This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)
Module BIOL3401: MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE (LIT)
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
BIOL3401: MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE (LIT)
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 3 | 20 | Available in 2006/2007 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
Pre-requisites
- Molecular Biology (BIOL2201).
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To provide an in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying inherited and acquired disease processes and to instruct on the rational design of novel therapies.
- To conduct a supervised investigation of an area within Biological Sciences where knowledge obtained by literature search is important.
Content
- The human genome and genetic diseases
- Mapping human genes
- Aneuploidy
- Sex-chromosome aneuploids
- Prenatal diagnosis of genetic disease
- Haemoglobinopathies
- Laminopathies as examples of autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant and x-linked disorders
- Molecular Basis of Cancer: The origins of cancer
- Cancer and the cell cycle
- Environmental risks of cancer
- Oncogenes and signal transduction pathways
- Tumor suppressor genes
- Colerectal cancer
- Angiogenesis
- Metastasis
- Melanoma
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Students should be able to: Understand how inheritance of muted genes leads to pathology either in childhood or in later life.
- Understand how the life style of an individual or his/her environment can give rise to genetic of physiological change within the adult soma that results in life threatening diseases.
- explain the basis of genetic tests that identify individuals who are pre-disposed to disease and appreciate the social consequences of those tests.
- understand how rational design of novel therapies can arise from knowledge of the molecular basis of disease.
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
- extract, compile and review relevant scientific information from various sources and evaluate them critically.
- acquire, interpret and critically analyse experimental and clinical data and present the results effectively.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- MCQs are appropriate as a revision aid and to demonstrate knowledge acquisition.
- The written report will show the communication skills learnt as well as the ability to interpret.
- The integration of these skills will be assessed in the written examination.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 23 | 1-2/week | 1 hour | 23 | |
| Tutorials | 1 | 1 hour | 1 | ||
| Seminars | 2 | 1 hour | 2 | ||
| Literature Search | 6 | 6 hours | 36 | ||
| Preparation and Reading | 138 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50% | 2-hour formal examination | 100% | ||
| Report | 40% | literature search report | 100% | ||
| Report | 10% | research report | 100% |
Formative Assessment
MCQ.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.