Entry requirements

General entrance qualification 13 Chemistry 30 credits or equivalent Cell Biology 22.5 credits or equivalent

Learning outcomes

The course provides good knowledge of cell interactions during formation of various types of tissues and cellular specialisation with a focus on man and model organisms.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

• account for fertilisation, gastrulation, embryonic development and describe vertebrates organ development and how these processes are regulated.
• account for how signal transduction controls cell determination, differentiation and cell death.
• account for cell-cell interactions and cell-extracellular matrix interaction.
• account for the structure of different tissues.
• account for available methods to study relationships between genotype and phenotype in different model organisms.
• discuss ethical aspects of cloning and transgenic technique applications.
• at a general level account for, and illustrate, abnormalities in the regulation of cell division at the origin of cancer.

Skills and abilities:

• identify tissues and account for their structure and morphology through studies of histological preparations.
• describe and carry out simple dissection of chicken embryo.
• carry out and describe methods of studying cell interactions in culture.
• account for the theory behind practical exercises,independently design and carry out experiments, and be able to compile and interpret results in both written and oral form.

Judgement and approach:

• search, compile, present and critically review cell and tissue biology information.

Content

Embryology

Fertilisation, early embryo development and the development of the different organ systems, prenatal injuries, ethics.

Tissue biology

The social cell: cell adhesion, extracellular matrix, specialised cells and tissues, growth factors, embryonic induction, morphogenesis, germ cell and somatic cell, cell differentiation during the embryogenesis, transcriptional control, signal transduction, stem cells, model organisms for studies of the development of cells and tissues, histological analytical methods, basic genetics and genetic analysis, transgenic - and gene knock out techniques, the formation of cancer and tumour cells, angiogenesis and blood coagulation.

Laboratory work: simple dissection of chicken embryo under dissection microscope for identification of the different macrostructures of the chicken embryo. Studies of histological preparations through picture analysis program (microscopy software). Carry out methods to study integrin induced signals.

Training of individual oral and written presentation with individual feedback.

Instruction

The teaching is given through lectures, demonstrations, seminars, group presentations and laboratory sessions.

Seminars give an overview of subjects or specific issues and offer opportunity for questions and advanced study. The seminars are often in the form of group discussion, but the students should be able to present his or her overview of the subjects or the specific issues.

The group presentations are individual short oral presentations in groups (8-10 students) and are given under supervision with feedback on performance and writing.

The laboratory sessions with attached theory constitute an important part of the course. Written result presentation in the form of laboratory reports is submitted after laboratory session.

Histology/microscopy exercises are studies of scanned histological preparations of cells and tissues in picture analysis programs (microscopy software). Examination takes place in the form of histology tests.

Seminar presentations. Group assignments that are presented through an oral presentation of assigned subject and a short written compilation.

Teaching in the form of lectures and practical exercises are given in library science and in oral and written presentation techniques.

Assessment

The following is required to obtain a pass:

i) that the student has actively participated in and presented the compulsory parts of the course (laboratory sessions, passed written laboratory reports, properly completed histology exercises, seminars, group presentations and seminar presentations).

ii) passed written laboratory reports,

iii) approved tests and

iv) passed individual written examination on completion of the course. The written final examination covers all teaching subject matters on the course. Strong emphasis is placed on laboratory sessions and seminars with attached theory. Assessment/grading of the written examination takes place anonymously.

Students who fail to pass the examination have the right to retake the examination on 4 additional occasions (= a total of 5 examinations). If special circumstances apply, the programme committee may grant additional examination attempts. Each time the student participates in an examination counts as one examination attempt. Submission of a so called blank exam is counted as one examination.