course is repeatable.

BCH 198-I. Internship in Biochemistry. (1-12)

Internship, three to thirty-six hours. Prerequisite(s): BCH 102, consent of instructor, upper-division standing. An internship to provide students with on-the-job biochemical experience in government, industrial or clinical laboratories. Each individual project must be approved by the Biochemistry Department and the laboratory director where the internship is to be carried out. A written report is required. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). May be repeated for a total of 12 units. Henry