The cell is the smallest structure capable of life. It is also the basic building block from which complex organisms are constructed. The aim of this course is to describe the organization and functioning of the cell, as well as how cells assemble into complex organisms. This course introduces cell biology and developmental biology, which are central disciplines in the life sciences, at the interface with many other areas of biology, as well as physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering.
The main topics covered will be:
- the internal organization of the cell (membranes, compartmentalization, transport)
- the integration of the cell within its environment
- the performance of complex functions by a cell, illustrated through two examples (cell division and cell death)
- the construction of a complex multicellular organism (emergence of different cell types, stem cells, establishment of symmetry axes and regionalization, morphogenesis)
BIO_42051_EP provides a solid foundation and is recommended for other second- and third-year biology courses. It complements BIO_41052_EP. It is also an opportunity to explore many current topics: cloning, stem cells, regenerative medicine, CRISPR, gene therapy, cancer, epigenetics…
Each lecture is followed by a tutorials to apply concepts through exercises based on research articles. Assessment is based on a final exam (exercises based on articles, open-book). Multiple-choice quizzes and homework assignments are offered each week.
Note to BCPST students. As BIO451 covers the basics of cell and developmental biology, it is inevitably redundant with many of the concepts found in BCPST. However, it does so from a slightly different perspective, and some chapters (e.g. apoptosis) are new.
