Write a 5-7 page paper on the Molecules of Life, which addresses SLOs 1.1 and 1.2.

This assignment consolidates the concepts of general and organic chemistry for application to the understanding of the life processes. In this assignment the students write a concise review on the topic of the Molecules of Life. The format of the review is as follows:

1. A short abstract explaining the summary of the review
2. Introduction to the organic chemistry principles including the explanation of the diversity of organic compounds, summary of the major functional groups and identification of the major molecules of life
3. The discussion part of the paper will include
   1. Small molecules of life
   2. Macromolecules of life (e.g carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, DNA and RNA)
   3. Role of molecules of life in the function of cellular life
   4. Role of order/disorder (entropy) in the function of life
   5. Concluding remarks about the application of physical laws in understanding of the living systems
   6. References

The specific outcomes of the checkpoint assignment are listed below.

1. Demonstration of the understanding of the chemical principles behind the diversity of organic molecules
2. Understanding of the various organic functional groups of the molecules of life
3. Understanding of the units of the macromolecules
4. Understanding of the specific roles of the different molecules of life
5. Understanding of the application of physical principles in the explanation of the living systems

Demonstration of critical thinking and scientific writing skills

Rubric