The cell is the fundamental unit of life; in fact, the smallest living organisms are composed of a single cell. We have learned that, despite their small size, cells are far from simple, and we have only recently begun to understand just how complex they are. This course will present you with a detailed overview of a cell’s main components and functions.
Most of the units will cover topics familiar to you from Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology, such as mitosis or the cell nucleus, but will explore them in greater depth. The course is roughly organized into four major areas: the cell membrane, cell nucleus, cell cycle, and cell interior. We will approach most of these topics straightforwardly, from a molecular and structural point of view.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain what a eukaryotic cell is, identify the components of the cell, and describe how a cell functions.
- Explain how cell membranes are formed.
- Identify the general mechanisms of transport across cell membranes.
- List the different ways in which cells communicate with one another—specifically, via signaling pathways.
- Define what the extracellular matrix is composed of in different cells and how the extracellular matrix is involved in forming structures in specific tissues.
- List the components of the cell’s cytoskeleton and explain how the cytoskeleton is formed and how it directs cell movements.
- Explain the fundamentals of gene expression and describe how gene expression is regulated at the protein level.
- Define and explain the major cellular events involved in mitosis and cytokinesis.
- Identify the major cellular events that occur during meiosis.
- Describe the eukaryotic cell cycle and identify the events that need to occur during each phase of the cell cycle.
- Identify all of the major organelles in eukaryotic cells and their respective major functions.
Requirements: Have completed the following course listed in “The Core Program” of the Biology discipline as a pre-requisite: Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology.
