e-learning @ Divine Word University: Courses

This unit provides students with the basic knowledge on abiotic factors that impinge on the health of the natural environment and human health and the ecosystem as a whole. The topic covers the principles of heat; temperature; electro-magnetic waves; light; half-life of chemicals; and the diffferent forms of radiation. These are some of the topics that influence the overall health of the ecosystem; human health; and the environment. This unit integrates other environmental units taught across the faculty.

Chemistry is a service course. It is designed to help Environmental Health students to be aware of the presence and effect of chemicals on others within the environment and within living things including humans. It is important to be aware the types of chemicals making up all living things and how they are made. This includes the metabolic processes involving specific elements and compounds inside the living tissues. It is also important for students to know how these chemicals come to be in the body and how they enhance metabolic processes and know how they affect the functions of many organs. In this first introductory chemistry course apart from introducing the chemical principles and concepts also endeavor to lead students to see the relevance of chemistry in their chosen profession.

 Therefore; chemistry in this course does take care of a broad spectrum of basic chemistry concepts along with applications of these chemical concepts, starting with matter, states of matter solutions, suspensions (colloidal, emulsions),  elements, symbols of elements, properties of Periodic Table, atoms, atomic structure, compounds, formula writings, stoichiometry (mass, mole,) concentrations,  writing and balancing of chemical equations, chemical equilibriums, equilibrium constants,  types of chemical reactions, acids and bases, pH, heat,  gases and gas laws.  These topics are now divided into units. Each unit is designed to be taught and tested within two to four weeks of a 3 x I hour lecture plus 1 x 2 hour practical per week.