BC2023:03
Introductory Molecular Biology
Townsville
Prerequisites: CH1000 or CH1001 (BM1000 or BZ1020 strongly recommended)
Inadmissable Subject Combination: BC3022
36 lectures, 30 hours practicals. Second semester.
Staff: Dr S Vasudevan, Assoc. Professor G Meehan, Dr D Miller, Professor J Burnell.
The technology of molecular biology has had a major impact on every area of the life sciences, from medicine to ecology, so that knowledge of this area is now an essential component of degree programs in the biological and biomedical sciences. This is the foundation subject in molecular biology and provides a strong foundation in molecular biology for application in all fields of biology. It explores the structure of DNA, the mechanism of replication of DNA, genetic recombination and repair of DNA, transcription, translation, chromatin structure, comparison of eukaryotic and prokaryotic genome structure, the operon model, bacteriophage, viruses and techniques in recombinant DNA technology.
Learning Objectives:
- how genetic information is stored and propagated;
- the central dogma of molecular biology;
- elements of gene regulation based on the operon model;
- how bacteriophage and viruses have been important in the development of molecular biology;
- the applications of recombinant DNA techniques and their potential in basic science, medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.
Assessment by one three-hour examination (65%); tutorial sheets/essays (15%); practicals (20%).