Course overview
The aim of this course is to develop a strong foundation in molecular and cellular aspects of biology, specifically the chemicals of life, macromolecules, both pro- and eukaryotic cells in addition to basic cell physiology. Chemicals of life; macromolecules; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; viruses; mitosis and meiosis; DNA replication, transcription, translation; inheritance; regulation of gene expression; harvesting chemical energy; life on earth and evolution; introduction to basic laboratory skills.
Course learning outcomes
- Discuss evolution by means of natural selection and the emergence of multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
- Describe the different categories of macromolecules, with an emphasis on their structure and function within the cell.
- Describe the microscopic structure of both pro- and eukaryotic cells, and the function of intracellular organelles.
- Discuss the inheritance of traits in organisms, including basic Mendelian inheritance and regulation of gene expression
- Discuss how cells harvest chemical energy, looking at examples in both plants and animals.
- Accurately record, present and interpret raw experimental data.