Cell Biology and Molecular Bioscience - BSc (Hons)

University of Stirling

The biodiversity course sets out to introduce students to all the major groups of organisms which live on planet earth. This is a considerable challenge given the many millions of species which exist! The course takes a historical perspective, starting off by considering the simplest prokaryotic organisms and how life first evolved on the planet. We discuss the explosion of different invertebrate animal groups which probably occurred somewhere between 500 and 1000 million years ago. We look at what these invertebrate groups are and how they contribute to the majority of current species diversity on the planet. The lectures then focus in on our own lineage: the vertebrates. We consider where the vertebrates came from and what factors led up to the present dominance of the mammals in terrestrial habitats. Finally the course investigates the diversity of plants: the organisms on which most animal life depends. We look at the early evolution of the first plants, what helped them colonise terrestrial ecosystems and the processes which lead to the diversification of organisms into different species.

The aim of this module is to provide students with asolid foundation in evolutionary biology and genetics. The module is structured into two interlinked components: (1)Genetic Mechanisms and (2) Evolution. A complete understanding of evolutionary processes requires learning how genetic information is transmitted, and similarly, understanding the origin and function of genetic mechanisms (and pretty much everything in biology) requires a solid foundation in evolutionary biology. ThusBIOU3EG ?Evolution and Genetics?is a core module that will be useful no matter what area of biological sciences you decide to specialise later.

This module aims to provide you with the elementary laboratory skills that are required to pursue subsequent advanced modules and the theory behind many of the techniques and tools that the natural sciences use. In addition to this, the module will afford you the opportunity to obtain and/or revise the knowledge of those aspects of chemistry and physics relevant to biological and environmental sciences.

The unit will help to develop your statistical and IT skills and apply them to scientificdata sets.

This module aims to expand on the understanding of animal physiology that you gained in earlier modules. Approximately half of the material will focus on human physiology as it is the best understood animal physiological system and much of what we know of human physiology also applies to other animals. The main topics in this context are neurophysiology, endocrinology, digestion, excitation-contraction coupling in muscle and reproduction. We shall also explore some aspects of invertebrate physiology including thermoregulation and finally explore the nature of defence against non-self in humans. It is expected that you will have a thorough knowledge of animal physiology that was taught in BIOU2IP and other modules in previous years. It is recommended that you revise that material thoroughly before beginning this module as we shall be teaching on the assumption that you have an in depth understanding of the major animal physiological systems.

This course content is sub-divided into two themes.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a comprehensive background in microbiology by covering fundamental aspects of the structure, growth, physiology, and molecular biology of microorganisms and their roles in the wider ecology of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The module will provide an insight into the variety of ways in which microbes are able to adapt to their environment by examining (i) microbial growth, metabolism, transcriptional control and stress responses, and (ii) the importance of microbes in disease, symbioses and their contributions to a range of global ecosystem services.

On successful completion of this course, students should gain a broad overview of the structure, dynamics and conservation of ecological populations and communities.

This module will introduce advanced methods in linear, nonlinear, generalised and mixed models, adopting examples from recent biological and environmental science research. We will learn to use the open-access R software platform to ensure that these skills are portable regardless of the eventual career choice of our students. The ability to use R is a highly advantageousskill for future student Honours projects, higher study and jobs in the environmental and biological sectors.

The aim of this module is to provide an in depth account of the structure and function of animal cells, focusing on the roles of organelles in specific aspects of cellular function.The module will also allow the development of practical skills in modern molecular biological techniques.

Recent advances in our understanding of cellular control mechanisms have the potential to revolutionize almost every aspect of our lives and this module will cover the latest developments in this fast-moving field. This module providing an in-depth account of the control mechanisms that underlie fertilization and normal development, cell fate determination, cell cycle and apoptosis. The consequences of their misregulation in diseases including cancer will also be examined.

To explore the core methodologies and experimental techniques that underpin molecular biology including the isolation and purification of DNA, the PCR, gene cloning using plasmid vectors, bacterial transformation and the identification of recombinant organisms, protein expression and the purification of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). To explore the methodologies of other common molecular techniques (Real Time PCR, Southern/Northern/Western Blots, RFLP) as well as new molecular tools (Omics, single cell Omics, Lab-on-a chip, Synthetic Biology).

Modern methods for collecting, storing and accessing molecular sequence data using bioinformatic tools have had huge impacts on biology. The vast amount of nucleic acid and protein sequence data have enabled enormous advances in our understanding of taxonomy and the ?tree of life?. Also reliant on bioinformatics, ?Omics, which encompasses the fields of Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics and an ever-growing list of other techniques, is enabling a revolution in biology. The ultimate goal of these ?Omic fields is to achieve a holistic understanding of the information encoded in the genetic material of organisms and how it directs the organization and function of life through the application of Systems Biology.

To carry out an original piece of scientific research independently (lab-based or non-lab-based); To gain experience working as part of a research group; To develop a critical appreciation of key concepts through research; presentations and the scientific literature.