This textbook is designed to supplement a GER class for non-science majors in college.
Chemistry is all around us "from the air we breathe to the food we eat" to the items at the supermarket that say “no chemicals added”. In fact, it is impossible to create something without using chemistry because chemistry consists of all matter. It allows us to answer questions as simple as why a candle goes out when a glass is placed over it to more complex questions such as does a candle actually burn in zero gravity? Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes such as ice changing from the solid to liquid to gas phase. People have used it for things such as creating metal from an ore, dying fabric and making cheese. Chemistry deals with different substances and how they can interact with each other to create a product.
As you begin your study of college chemistry, those of you who do not intend to become professional chemists may well wonder why you need to study chemistry. You will soon discover that a basic understanding of chemistry is useful in a wide range of disciplines and career paths. You will also discover that an understanding of chemistry helps you make informed decisions about many issues that affect you, your community, and your world. A major goal of this text is to demonstrate the importance of chemistry in your daily life and in our collective understanding of both the physical world we occupy and the biological realm of which we are apart.
Limiting the debilitating consequences of ageing is a major medical challenge of our time. Robust pharmacological interventions that promote healthy ageing across diverse genetic backgrounds may engage conserved longevity pathways. Here we report results from the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program in assessing longevity variation across 22 Caenorhabditis strains spanning 3 species, using multiple replicates collected across three independent laboratories. Reproducibility between test sites is high, whereas individual trial reproducibility is relatively low. Of ten pro-longevity chemicals tested, six significantly extend lifespan in at least one strain. Three reported dietary restriction mimetics are mainly effective across C. elegans strains, indicating species and strain-specific responses. In contrast, the amyloid dye ThioflavinT is both potent and robust across the strains. Our results highlight promising pharmacological leads and demonstrate the importance of assessing lifespans of discrete cohorts across repeat studies to capture biological variation in the search for reproducible ageing interventions.
Using web-accessed climate data, students will examine the latitudinal distribution of CO2 and explain how (and why) that has changed over (recent) time. They will then work in groups of two or three to download, graph, and interpret carbon dioxide concentration data from one individual location (different groups will be assigned a different site). Each student will complete a series of questions to ensure their understanding of the concepts outlined above.
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STILL IN DEVELOPMENT
Students engaged in this activity examine the scientific and ethical dimensions of iron fertilization as a geoengineering strategy to mitigate global warming. Students will analyze data from iron fertilization studies to answer the scientific question of whether or not iron fertilization increases biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Students will then discuss/debate the ethical considerations of employing iron fertilization.
(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)