This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)
Module BIOL3521: Genes & Development
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
BIOL3521: Genes & Development
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Available in 2010/2011 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Development AND Molecular Biology
Corequisites
- At least one other Level 3 Biology module.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To provide an advanced theoretical overview of important mechanisms and molecular and cellular controls governing animal and plant development.
- To provide practical laboratory experience in developmental biology.
Content
- Developmental biology of the mammalian epidermis.
- Developmental biology of wound healing.
- Development and disease.
- Role of Hox genes in development.
- Cell biology and molecular genetics of plant development.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Advanced knowledge of key aspects of animal developmental biology, building on the year 2 course and with further understanding at the cell and molecular level.
- Detailed and critical appreciation of the experimental paradigms and recent research findings associated with important mechanisms and events in development including early embryonic induction; secondary induction and organ formation; the role of homeobox genes in pattern formation.
- Advanced knowledge of aspects of the molecular and cell biology of the structure of the plant cytoskeleton and role in cell shape control; and mechanisms of pattern formation, exemplified by reference to development of the embryo and root of the model genetic organism Arabidopsis.
Subject-specific Skills
- Ability to use information from diagrams of experimental strategies, Southern and PCR analysis to identify the nature of genome changes caused by reverse genetics techniques.
- Ability to interpret cell biological and genetic data in the context of understanding developmental mechanisms.
Key Skills
- Accurate recording of data.
- Development of practical skills.
- Interpretation of data.
- Accurate recording of data.
- Development of practical skills.
- Interpretation of data.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures, Workshops, Unseen exam and Data handling.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 40 | Weekly | 1 hour | 40 | |
| Workshop | 1 | 1 hour | 1 | ||
| Preparation & reading | 159 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 90% | Unseen formal examination | 3 hours | 100% | |
| Continuous Assessment | 10% | Data handling | 100% |
Formative Assessment
None.
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.