BMS 503
Flow of Cellular Information (3) Teaches concepts underlying the inheritance, transmission and translation of genetic information.
BMS 503 Flow of Cellular Information (3)
Medicine in the 21st century must incorporate an understanding of the genetic information that underlies all biological processes in every cell, tissue, and organism together with an appreciation of how genetic differences impact complex cellular pathways and individual traits or disorders. Further, with the culmination of the human genome project and high-throughput analysis this information can now be considered in the context of whole genomes and proteomes. This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the basic processes that covert this genetic DNA information to produce RNA and proteins and the genetic principals that underlie transmission of this information at each cell division and to subsequent generations. This topic is of importance for all biomedical disciplines.
The course explores how DNA is inherited, replicated, transcribed, translated, mutated, repaired, and manipulated, and how this information is utilized by cells, tissues and organisms and in the context of genomes and populations. Central dogma (DNA to protein) is studied with a focus on mechanisms by which these processes are controlled. Other topics include non-coding RNAs and protein degradation. Course objectives include understanding the mechanisms of how these processes occur and how they are regulated; developing an appreciation for the genetic and molecular biology approaches that have allowed insight into these processes.
The flow of cellular information is one of three thematic courses that comprise the fall semester. The course is taught in approximately three blocks, with review sessions and examinations following each block. Exams are designed to determine mastery of the subject matter and to evaluate the ability to solve problems and logically address research questions. The principles and skills learned through successful completion of the course help prepare students for advanced graduate courses and graduate research careers.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.