120.626.01 PRINCIPLES OF CELL BIOLOGY

Provides students with a basic understanding of the architecture and function of eukaryotic cells. In addition to introducing students to new facts and vocabulary pertinent to cell biology, also introduces students to experimental methods used by scientists to define and understand cell structure and function. Highlights relationships between defects in basic cell function and human diseases.

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to: 1)identify the intracellular organelles of eukaryotic cells and describe their functions 2)understand the basic principles of light and electron microscopy and design experiments to study individual proteins using these techniques 3)design experiments to fractionate and characterize different membrane-bound organelles 4)understand the composition and molecular properties of cell membranes 5)define the functions of the ER and the mechanisms regulating ER translocation and protein modification within the ER 6)understand the mechanisms that regulate the sorting of proteins to different subcellular compartments 7)design and interpret experiments aimed at studying protein sorting and translocation into sub-cellular organelles 8)describe the molecules and pathways involved in relaying signals from the cell surface to the nucleus 9)describe the structure and function of mitochondria 10)know the molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining protein quality control and for degradation of mis-folded proteins 11)understand the dynamics of microtubule assembly and the role of microtubules in chromosone segregation 12)define the structure and function of intermediate filaments 13)describe the structures and functions of the actin cytoskeleton