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BIOL3521: ADVANCED TOPICS IN DEVELOPMENT

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Open
Level 3
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2023/24
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Biosciences

Prerequisites

  • Level 2 Development (BIOL2471); Level 2 Molecular Biology (BIOL2441)

Corequisites

  • At least one other Level 3 Biological Sciences Module selected from the following list: Behavioural Ecology BIOL3561, Conservation Biology BIOL3551, Ecology of the Anthropocene BIOL3541, Stress and Responses to the Environment BIOL3491, Crops for the Future BIOL3611, Biochemistry and Biotechnology BIOL3601, Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering BIOL3531, Ageing and Age-Related Diseases BIOL3591, Advanced Cell Biology BIOL3481, Biology of Disease BIOL3621, Genomics BIOL3651.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide an advanced theoretical overview of the mechanisms governing animal and plant development.
  • To study examples of the molecular and cellular controls which regulate animal and plant development in depth.

Content

  • Developmental biology of the mammalian epidermis.
  • Developmental biology of wound healing.
  • Development and disease.
  • Role of Hox genes in development.
  • Signalling pathways, stem cells and patterning in plant development..

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Advanced knowledge of the fundamental concepts and processes of developmental biology in animals and plants.
  • Advanced knowledge of the genes which determine developmental processes in animals and plants.
  • Advanced knowledge of the signalling pathways which regulate developmental processes in animals and plants.
  • Knowledge of pattern formation systems in development in animals and plants.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • To be able to interpret and analyse data from reverse genetics experiments.
  • To be able to relate changes at the level of the genome to changes in phenotype in developmental processes.
  • To be able to to interpret cell biological and genetic data in the context of understanding developmental mechanisms.

Key Skills:

  • Literacy, in being able to consult and extract information from printed and on-line archives.
  • Data analysis, in interpretation and critical analysis of data relevant to the genetci basis of development.
  • Self-motivation, in self-guided learning.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Lectures deliver subject-specific knowledge.
  • Workshops support the development of key and subject-specific skills.
  • Self-guided learning contributes to subject-specific knowledge and self-motivation.
  • Reports / Data Handling Exercises are based on subject-specific knowledge.
  • Unseen examinations demonstrate achievement of the appropriate level of subject-specific knowledge of development, with an emphasis on understanding and communication (essay and problem-based questions).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures24Weekly2 hours p/w24 
Workshops2Termly1 hour2Yes
Preparation & Reading174 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Unseen formal examination 2 hours100No

Formative Assessment

2 formative examination exercises of 1 hr each.

More information

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