6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Notes
This unit was previously coded as PSC3032 - Current aspects of pharmaceutical biology.
Synopsis
This unit will introduce students to cancer cell biology. The specific topics covered include The Nature of Cancer, Cellular Oncogenes & Tumor Suppressor Genes, Growth Factor Receptors and Cytoplasmic Signalling, Multistep Tumorigenesis, and Invasion & Metastasis.
Outcomes
At the end of this unit students will be able to discuss:
- What, in a cellular context, cancers represent;
- How cells usually prevent their own uncontrolled growth;
- Common signalling underlying tumor growth;
Furthermore students should be able to use this knowledge to:
- Answer specific questions around the pathophysiology of cancer cell growth;
- Use sound scientific principles and inquiry-based approaches to design, undertake and analyse experiments that increase our knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cancer cell growth
Assessment
Final exam (2 hour): 60%; Mid-semester test, practical work and learning exercises 40%.
Workload requirements
Contact hours for on-campus students:
- Twenty four 1-hour lectures
- One 2-hour workshop
- Four 3-hour practical laboratories
- Directed independent study
See also Unit timetable information