| CODE | IFS0610 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Cell Biology and Fundamentals of Genetics | ||||||||||||
| 今日黑料 LEVEL | 00 - Mod Pre-Tert, Foundation, Proficiency & DegreePlus | ||||||||||||
| EQF/MQF LEVEL | 4 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Medical and Dental Sciences | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will first introduce the student to the cellular components and processes that take place within selected organelles. It will cover the fundamentals of histology through the study of different types of tissues including connective and, epithelial tissues. Nuclear division and genetics will be studied using several case studies of Mendelian and non Mendelian inheritance. The unit also examines the growing role of molecular genetics in modern healthcare. Study-unit Aims: • To present students with an understanding of the structural and functional organisation of the cell and its components, including key molecular processes that underpin cellular activity; • To distinguish between selected tissue types and understand their structure, characteristics, and functional roles within the human body; • To assist students in understanding the principles of inheritance genetics through Mendelian and non‑Mendelian patterns, and to introduce foundational concepts in molecular genetics, including how molecular techniques inform modern healthcare practice; • To develop an appreciation of the clinical applications of molecular genetics, such as genetic screening, diagnostic testing, and the role of genetic information in personalised medicine. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the functions of the main cell organelles; - Describe the ultrastructure of a eukaryotic cell; - List the functions of cell membranes; - Identify the main methods of cellular transport; - Discuss the differences between the methods of cellular transport; - Give an explanation of why linked genes do not show independent inheritance; - Describe how sex is determined in humans; - Describe how haemophilia and colour blindness as examples of sex linked diseases are inherited; - Describe how cystic fibrosis as an example of monohybrid inheritance is inherited; - Describe how recombination can contribute to genetic variation; - Classify the four primary tissue types, the ways they differ from each other and some places where each can be found; - Briefly describe the main types of histological structures with examples of each; - List and classify types of epithelia and connective tissue and give examples of where each may be found; - Describe the way tissues are organized to form organ systems; - Describe the principles of molecular genetics and outline key techniques used to analyse genetic material (e.g., PCR, sequencing); - Describe how molecular genetics contributes to healthcare applications such as genetic screening, diagnosis and personalised medicine. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe complex biological processes relating to genetics both in writing and orally in good English; - Discuss the effects of selected common diseases on various body systems by applying the knowledge gained in this unit; - Visualise the three dimensional shape of a structure from a two dimensional tissue section; - Visually recognize each type of epithelium and connective tissue from histological slides; - Discuss the differences between the methods of cellular transport; - Apply molecular genetics concepts to explain how genetic variations can influence health, disease risk, and treatment options. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Mescher Anthony. Junqueira’s Basic Histology (15th edition or later): Text and Atlas. McGraw Hill. ISBN:978-1260026177 - Lewis Ricki. Human Genetics (13th edition or later). McGraw Hill. ISBN:9781260240894. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: As per Legal Notice 115 of Education Act (2009) | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study & Tutorial | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2026/7. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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