Course syllabus for Cell and molecular biology 2

The course syllabus contains changes
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Course syllabus adopted 2023-05-31 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameCell- och molekylärbiologi 2
  • CodeKMG050
  • Credits4.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKBIO
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyBioengineering
  • DepartmentBIOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 48121
  • Maximum participants80 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Open for exchange studentsYes
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0103 Examination 4.5 c
Grading: TH
0 c0 c4.5 c0 c0 c0 c
  • 15 Mar 2024 pm J
  • 07 Jun 2024 am J
  • 27 Aug 2024 pm J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Introduction to cell and molecular biology.

Aim

The aim of this course is to provide knowledge in molecular and cellular biology of multicellular organisms.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

After completion of this course, the students are expected to gain a theoretical knowledge of the exam material from the textbook and the mini-conference literature, i.e. they are expected to have active knowledge of the main molecular mechanisms and cellular structures covered in the course. This active knowledge should be demonstrable as ability to describe or list the components of the relevant regulatory or signaling pathways or cellular structures, and explain how they function. In addition, students will be expected to understand basic molecular biology experimental approaches encountered in the course including bacterial growth curves and analysis of receptor-ligand interactions, and to solve problems based on such experimental data. The learning objective of the mini conference, in addition to the standard learning objectives listed above, is to train students in reading, understanding, presenting, and discussing scientific literature. The mini conference will also train students in giving public scientific presentations and in participating in a public debate.

Content

The course will cover the molecular mechanisms that are a basis for multi-cellularity. The lectures will treat the following topics: transcriptional regulation and signaling networks as a basis for multi-cellular behavior, modes of communication among cells, mechanisms of cell adhesion, developmental programs for building a multi-cellular organism, different types of tissues with their structure and function, the functioning of the immune system and evolution of multicellularity. The mini-conference will go more in-depth into some of the lecture topics.

Organisation

The course contains lectures, which cover the topics from the textbook Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et al., 7th Edition. The objective of lectures is to highlight important topics and clarify the content of the exam material and the textbook. Several final lectures are dedicated to revising the knowledge and practicing for the exam. Lecture attendance is not compulsory. The course also contains a mini-conference, in which students work in groups. Groups of students will work with given scientific literature to prepare a public presentation for their colleagues. Students will also be expected to question and grade presentations given by other students. Participation in group work and mini-conferences is compulsory. The materials are in English, and the teaching will be carried out in English.

Literature

Molecular Biology of the Cell (Seventh Edition, 2022, Bruce Alberts, Rebecca Heald, Alexander Johnson, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter).
Reading material and instructions for the mini-conference will be provided at the course.

Examination including compulsory elements

The maximum total number of points a student can score for the entire course is 100%. Up to 10% can be scored for the work on the mini-conference. Up to 90% can be scored in the final written exam. Both the mini conference and the exam points are added together, and the total number defines the final grade.

The final grade is given as follows:
Less than 50% U
50-69% 3
70-89% 4
90-100% 5

Grading of the mini-conference: The mini-conference is graded between 0-10. Points are awarded for the presentation, according to criteria that are set in the mini-conference PM and for active participation in the opposition. The topics covered in the mini-conference are also covered in the final written exam, typically as questions corresponding to up to 10% of the final score.

Rules for the written exam: Questions in the written exam are in English, and thus it is allowed to have a dictionary at the exam. Students are allowed to write their answers in Swedish, if they prefer. Other materials such as notes, lecture slides, books, computers and other paper or electronic items and devices that can store large amounts of information are NOT allowed during the examination. Simple calculators with a memory function are acceptable. There are no negative points and it is possible to get partial points for written answers.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course:
    • 2023-05-30: Examination Examination changed by PA
      Update information about examination
    • 2023-05-30: Organization Organization changed by PA
      Updated edition in organisation
    • 2023-05-30: Litterature Litterature changed by PA
      Updated literature
    • 2023-05-30: Content Content changed by PA
      Updated description of the content