Biology 250 DePaul University Dr. Stanley Cohn

Cell Biology SYLLABUS FOR BIOLOGY 250 Winter, 2000

Lecture: SAC 154 - T/Th 10:10 - 11:40

Lab Sections (all 2:30 - 5:30 PM) : McGowan 215

101-Mon 102-Tues 103-Wed 104-Thu

Phone: x7597 (773-325-7597 from outside DePaul)

email: scohn@condor.depaul.edu

Class Home Page at : http://condor.depaul.edu/~scohn/CellBio.html

TAs:

Joe Ogarek McGowan Room 204 x1161 e-mail: joeogarek@hotmail.com

Erik Sanstad McGowan Room 107 x7462 e-mail: palaquinn@aol.com

Amanda Kuster McGowan Room 210 x2188 e-mail: twoxred@msn.com

In this course we will attempt to understand the ways in which the cell, the basic unit of all living organisms, performs its large number of complex functions. We will be studying the organization of cells at several different levels.

The course will consist of 19 lectures which will be tentatively organized as follows (subject to change). Reading assignments are from the required text, Essential Cell Biology, Alberts, Bray, Johnson, Lewis, Raff, Roberts, & Walter, Garland Pub., 1998. In addition, there is a photocopied lab manual which will cover the lab exercises that will be performed. Additional reference material will be available on reserve in the library.

1. Introduction to Living Cells [Chapt. 1: 1-35]

2. Molecules of the Cell [Chapt. 2: 37-74]

3. Information in the Cell: The Central Dogma [Chapt. 7: 212-241]

4. Proteins I: Roles in the Cell [Chapt. 5: 134-180]

5. Proteins II: Energy and Enzymes [Chapt. 3: 79-106]

6. Proteins III: Enzyme Function II, Intro. to Membranes [Chapt. 11: 348-368]

8. Membranes II: Function and Ion Transport [Chapt. 15: 482-511]

9. Organization of the Cell I: Organelles [Chapt. 14: 448-479]

10. Organization of the Cell II: Cytoskeleton [Chapt. 16: 514-533]

11. Cell Division I: Cell Cycle and Mitosis [Chapt. 17: 549-563]

13. Energy Production I: Energy Flow & Electron Transport [Chapt. 4: 108-130]

14. Energy Production II: Mitochondria [Chapt. 13: 409-429]

15. Energy Production III: Chloroplasts [Chapt. 13: 430-444]

16. Mechanisms of Motility [Chapt. 16: 533-544]

17. Specialized Cell Function I: Muscle [Chap 16: 538-542]

18. Specialized Cell Function II: Nerve cell [Chapt. 12: 394-405]

19. Specialized Cell Function III: Cancer & Development [Chapt. 19: 613-628]

The list of labs associated with the lectures are (subject to modification or change):

Week 1 (Jan 10-13) - Microscope Principles - Searching for Cells

Week 2 (Jan 17-20) - Enzymes and ATP

Week 3 (Jan 24-27) - Membranes and Permeability

Week 4 (Jan 31-Feb 3) - Centrifugation & Separation

Week 5 (Feb 7-10) - Rates of Cell Growth

Week 6 (Feb 14-17) - Mitosis

Week 7 (Feb 21-24) - Mitochondrial Activity

Week 8 (Feb 28-Mar2) - Chlorophyll Separation

Week 9 (Mar 6-9) - Electrophoresis of Cellular Proteins

Most importantly, the purpose of this course is to think about cell biology. Like all sciences, biology is not so much a set of facts as it is a way of looking at the world around you. My objective is to teach (and test) not only the cold facts, but the underlying principles of cell biology, and the process of analyzing information.

Grading will be based on a point system using the following approximate distribution of points (subject to change):

Homework 15%

Midterm 25%

Laboratory 25%

Final 35%

At the end of the quarter, all points will be added and the final grade based on the total points achieved. Although the grades will be adjusted slightly based on the distribution of the class, the percentage of total possible points needed for each grade level (based on past years) are approximately: A-85%; B-75%; C-65%, D-50%; F<50%.

Homework will be required every week. It will be handed out on Tuesday (usually) and due back the following Tuesday. The homework will usually be returned within one week of its due date. The type of homework will vary week to week but will include essay questions and brief writing assignments based upon the material presented in lecture and the associated reading assignments form the text. It will often involve analysis of data. All homework will be open book and students are encouraged to work together to discuss and work out the homework problems. However, the final homework turned in must be the student's own understanding of the problem, and should be typed up by the students themselves. If at all possible the homework should be typewritten and include the student's signature somewhere on each page. Homework assignments will be graded on a 15 point scale, with a range of values approximately graded as 0 (unacceptable or not turned in), 5 (poor), 10 (good), 15 (excellent). Typically, this means that A level homework is an overall average of about 13-15; B level is an average of about 11-12; C level is about 8-10.

The Midterm and Final will each be 90 minute examinations consisting of true/false, matching, short answer, calculation, and essay questions. The Final will cover material from the first half of the course, while emphasizing material from the latter half as well as principles covered in the laboratory. No makeup exams will be given. All absences from examinations must be reported immediately to Dr. Cohn (not the TAs). The Midterm will be worth 250 points; the Final worth 350 points.

Midterm - in class on Tuesday February 8

Final - Thursday, March 16, from 11:45-2:00

Labs are mandatory and attendance will be taken each week, The students are responsible for reading and understanding all lab material prior to coming in for the lab. Labs in this course are intended to: help reinforce some of the principles described in lecture; develop proficiency and familiarity in some types of lab techniques; help you develop analytical and presentation skills.

Lab reports will be due each week. The purpose of the lab reports is to help you develop the writing and analytical needed to organize and present scientific material. These skills are important in any scientific field of endeavor. Reports are to be turned in to your TA in lab one week after the lab exercise. No late lab reports will be accepted. However, because writing lab reports is a learned skill that often takes practice, the lab reports for the first two labs can be redone and resubmitted after they are returned to you. This will allow you to improve upon the first two reports, and possibly receive a better score if you wish to do so. Resubmission is not mandatory, it is simply a way by which those students who feel they could improve on their lab report skills can do so the first two weeks without any penalty. Any lab reports resubmitted to the TA must be submitted within one week of receiving the first report; it also does not take away from the responsibility to turn in the original lab reports that are due each week. The TAs will be responsible for grading the lab assignments and will assist in assigning a grade for the laboratory portion of the course. Punctual attendance at all laboratories is mandatory. You must go to your assigned lab unless receiving prior permission from Dr. Cohn

Each lab report is worth 20 points and will be graded on the scale of 0 (not turned in), 5 (poor), 10 (fair), 15 (good), 20 (excellent). In this sense, an "A" level grade would be an overall average in the 17-20 range, a "B" would be in the 15-17 range, etc. In addition, up to 10 pts will be awarded each week for lab attendance and participation. Active participation and indications of sincere and lively inquiry will be required to receive the full 10 points. Simply going through the lab and following the protocol will not be enough to get the full 10 points. Arriving late, leaving early, letting your lab partner do all the work, and sleeping under the table will all be considered valid reasons for reducing your participation grade. Further information on writing up lab reports is mentioned in the lab manual. Please ask Dr. Cohn or one of the TAs if you have any questions about the labs or how to write them up. Examples of good and poor lab reports will be on reserve in the library.

This year we will again have our own in-class hypernewsgroup. You are encouraged to actively participate in any and all questions and discussion on any topic relating to cells or organisms. It's a great way to also interact with fellow students on topics and questions. Give it a try.

First get to our Bio 250 Home Page (at http://condor.depaul.edu/~scohn/CellBio.html) on the WEB and click on the link to our hypernews group. Ask a question, respond to a comment, or pose a perfectly perplexing problem to your peers. Join the fun and visit often. It is likely that many general comments to the class will be posted here. it will also be the site at which comments, discussions, and answers to homework problems and labs will be posted so look in often.

Several cell biology textbooks, other than the one used for the course, will be on reserve in the library. In addition, former midterm and finals, answers to previous homeworks, and examples of lab writeups, will be on reserve at various times throughout the quarter. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these materials as they become available. Please feel free to suggest to Dr. Cohn or one of the TAs any other material you think would be useful to put on reserve.

The textbook has an associated CD-ROM this year. There are lots of good video sequences that are on the CD and I encourage you to view the sequences that relate to the material we are covering. I will try to mention each week the CD material that I think would be good to view.

Education is a two-way experience, where students and instructors must both be actively engaged to get the full value of the course. It is expected that each student will respect the desire of all students to maintain an atmosphere conducive to a worthwhile and exciting learning experience. As such, each student is expected to arrive promptly, avoid unnecessary disruptions (such as numerous or inappropriate arrivals or departures during the course of the class), and avoid mass exodus during Dr. Cohn's jokes.

It is important for students to understand the serious nature of plagiarism. This course adheres to the University's policies on plagiarism as stated in the current Bulletin/Student Handbook. If there is any question about plagiarism or proper acknowledgments, feel free to consult the instructor or one of the TAs. However, it is important to reiterate that copying answers directly from a textbook or article without citation is a form of plagiarism. It is also important to restate that it is not acceptable for any student to copy directly or paraphrase directly from another student for either homework or lab reports.

Instructor Office Hours by appointment

McGowan Room 213, x 7597 ( 773-325-7597 )

Location and Office Hours of TAs will be announced in class.

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the dynamic nature of cells and their components. It is hoped that the students will ask questions and give comments to the instructor and TAs in order to make the learning opportunity as worthwhile and enjoyable as possible. Please feel free at any time to call, write, or stop by to see the instuctor or one of the TAs with any comments. concerns, or corrections you want to bring up. We're all in this together. With luck, we'll not only learn a lot, but have a lot of fun as well.