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Content:

This is a broad-based cell biology module that aims to introduce students who have taken cell biology in year 1 to a wide range of topics related to the biological functioning of eukaryotic cells and prepare them for more specialised cell biology modules in the third year.

The lectures cover four major themes: structural and functional anatomy of eukaryotic cells; cell division and the cell cycle; cell death; experimental methods in cell biology. Learning is supported by practice questions set by lecturers; a practice exam; and opportunities to ask questions in-person; and in Moodle Hot Questions.

The coursework forms an important part of the module and is designed to consolidate learning of selected lecture topics or extend that learning or both; and provide hands-on opportunity to undertake one of the most common techniques used in cell biology research: semi-quantitative analysis of fluorescence images of cells. The practical occurs on one day in reading week and has an associated open- book Moodle quiz; to gain credit for the quiz you must attend the practical. In total the coursework is 3 open-book Moodle quizzes and one practical; all quizzes are open for 2-3 weeks with deadlines before the end of term. Students are expected to be able to organize their time effectively to engage with teaching and learning material; to be available during November reading week for practical work; and to be available in the last week of term for the practice exam.

Teaching delivery:

The module is taught in 20 bi-weekly lectures, and there is one pracical session - Analysis of digital fluorescence microscopy images.

Indicative lecture and coursework topics:

The following is a typical example of topics (but precise contents of lectures and quizzes in any given year of study may change with module updates and development):

• cell structure and function,
• function of organelles and intracellular compartmentalisation,
• organelle biogenesis and protein/membrane trafficking (including the transport of proteins to specific cellular organelles as well as to the plasma membrane and processes such as endocytosis and exocytosis),
• structure and function of biological membranes,
• structure and function of the cytoskeleton (including microtubules, actin filaments, intermediate filaments),
• cell division and the cell cycle,
• cell death,
• experimental methods used in cell biology.

Students should note that this module does not specifically cover signalling and signal transduction in cell biology (CELL0010) or cell biology of development (CELL0023), both of which run in Term 2.

Module organizer: Dr Louise Cramer (l.cramer@ucl.ac.uk); Deputy module orgaznier: Professor Barbara Conradt (b.conradt@ucl.ac.uk).