CHEM 18A - Organic Chemistry for Health and Life Sciences I, with Lab

    Recent Professors
    Kevin Orton
    Recent Semesters
    Fall 2026
    Class Size
    24 students
    Credits
    5
    Prerequisite
    CHEM-1A; CHEM-1B
    Fall 2026 Sections
    View Fall 2026 sections of CHEM 18A
    Transfers To
    UC and CSUCal-GETC Area 5C · Cal-GETC Area 5A · IGETC Area 5A · IGETC Area 5C · CSU GE Area B1 · CSU GE Area B3
    Description
    The first semester of a one-year course in organic chemistry designed for students planning professional school studies in health and life sciences. Lecture includes a rigorous, in-depth presentation of basic principles with emphasis on reaction mechanisms, multi-step synthesis and retrosynthetic analysis, stereochemistry and spectroscopy and preparation and reactions of nonaromatic hydrocarbons, haloalkanes, reactions of alkenes and alkynes, alcohols, ethers and organometallic compounds. Reactions include SN1, SN2, E1 and E2. The laboratory work reinforces topics covered in lecture and includes preparation, isolation, purification and characterization of Organic compounds. Traditional techniques including melting point, recrystallization, extraction, distillation, and chromatography (TLC, Column, GC) will be used. Additional analysis of synthesis products will employ FT-IR, and/or NMR.
    Usually Held
    Fri 11:00am–11:50am, Fri 12:00pm–2:50pm, Mon Wed 8:30am–9:45am