Cell Biology and Human Disease

3 Units

This course is designed to provide broad base of knowledge regarding cell structure and function. The basic structure of the cell will be discussed, as will the various functional systems that are superimposed upon and interact with this structure. The course will discuss organelle biogenesis, materials movement inside cells, cell interaction with the external environment, cell cycle and cell death regulation, cytoskeleton dynamics, quality control mechanisms, and basic signal transduction concepts. The course will also discuss how abnormal cell function may lead to human disease, and how basic cell function may be harnessed by intracellular pathogens to provide favorable intracellular environments for replication. The major goals of this course are to provide students with a working knowledge of the cell to facilitate understanding of the scientific literature, and to familiarize students with modern experimental approaches in cell biology. The course will rely heavily on student participation. Students will be provided with study guides with the expectation they will come to class prepared to lead interactive group discussions with minimal input from instructors. Offered as CLBY 526 , MBIO 526 and MVIR 526 .