| Unit name | Cell and Developmental Biology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20011 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Grierson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. Recommended: Normally 120 cps of appropriate Level 1 units in Biological Sciences. BIOL 20005 Molecular Methodology is recommended. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
All living things are composed of cells and all biological phenomena are ultimately the result of cellular activity. Developmental mechanisms govern how cells multiply, arrange themselves, and specialise, and cellular mechanisms are responsible for the responses of organisms to their environment. Cell and developmental biology are two of the most rapidly advancing areas of biology, whose medical, agronomic and biotechnological significance have been recognised by recent Nobel Prizes.
This unit will use examples of cell signalling, developmental patterning, and cell differentiation in animals, plants, and microbes to illustrate how genetic and environmental information is processed, and how single cells can develop into complex, multicellular organisms.
Aims:
On successful completion of this unit students will be familiar with a range of examples of cellular and developmental mechanisms in animals, plants, and microbes. The most successful students will develop an appreciation of how these mechanisms might arise and adapt during evolution, and how similar mechanisms might apply to other biological processes that they are studying in other parts of the course.
3 x 1-hour weekly lectures (weeks 19 - 23)
1 x 3 hour workshop in wk 24
Self-directed learning week (week 24). Students are expected to spend this time on directed reading.
Worksheet assessment (40%), end of year examinations (60%).
