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CHEM12080 - Organic and Bio-Organic Chemistry

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will build a solid understanding of how organic molecules behave and how their chemistry underpins biological systems. You will learn how reaction mechanisms explain changes in functional groups, how to recognise key patterns in heterocyclic and pericyclic reactions, and how these ideas help you predict reaction outcomes. You will also work with common spectroscopic techniques so you can interpret nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), mass spectrometry (MS), and ultraviolet (UV) data to identify unknown compounds. As the unit progresses, you will explore the structures and properties of important biomolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins. You will examine how their chemical features link to their roles in living systems and basic metabolic processes. In the laboratory, you will put your knowledge into practice through organic synthesis, purification and analysis, along with introductory bio-organic or biochemical assays. These activities will help you develop practical skills, understand safe laboratory practice and learn how to record and communicate scientific results clearly.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites:
CHEM11043 Atoms, Molecules and Matter
and
CHEM11044 Chemical Reactions.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

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Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Practical Assessment 30%
3. Take Home Exam 50%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

No previous feedback available

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
The lecturer's explanations were clear, but incorporating visual aids like videos or graphics could enhance understanding of complex concepts.
Recommendation
The teaching team will strive to incorporate more visual aids wherever possible to improve the understanding of complex concepts.
Action Taken
The teaching team has incorporated additional visual aids to support student understanding of complex concepts and will continue to enhance these resources where appropriate.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
More guidance and clearer communication on assessments would improve the overall learning experience.
Recommendation
The teaching team will work towards providing more guidance and clearer communication on assessments to enhance the overall learning experience moving forward.
Action Taken
The teaching team provided additional guidance and clearer communication on assessments during the residential school to support student understanding and will continue to refine this approach in future offerings.
Source: UC REFLECTION
Feedback
Students were highly engaged and motivated during the residential school, reporting an enjoyable and valuable practical learning experience.
Recommendation
The teaching team will continue to apply an inquiry-oriented learning approach during residential schools to maintain high levels of student engagement and motivation.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: TEACHING TEAM REFLECTION
Feedback
Some students appeared initially disoriented and overwhelmed at the start of the residential school due to the new inquiry-oriented learning approach.
Recommendation
The teaching team will continue to emphasize the importance of completing the self-review task prior to the residential school, as this preparation supports students in understanding and adjusting to the inquiry-oriented learning approach.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Predict the products of common organic reactions using basic mechanistic ideas
  2. Analyse chemical data to determine the structure of organic compounds
  3. Describe the structures and key properties of major biomolecules
  4. Work safely in the laboratory while accurately recording observations and measurements.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • •
3 - Take Home Exam • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
8 - Ethical practice •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10