Undergraduate - UnitDEV2011 - Early human development from cells to tissues

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Offered	Clayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Julia Young

Synopsis

Introduces the structure and function of eukaryotic cells including the diversity of cell structure and function. The concept that the many specialized cell types in the adult human body are derived from a single fertilized egg is emphasized, laying the foundations for future studies of stem cells and embryogenesis. The four primary tissues (epithelium, connective tissue, muscle tissue, nervous tissue) are described and students learn how these tissues develop in the growing embryo. Topics covered include early human development, gametogenesis, fertilization, blastocyst formation and implantation, formation of stem cell lineages, germ layers and early derivatives.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

Describe the diverse structures of eukaryotic cells;

Explain how cells and extracellular matrix are arranged in primary tissues;

Outline the key features and stages of early human and animal development;

Identify specialised cell types, primary tissues and the cellular processes that produce diverse tissues;

Explain the origin of major tissue types and how stem cells contribute to tissue renewal;

Outline strategies to experimentally analyse gene and tissue function;

Demonstrate an ability to research published scientific literature and effectively communicate their findings either orally or in writing.

Assessment

Practical reports: 20%
Mid-semester tests: 20%
Final examination: 60%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Julia Young

Workload requirements

Three lectures and one 3-hour practical class per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Developmental biology

Prerequisites

One of BIO1011, BIO1022, BMS1021 or equivalent

Prohibitions

ANT2321