BCHM253-14S2 (C) Semester Two 2014

Cell Biology I

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2014
End Date: Sunday, 16 November 2014
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2014
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 12 October 2014

Description

Internal organisation of the cell. The course will build on the introduction to cell biology in BIOL111 and seek to develop further understanding of the internal workings of the cell.

The primary aim of the course is to cover the principles of cell biology at the level of the individual cell.

The course will cover membrane structure, principles of membrane transport and the electrical properties of membranes, intracellular compartments and protein sorting, principles of the cytoskeleton, principles of cell signalling, the cell cycle, apoptosis and cancer. These topics will give the students a comprehensive grounding in cells as single entities. This will prepare students for an updated 3rd year cell biology course that will consider cells at a more advanced level and in their social context i.e. how they interact with other cells.

As all cells operate using the same basic machinery, experimental work on cells from “simpler” organisms have revolutionised our understanding of human biology and disease. Studies on the control of the cell cycle in yeast, for example, have taught us much about human cancer. The use of such model organisms, which also include the wild mustard Arabidopsis, nematode worms and mice, is crucial in biological research and examples of a key process in cell biology from these organisms will be included. The genomes of these organisms have been sequenced, thus we know the molecular make up of these cells. Genetics and biochemistry can tell us how various parts function individually and a key task for cell biologists is to understand how all of these interact together to form a dynamic living entity.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will:
  • gain a greater appreciation of the internal workings of the cell
  • appreciate the sophistication of mechanisms that have evolved to enable the workings of a cell, but at the same time be mindful that we still have much to discover
  • become familiar with modern cell biology experimental techniques
  • understand the use of “model organisms” - appreciate how experimental findings made on seemingly “lower organisms” such as nematodes and yeast can lead to a better understanding of the complexity of human biology and disease
  • gain an understanding of both the theory and the practice of cell biology which will make them attractive to potential employers.

Prerequisites

BIOL111 and 15 points of CHEM at 100-level. RP: 30 points of CHEM at 100-level

Restrictions

Equivalent Courses

Recommended Preparation

30 points of CHEM at 100-level

Timetable Note

Lab coats are required for this laboratory class.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

David Collings

Lecturers

Ashley Garrill and Jack Heinemann

Lab Coordinator

Manfred Ingerfeld

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Final exam 35%
Lab assignments 30%
In-term test 35%

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Alberts, Bruce; Molecular biology of the cell ; 5th ed; Garland Science, 2008.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $777.00

International fee $3,563.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Biological Sciences .

All BCHM253 Occurrences

  • BCHM253-14S2 (C) Semester Two 2014