LEBANESE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

SAIDA CAMPUS

BIOL 275: Cell and molecular biology (3.0 credits)

Course syllabus
Spring 2010

Instructor: Dr.

Lecture hours: (Section )

...

Meeting Place: Room

Office hours: ..................

Office Phone Number: ext.

E-mail: ..........@liu.edu.lb

Required textbook: Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments; 5 th Edition (2007) –
Gerald Karp; Wiley, USA (www.wiley.com).
Course description:
This course highlights mainly on different aspects of the structure and function of the eukaryotic cell.
Special emphasis is placed on the role that nucleic acids and proteins play at the molecular level of
metabolic regulation. This course has a separate one credit-laboratory component.
Course outcomes:
By the end of this course, the student should be able to:
 identify the function of organelles within the eukaryotic cell,
 appreciate the evolutionary relationships that exist between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells,
 understand how the cell must integrate the function of each organelle to function as a whole,
 identify the major differences between normal and cancer cells, thus appreciating the influence
that genes have on cellular transformation,
 understand the importance of ligand-receptor interactions in the cell communication with its
environment,
 gain a greater knowledge of the roles that genes and DNA play in the structure and physiology
of the cell, and
 gain access to the latest molecular techniques used in the study of cell and molecular biology.

Course prerequisite(s):
BIOL200; General Biology I

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COURSE OUTLINE BY TOPIC:

Topics Title / Chapter Assignment – Cell & Molecular Biology 5th Edition – Karp (Wiley) Hours
(50 min)

1 Introduction to the Study of Cell Biology (Chapter 1) 2-3

 The discovery of cells
 Basic properties of cells
 Two fundamentally different classes of cells
Analysis – The human perspective: The prospect for cell replacement therapy
 Viruses
Analysis – Experimental pathways: The origin of eukaryotic cells

2 The Structure and Function of the Plasma Membrane (Chapter 4) 7-8

 An overview of membrane functions
 A brief history of studies on plasma membrane structure
 The chemical composition of membranes
 The structures and functions of membrane proteins
 Membrane lipids and membrane fluidity
 The dynamic nature of the plasma membrane
 The movement of substances across cell membranes
Analysis – The human perspective: Defects in ion channels as a cause of inherited disease
 Membrane potentials and nerve impulses
Analysis – Experimental pathways: The acetylcholine receptor

3 Interactions Between Cells and Their Environment (Chapter 7) 5

 The extracellular space
 Interactions of cells with extracellular materials
 Interactions of cells with other cells
Analysis – The human perspective: The role of cell adhesion in inflammation and
metastasis
 Tight junctions: Sealing the extracellular space

EXAM I (second week)

4 Cytoplasmic Membrane Systems: Structure, Function and Membrane Trafficking 7-8

(Chapter 8)
 An overview of the endomembrane system
 A few approaches to the study of endomembranes
 The endoplasmic reticulum
 The Golgi complex
 Types of vesicle transport and their functions
 Lysosomes
Analysis – The human perspective: Disorders resulting from defects in lysosomal function
 The endocytic pathway: Moving membrane and materials into the cell interior
 Posttranslational uptake of proteins by Peroxisomes and mitochondria
 Analysis – Experimental pathways: Receptor-mediated endocytosis

5 The Nature of the Gene and the Genome (Chapter 10) 1

 The concept of a gene as a unit of inheritance
 Chromosomes: The physical carriers of the genes
 The structure of the genome
Analysis – The human perspective: Diseases that result from expansion of trinucleotide
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 repeats

6 Expression of Genetic Material: From Transcription to Translation 1-2

(Chapter 11)
 Synthesis and processing of messenger RNAs
 Small non-coding RNAs and RNA interference
Analysis – The human perspective: Potential clinical applications of RNA interference

7 The Cell Nucleus and The Control of Gene Expression (Chapter 12) 3
 Control of gene expression in prokaryotes

EXAM II (Third week of)

8 Cell Signaling and Signal Transduction: Communication Between Cells (Chapter 15) 4
 A survey of extracellular messengers and their receptors
 Protein-tyrosine phosphorylation as a mechanism for signal transduction
 Convergence, divergence and crosstalk among different signaling pathways
 The role of NO as an intracellular messenger
 Apoptosis: Programmed cell death

9 The Cytoskeleton and Cell Motility (Chapter 9) 7

 Overview of the major functions of the cytoskeleton
 The study of the cytoskeleton
 Microtubules
Analysis – The human perspective: The role of cilia in development and disease
 Intermediate filaments
 Microfilaments
 Muscle contractility
 Non-muscle motility

10 Techniques in Cell and Molecular Biology (Chapter 18) 1

 The use of radioisotopes
 Cell culture
 The fractionation of cell contents by differential centrifugation
 Isolation, purification and fractionation of proteins
 Determination of protein structure
 Purification and fractionation of nucleic acids
 Measurement of protein and nucleic acid concentration
 Ultracentrifugation
 Nucleic acid hybridization
 Recombinant DNA technology
 The use of antibodies

Grade distribution:
Exam I 30%
Exam II 30%
Final exam 40%

Make-Up Examination Policy

As per university council decision, a student is eligible for a mid-term or final examination make-up if
and only if he/she had the following incidents:
a. Sickness; proved by hospitalization report; that is; a discharge summary is necessary.
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 b. Death in the family proved by a death certificate and personal identification.
c. Accidents proved by an expert report.
d. The student must write a petition for a make-up within one week from the examination date.
e. Regarding the mid-term examination, if approved, either the student writes a mid-term or the
weight of the mid-term would be credited toward the final.
Final Make-up examinations take place on the last Thursday & Friday prior to starting the
following semester.

Attendance Policy
1.Attendance in all classes is required. There are no exceptions to this policy except in very
extenuating circumstances (sickness of such severity that it prevents the student from attending
classes, serious illness or death in the family). Please note that if you schedule a doctor's or
dentist's appointment during class hours, this is NOT an excused absence. Athletic students (As
identified by the University) will also be excused for documented games/matches/tournaments etc.
It is incumbent on the student to provide acceptable documentation to substantiate all absences or
the absence will be considered unexcused. Acceptable documentation for excused absences must
be provided no later than one week following the student's return to school. Documentation
submitted after this time will not be considered. It is incumbent on the student to provide the
documentation, the instructor will not ask for it. Please note that the documentation must state that
the student was unable to attend class during specific dates.
2.Roll will be called in the very beginning of each class. If you arrive after roll has been called, you
will be marked as half present.
3.In any regular semester or summer term, students may miss no more than the equivalent of five
weeks (15 class sessions for courses offered 3 times a week, 10 for courses offered twice a week,
and 5 for courses offered once a week.) of instructions in any registered course and still receive
credit for that course. The number of absences in summer modules is 8 class sessions for courses
offered 4 times a week, and 4 class sessions for courses offered twice a week. It should be well
noted that attendance is taken for all class sessions, i.e. from the 1st to the last, and that excuses of
any nature do NOT eliminate an absence whatsoever. Students who exceed the above limits are
automatically given an (AW) grade in the course by the UMS, and consequently not be allowed to
attend class any longer.
4.If the number of absences exceeds the limits spelled out in item 3 after the withdrawal deadline, the
student will not receive an AW grade, therefore, the final examination must be written, otherwise,
an F grade will be granted.

Guidelines for the grading system:

Final Grade Letter Grade

90.0-100 A
85.0-89.99 B+
80.0-84.99 B
75.0-79.9 C+
70.0-74.99 C
65.0-69.99 D+
60.0-64.99 D
0.0-59.0 F
Missing final exam due
to a medical problem I

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Suggested References:
Molecular Cell Biology; 5th Edition (2004) – Harvey Lodish, James Darnell, Paul Matsudaira, Arnold
Berk, S. Lawrence Zipursky; W. H. Freeman Company, USA (www.whfreeman.com).
Molecular Biology of the Cell; 4th Edition (2003) – Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis,
Martin Raff, Keith Roberts and Peter Walter; Garland Bioscience, USA (www.tandf.com).