Cell biology

Coordinators: Professor John Bertram (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology), Dr Jun-Ping Liu (Department of Immunology)

The discipline

Cell biology encompasses dynamic processes of life at the cellular level related to the origin of cells, their internal organisation and their functional integration to form tissues and organs. Cell biology is a rapidly advancing contemporary field that strives to understand how an entire cell is organised and how this organisation supports cellular function. This requires an integration of molecular biology, biochemistry, morphology and imaging. Cell biology is an essential component of many areas of the biomedical disciplines such as developmental biology, neurobiology, immunology, microbiology and physiology, as well as both the biomedical and agricultural biotechnology industries. Cell biology is fundamental to the post-genomic era, as the function of gene products can only be clarified in their cellular contexts. For example, in biomedical sciences, the identification of gene products responsible for the genetic defects in inherited diseases represents only the beginning in the understanding of the patho-physiological mechanisms.

The cell biology units at levels two and three are offered jointly by the departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Immunology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Units offered

Level two

CEL2012 Cell biology 1

Level three

CEL3011 Cell biology 2

Sequence requirements

Minor sequence in cell biology (24 points):

BIO1011 and BIO1022, and
CEL2012 and DEV2011

Major sequence in cell biology (48 points):

BIO1011 and BIO1022, and
MOL2011, DEV2011 and CEL2012, and
BCH3021, CEL3011 and one of BCH3042, BCH3990, DEV3011, DEV3021 or DEV3990*

*The level-three DEV units will be introduced in 2008.

Honours

A major sequence in cell biology provides the basis for higher-level study of cell biology at honours level within the departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Pathology and Immunology.

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