CHY 107

Course Description

Chemistry is part of our daily lives. It shapes the world around us, fuels our transport, influences our climate, gives food its taste and smell, and is responsible for powering life itself. Chemistry 107 is an introduction to general, organic, and biological chemistries – the ultimate objective of this course is to develop an understanding of the chemical processes involved with living systems, particularly the human body. After first reviewing some fundamental chemical concepts, the focus of the course will be on how these concepts pertain to molecules in the biological sciences. Topics may include atomic composition; chemical bonding; molecular forces; organic compounds and functional groups; chemical reactions, energy and kinetics; chemical equilibrium; aqueous environments (acids and bases); biological molecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids); and structure-function relationship.

Required Materials

• Achieve through Macmillan Learning. You can purchase this directly through Macmillan  or through the bookstores eCampus website.

  • STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTER FOR ACHEIVE

  • COURSE ID SECOND SESSION, Summer 2025: qrybbu (case sensitive)

    • Note that this is for the second session ONLY. First session had their own access code.

Note: I have heard of students having difficulty registering for the course if using Safari. If you run into problems, try using Google Chrome.

• Textbook: Essentials of General, Organic, and Biochemistry 3rd edition by Denise Guinn, 2019, published by Macmillan Learning, New York, NY. 

  • Note that the access to Achieve comes with access to a digital copy of the textbook and is 100% acceptable to use. You do not have to purchase a hard copy of the book. 

• A simple scientific calculator (must have log function and scientific notation capability)

Tutoring 

Free Chemistry for Health Sciences (CHY 107) tutoring is available to USM students during both summer sessions. Students can use our self-service online calendar to view available appointments and schedule a time for peer academic support. The Tutoring: Subject-Based Tutoring link can be found in the MyUSM portal under the USM Quick Links tab, as well as on the right-hand side of the USM Brightspace landing page. This video walks students through the process of scheduling an online appointment.

For more information, please visit: www.usm.maine.edu/learningcommons