Guided Inquiry Explorations into Organic and Biochemistry

Guided Inquiry Explorations into Organic and Biochemistry provides students with a solid knowledge base of fundamental concepts within the discipline.

The text presents students with small, easy-to-understand segments and activities that encourage them to explore and discover patterns and ideas. Topics covered range from the basics of naming the simplest organic compounds to the application of the principles of organic chemistry to biochemical molecules and processes. Students learn about the reactions of aromatic compounds and alcohols, interactions between amino acids in proteins, the structures of carbohydrates, the nature of nucleic acids, and more.

Throughout the text, diagrams, models, chemical reaction equations, and tables enrich the learning experience. In each chapter, a series of critical thinking questions guide students toward important observations and encourage them to work as a group to confirm the answers. Each chapter includes exercises that reinforce, expand upon, and extend the concepts presented.

The second edition features an updated interior design and refreshed images to improve the overall reading and learning experience. The book is ideal for foundational courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry.

Julie K. Abrahamson, B.A. Bethany College, Kansas (1979), Ph.D. University of Oklahoma (1984), has been teaching general and introductory chemistry courses at the University of North Dakota since 1992. Her emphasis has been in courses intended for pre-nursing students, where she has become well acquainted with their needs and challenges as they learn chemistry. In 2006, a workshop titled "Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning" introduced new insights into alternatives to traditional lecture methods. Since that time, Abrahamson has used guided inquiry approaches in her courses and has worked to develop new materials suited for these courses.