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Cell Biology

Purpose of Course  showclose

Course Information  showclose

Learning Outcomes  showclose

Course Requirements  showclose

• Unit 1
• Unit 2
• Unit 3
• Unit 4
• Unit 5
• Unit 6
• Unit 7
• Unit 8
• Unit 9
• Unit 10
• Unit 11
• Final Exam
• All Units

Unit Outline show close

Unit 1: Review of Basic Concepts  

This unit reintroduces concepts you learned in your introductory biology and chemistry courses.  It should serve as a refresher for those of you who have not studied these concepts for some time.

Unit 1 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 1 Learning Outcomes   show close


1.1 Biology  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information's Bookshelf: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Molecular Composition of Cells”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information's Bookshelf: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Molecular Composition of Cells” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this chapter, along with all associated figures (Figs. 2.1-2.21).  It will cover the material in subunits 1.1.1-1.1.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.1 Amino Acids  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Protein” section.

1.1.2 Four Levels of Protein Structures  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Protein” section

1.1.3 Carbohydrates  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Carbohydrate” section.

1.1.4 ATP  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Nucleic acids” section.

1.1.5 DNA  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Nucleic acids” section

1.1.6 RNA  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.1.  Focus specifically on the “Nucleic acids” section

1.2 Chemistry  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell, A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Metabolic Energy”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell, A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Metabolic Energy” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: In “Metabolic Energy,” read the introduction (one paragraph) and the sections entitled “Free Energy and ATP” and “The Generation of Energy from Glucose,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 2.31-2.35).  Do not concern yourself with memorizing the reactions.  This reading covers the topics outlined in subunits 1.2.1-1.2.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 

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1.2.1 pH  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.2.

1.2.2 First- and Second-Order Reactions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.2.

1.2.3 Free Energy  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.2.  Focus specifically on the “Free Energy and ATP” section.

1.2.4 Chemical Bonds  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.2.

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Unit 1 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Unit 1 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete this quiz after working through Unit 1.  The questions are either  multiple choice or matching.  When you are done, check your work against the Saylor Foundation's "Unit 1 Quiz Answer Key (PDF)."

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 2: The Cell Membrane  

Organisms must be able to maintain homeostasis, or a constant internal environment, in order to survive.  Cells achieve homeostasis by creating a barrier to the outside world—a cell membrane—that enables them to protect their internal environment from external forces.  In fact, cells “die” when the cell membrane’s integrity is destroyed or compromised.  In this unit, you will learn about the membrane and its properties.  You will discover that it serves as much more than just a wall—it also transports nutrients, exports waste, carries signals, and much more. 

Unit 2 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 2 Learning Outcomes   show close


2.1 Membrane Components  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell, A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell Membranes”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell, A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell Membranes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsections “Membrane Lipids” and “Membrane Proteins,” along with all associated figures and tables (Figs. 2.45-2.48 and Table 2.3).  These will cover the material in 2.1-2.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Structures: Lipids”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Structures: Lipids” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage, and click on “View in iTunes” for item 42 titled Lecture 1 “Membrane Structure: Lipids.”  Because the beginning of this, the first lecture of the course, covers irrelevant topics such as office hours, if you can, you should begin viewing the lecture 6 minutes and 30 seconds into the video.
   
  The video will cover the material in 2.1, 2.2, and all inclusive subunits.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.1 Lipids, Sphingolipids, Glycolipids  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.  Focus specifically on the “Membrane Lipids” and “Membrane Proteins” sections in the reading.

2.1.2 Sterols  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.

2.1.3 Triglycerides  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.

2.2 Fluid Mosaic Model  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.

2.2.1 Bilayer  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.  Focus specifically on the “Membrane Proteins” section in the reading.

2.2.2 Lipid Asymmetry  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 2.1.

2.3 Membrane Proteins  

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Structures: Proteins”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Structures: Proteins” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 41, and select “View in iTunes” for Lecture 2: “Membrane Structure: Proteins.”  Please view this entire lecture.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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2.3.1 Peripheral Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.1.  Focus specifically on the “Membrane Proteins” section

2.3.2 Integral Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.1.  Focus specifically on the “Membrane Proteins” section

2.4 Membrane Pumps  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Transport of Small Molecules”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Transport of Small Molecules” (Chapter 12) (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this section, along with all associated figures (Figs.12.15-12.33).  This will cover the materials in subunits 2.4-2.7
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 
  

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Transport: Permeases and Channels”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Transport: Permeases and Channels” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage, and click on “View in iTunes” for item number 39 titled Lecture 4 “Membrane Transport: Permeases and Channels.”  Please view this video in its entirety
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4.1 Primary Transporters  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.

2.4.2 Bacteriorhodopsin  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Chapter 3: Membrane Proteins”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Chapter 3: Membrane Proteins” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to and read the section titled “Many Integral Proteins Contain Multiple Transmembrane α Helices.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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2.4.3 ATP-Drive Pumps  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.  Focus on the “Active Transport Driven by ATP Hydrolysis” section

2.4.4 ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette) Transporters  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.  Focus on the “Active Transport Driven by ATP Hydrolysis” section and Figure 12.30.ABC transporters are important to the study of bacteria and immunology.  You may have heard of “super germs,” or germs that are resistant to many of the antibiotics that doctors give to patients with infections.  Super germs are antibiotic-resistant, because they have special ABC transporters that are designed to pump the drug out of the bacteria, reducing or even negating its effects

2.5 Membrane Carriers  

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Transport: Nucleocytoplasmic Exchange”

  Link: UC Berkeley:  Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Transport: Nucleocytoplasmic Exchange” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 38 titled Lecture 5 “Membrane Transport: Nucleocytoplasmic Exchange,” and select “View in iTunes” for this lecture.  Please view this lecture in its entirety.  This will cover the material in subunits 2.5, 2.6, and all inclusive subunits
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.5.1 Uniporters, Antiporters, Symporters  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4 and the video assigned in subunit 2.5.  Focus specifically on the “Active Transport Driven by Ion Gradients” section of the reading.

2.5.2 GLUT1 and GLUT4 (GLUcose Transporters)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned in subunit 2.5.

2.6 Membrane Channels  

2.6.1 Sodium Channels  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Purves, Augustine, Fitzpatrick, et al.’s (ed.) Neuroscience 2nd Edition: “Chapter 4: The Molecular Structure of Ion Channels”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Purves, Augustine, Fitzpatrick, et al.’s (ed.) Neuroscience 2^nd Edition: “Chapter 4: The Molecular Structure of Ion Channels” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entire webpage.  The reading also covers the topic outlined in subunit 2.6.2.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.6.2 Potassium Channels  

Note: This topic is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.6.1

2.6.3 Leak Channels and Membrane Potential  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology: “Section 15.4: Intracellular Ion Environment and Membrane Potential”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology: “Section 15.4: Intracellular Ion Environment and Membrane Potential” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage, and read the section titled “The Membrane Potential in Animal Cells Depends Largely on Resting K⁺ Channels.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above

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2.6.4 Water Channel  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology: “Section 15.8: Osmosis, Water Channels, and the Regulation of Cell Volume”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology: “Section 15.8: Osmosis, Water Channels, and the Regulation of Cell Volume” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage, and read the section titled “Water Channels Are Necessary for Bulk Flow of Water across Cell Membranes.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.7 Membrane Physiology  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.

2.7.1 Glucose Transport in Intestines  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.  Focus specifically on the “Active Transport Driven by Ion Gradients” section.

2.7.2 Synthesis of ATP in Mitochondria  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.  Focus specifically on the “Active Transport Driven by ATP Hydrolysis” section.

• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: In the “Cell Membranes” tutorial, answer questions 1-13.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 3: Cell Signaling  

Cells must be able to adapt to changes in the external environment.  Cells in multicellular organisms must even be able to communicate with one another and cooperate in order to carry out functions.  In fact, all of your body’s activities (from flexing a muscle to releasing stomach acid) rely on cellular communication or cell signaling.  In this unit, we will discuss the ways in which cells talk to one another and respond to the environment.  Note that this is a large and complex unit with a number of new terms. 

Unit 3 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 3 Learning Outcomes   show close


3.1 Basic Types of Cell Signaling  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Signaling Molecules and Their Receptors”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.:Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Signaling Molecules and Their Receptors” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Modes of Cell-Cell Signaling.” This resource will cover the topics outlined in subunits 3.1.2 and 3.1.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 
  

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Cell Communication”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Cell Communication” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Watch Lecture 30 (“Cell Communication: ligand and receptors”).
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.1.1 Juxtacrine Signaling  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: S.F. Gilbert’s Developmental Biology, 6e: “Juxtracrine Signaling”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: S.F. Gilbert’s Developmental Biology, 6e: “Juxtracrine Signaling” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the section titled “The Notch Pathway: Juxtaposed Ligands and Receptors.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.1.2 Paracrine Signaling  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1.

3.1.3 Endocrine Signaling  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1.

3.2 Receptors  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Functions of Cell Surface Receptors”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.:Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Functions of Cell Surface Receptors” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of the section.  This will cover the material in 3.2-3.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 
  

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Receptors”

  Link:  UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Receptors”
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 13 titled Lecture 31: “Receptors,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this lecture in its entirety.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.1 G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “G Protein-Coupled Receptors” section.

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling I”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling I” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 12 titled Lecture 32: “G Protein Receptor Signaling I,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the lecture in its entirety.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the "Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases” section.

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling” (YouTube)
   
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 10 titled Lecture 34: “Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the video in its entirety.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.3 Cytokine Receptors  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Cytokine Receptors and Nonreceptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases” section.

3.2.4 Receptor Serine/Threonine Kinases  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section.

3.2.5 Guanylyl Cyclase Receptors  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section

3.2.6 TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) Receptor Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section.  What we now call the TNF family of receptors was first identified as a single receptor capable of inducing death in cancer cells (hence the name—necrosis means “death”).  Since then, researchers have discovered a number of similar receptors, all of which have cancer-fighting properties.

3.3 Reversible Phosphorylation  

3.3.1 Kinase and Phosphatase Cycle  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section

3.3.2 Serine and Threonine Phosphorylation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section

3.3.3 Tyrosine Phosphorylation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section

3.3.4 Regulation of Kinases and Phosphatases  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “Receptors Linked to Other Enzymatic Activities” section

3.3.5 GTPase (Guanosine TriPhosphatase) Cycle  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “G Protein-Coupled Receptors” section

3.3.6 Trimeric G (Guanosine) Protein Cycle  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.2.  Focus on the “G Protein-Coupled Receptors” section

3.4 Secondary Messengers  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Pathways of Intracellular Transduction”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Pathways of Intracellular Transduction” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsections “cAMP Pathway,” “Cyclic GMP,” "Phospholipids and Ca2+”, and “Ras, Raf, and the MAP Kinase Pathway.” These will cover the materials in 3.4-3.5.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 
  

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3.4.1 Cyclic Nucleotides  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “cAMP Pathway: Second Messengers and Protein Phosphorylation” and “Cyclic GMP” sections. Cyclic nucleotides refer mainly to cAMP and cGMP, both of which are created by specific cyclase enzymes.

3.4.2 Lipid-Derived Secondary Messengers  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “Phospholipids and Ca2+” section.  You should know the following important classes of lipid-derived secondary messengers: phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and sphingomyelin.  Each of these classes has its own set of messengers.  The PI class, for example, includes inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG), among others.

3.4.3 Calcium  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “Phospholipids and Ca²⁺” section.

3.4.4 Nitric Oxide  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “Cyclic GMP” section

3.5 Integrated Signaling Pathways  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.

3.5.1 Light Signal Transduction Inside Photoreceptor Cells  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “Cyclic GMP” section.

3.5.2 Epinephrine and Norepinephrine Pathways Inside Muscle  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “cAMP Pathway: Second Messengers and Protein Phosphorylation” section.

3.5.3 MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase) Pathway  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.4.  Focus on the “Ras, Raf, and the MAP Kinase Pathway” section

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Ras-MAP Kinase Pathway”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Ras-MAP Kinase Pathway” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 9 titled Lecture 35: “The Ras-MAP Kinase Pathway,” and select “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture. 
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.6 Synaptic Transmission at Neuromuscular Junction  

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Synaptic Transmission”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Synaptic Transmission” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item number 29 titled Lecture 13: “Synaptic Transmission,” and select “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley. This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: In the “Cell Signaling” tutorial, answer questions 1-4 and 6-12.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Unit 3 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Unit 3 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete this quiz after working through Unit 3.  The questions are either  multiple choice or matching.  When you are done, check your work against the Saylor Foundation's "Unit 3 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 4: The Extracellular Matrix (ECM)  

Different types of cells produce and secrete different molecules that can alter their external environment.  An environment that has been altered in this way is known as the extracellular matrix.  The matrix’s main purpose is to form an ordered network for physical support, but it also plays a role in signaling, immunity, and wound healing.  There are five main classes of ECM molecules; all ECMs are comprised of some combination of these five types.

Unit 4 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 4 Learning Outcomes   show close


4.1 ECM Molecules  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell Walls and the Extracellular Matrix”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell Walls and the Extracellular Matrix” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “The Extracellular Matrix,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 12.51-12.61).  This reading covers the topics outlined in subunits 4.1, 4.2, and all inclusive subunits.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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4.1.1 Collagen  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.  Focus on Figures 12.52 –12.55 and Table 12.2.

4.1.2 Elastic Fibers  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.

4.1.3 Proteoglycans  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.  Focus on Figure 12.57.

4.1.4 Hyaluronan  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.  Focus on Figure 12.57.

4.1.5 Adhesive Glycoproteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1

4.2 Basal Lamina  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.  Focus on Figure 12.51.

4.3 Cellular Adhesion  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell-Cell Interactions”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Cell-Cell Interactions” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsections “Cell Adhesion Proteins,” “Tight Junctions,” and “Gap Junctions” and click on all associated figures and tables (Figs. 12.62-12.66 and Table 12.3).  These will cover the material in 4.3-4.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 
  

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Cell Adhesion, Motility, and Division”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Cell Adhesion, Motility, and Division” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 22 titled Lecture 21: “Cell Adhesion, Motility, and Division,” and select “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture, which covers subunits 4.3, 4.4, and all inclusive subunits.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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4.3.1 Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAMs)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.  Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section and Figures 12.62-12.64 and Table 12.3

4.3.2 Immunoglobulin CAM (Ig-CAM)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.  Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section.

4.3.3 Cadherin Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section and Figure 12.64.

4.3.4 Integrin Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section.

4.3.5 Selectin Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section.

4.4 Intercellular Junctions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.

4.4.1 Tight Junctions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.  Focus on the “Tight Junctions” section and Figure 12.65.

4.4.2 Gap Junctions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.  Focus on the “Gap Junctions” section and Figure 12.66.

4.4.3 Adherens Junctions and Desmosomes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.3.  Focus on the “Cell Adhesion Proteins” section.

4.5 ECM and Connective Tissue  

4.5.1 Loose Connective Tissue (LCT)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 4.1.  Focus on the “The Extracellular Matrix” section.  There are substantial differences between loose and dense connective tissue.  Dense tissue is largely comprised of collagen (type I), while loose connective tissue has as equalamounts of elastic fibers and collagen.  DCT makes up ligaments and tendons, while LCT surrounds nearly every internal organ in the body.

4.5.2 Dense Connective Tissue (DCT)  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: B. Alberts, et al.’s Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4e “The Extracellular Matrix of Animals”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: B. Alberts, et al.’s Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4e “The Extracellular Matrix of Animals” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage a little more than half-way, and read the section titled “Cells Help Organize the Collagen Fibrils They Secrete by Exerting Tension on the Matrix,” as well as view the associated figure.
  
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Unit 5: The Cytoskeleton  

The cytoskeleton, as the name suggests, provides the physical support for the interior of the cell.  You might think of it as “cellular skeleton.”  There are three main types of support molecules: actin, tubulin, and intermediate filaments.  All the muscles fibers in your body are mainly composed of these support molecules.  These molecules also build an internal highway within the cell, upon which almost everything is transported.  This unit will explore all three molecules in detail and provide some important examples of what they combine to create.

Unit 5 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 5 Learning Outcomes   show close


• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: In the “Cytoskeleton” tutorial, under “Test Yourself (5 problems)”, answer questions 1 and 3-5.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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5.1 Cytoskeleton Molecules  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Cytoskeleton and Cell Movement”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Cytoskeleton and Cell Movement” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction.  This will cover the material in subunits 5.1.1-5.1.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Actin Filaments: Structural and Dynamic Properties”

  Link:  UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Actin Filaments: Structural and Dynamic Properties” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 26 titled Lecture 17: “Actin Filaments: Structural and Dynamic Properties,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the video in its entirety, which will also cover the topics outlined in subunits 5.1.1-5.1.3.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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5.1.1 Actin  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.1.

5.1.2 Tubulin  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.1.

5.1.3 Intermediate Filaments  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.1.

5.2 Actin Family  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Structure and Organization of Actin Filaments”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Structure and Organization of Actin Filaments” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsections “Assembly and Disassembly,” “Organization,” and “Association of Actin Filaments” along with all associated figures (Figs. 11.1-11.14).  These will cover the material in 5.2.1-5.2.5 and 5.5.1.
   
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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Actin-Binding Proteins and Cell Migration”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Actin-Binding Proteins and Cell Migration” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 25 titled Lecture 18: “Actin Binding Proteins and Cell Migration,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture, which also covers the topics outlined in subunit 5.5.1.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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5.2.1 Actin Polymerization  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.  Focus on the “Assembly and Disassembly of Actin Filaments” section and Figures 11.2 and 11.3.

5.2.2 Actin Binding Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.  Focus on the “Assembly and Disassembly of Actin Filaments” section and Figure 11.5.

5.2.3 Actin Filament Capping Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.

5.2.4 Actin Filament Severing Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.

5.2.5 Actin Filament Cross-Linking (or “Bundling”) Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.  Focus on the “Organization of Actin Filaments” section and Figure 11.6.

5.3 Tubulin  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Microtubules”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Microtubules” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsections “Structure, Assembly, and Dynamic Instability” and “Stabilization of Microtubules,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 11.37, 11.38, and 11.44).  These will cover the material in 5.3.1-5.3.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Microtubules: Structure and Dynamic Properties”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Microtubules: Structure and Dynamic Properties” (YouTube)
   
  Also available in:
  Tunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 20 titled Lecture 23: “Microtubules: Structure and Dynamic Properties,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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5.3.1 Microtubule Assembly from GTP Tubulin  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.3.  Focus on the “Structure, Assembly, and Dynamic Instability of Microtubules” section and Figure 11.38.

5.3.2 Microtubule Associated Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.3.  Focus on the “Stabilization of Microtubules and Cell Polarity” section.

5.3.3 Microtubule Destabilizing and Stabilizing Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.3.  Focus on the “Stabilization of Microtubules and Cell Polarity” section.

5.4 Intermediate Filaments  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Intermediate Filaments”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Intermediate Filaments” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Intermediate Filament Proteins,” along with Figure 11.31.  These will cover the material in 5.4.1-5.4.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Intermediate Filaments and Septins”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Intermediate Filaments and Septins” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 21 titled Lecture 22: “Intermediate Filaments and Septins,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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5.4.1 Rod Domains  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.4.

5.4.2 Lamins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.4.

5.4.3 Desmins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.4.

5.4.4 Keratins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.4.

5.5 Cytoskeletal Models  

Note: This topic is covered by the materials linked in the inclusive subunits below.

5.5.1 Treadmilling  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 5.2.  Focus on the “Assembly and Disassembly of Actin Filaments” section and Figure 11.4.Treadmilling is a process in which actin and tubulin units appear to be “walking.”  This occurs when individual units fall off one end (the minus end) while units add to the other end (the plus end), resulting in a motion that resembles walking.

5.5.2 Filopodia and Lamellipodia  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Actin, Myosin, and Cell Movement”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Actin, Myosin, and Cell Movement” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection entitled “Cell Crawling.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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5.5.3 Desmosomes and Hemidesmosomes  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Intermediate Filaments”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Intermediate Filaments” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Intracellular Organization of Intermediate Filaments,” along with Figure 11.34.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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5.5.4 Skeletal Muscle Filament  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Actin, Myosin, and Cell Movement”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Actin, Myosin, and Cell Movement” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection entitled “Muscle Contraction.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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5.5.5 Kinesin-Dynein  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Microtubule Motors and Movements”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Microtubule Motors and Movements” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsections “Identification of Microtubule Motor Proteins,” “Organelle Transport,” and “Cilia and Flagella,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 11.45-11.47 and 11.50-11.53).  These will cover the material in subsections 5.5.5-5.5.7.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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5.5.6 Flagella  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5.5.  Focus specifically on the “Cilia and Flagella” section of the reading.

5.5.7 Cilia  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5.5.  Focus specifically on the “Cilia and Flagella” section of the reading.

• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: In the “Cytoskeleton” tutorial, under “Test Yourself (5 problems)”, answer questions 1 and 3-5.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 5 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 5 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 5 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 5.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 5 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 6: The Cell Nucleus and Gene Expression  

As you learned in BIO101, the cell nucleus is the storage area for all genetic material and constantly full of activity.  The nucleus in fact contains not only DNA, but RNA and protein as well.  This unit will take a detailed look at chromosomes, the cell nucleus, gene expression, and expression regulation.  When we refer to “expression regulation,” we are talking about the fact that not all genes are expressed in the cell at the same time.  After all, though a liver cell and a nerve cell have the same genome (and thus the same DNA), they look and act completely differently.  How does this happen?  The answer is regulated gene expression!

Unit 6 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 6 Learning Outcomes   show close


6.1 Chromosome Organization  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chromosomes and Chromatin” “Chromosomes and Chromatin”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chromosomes and Chromatin” “Chromosomes and Chromatin” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsection “Chromatin,” along with Table 4.3 and all associated figures (Figs. 4.8-4.14).  This will cover the material in 6.1.1-6.1.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: iTunes U: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Nuclear and Chromatin Structure”

  Link: iTunes U: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Nuclear and Chromatin Structure” (iTunes U)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 18 titled Lecture 25: “Nuclear and Chromatin Structure,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this video lecture in its entirety.  Please note that the first few minutes of the video lecture deals with class administration issues and will not be necessary to view.  This material covers the topics outlined in 6.1, 6.2, and all inclusive subunits.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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6.1.1 DNA and Histones  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1. 

6.1.2 Nucleosome  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1. 

6.1.3 30-nm Fiber  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1. 

6.1.4 Loop Domain Model  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1. 

6.1.5 Nuclear Scaffolding  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1. 

6.1.6 Euchromatin and Heterochromatin  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1.  Be sure to remember that euchromatin is for active gene use and heterochromatin is for genes that are inactivated or not in use.

6.2 Nuclear Organization  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nuclear Envelope and the Traffic between the Nucleus and Cytoplasm”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nuclear Envelope and the Traffic between the Nucleus and Cytoplasm” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsections “Structure of the Nuclear Envelope”, “The Nuclear Pore Complex,” and “Selective Transport of Proteins to and from the Nucleus” along with all associated figures (Figs. 8.1-8.11).  These will cover the materials in 6.2.1.-6.2.4.
   
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6.2.1 Inner and Outer Membrane  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2.  Focus on Figure 8.1.

6.2.2 Nuclear Pores  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2.  Focus on Figure 8.2.

6.2.3 Nucleoplasm  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2.  Focus on Figure 8.8.

6.2.4 Nuclear Lamina  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2.  Focus on Figure 8.4.

6.2.5 Nucleolus  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nucleolus”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nucleolus” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Ribosomal RNA Genes and the Organization of the Nucleolus,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 8.22-8.24).
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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6.3 Gene Expression Transcription Unit  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases and General Transcription Factors”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases and General Transcription Factors” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and subsections “Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases” and “General Transcription Factors and the Initiation of Transcription by RNA Polymerase II,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 6.12-6.14).  This will cover the material in 6.3.1-6.3.5.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: MIT OpenCourseware: Professor Graham Walker’s “Lecture 13: Gene Regulation I”

  Link: MIT OpenCourseware: Professor Graham Walker’s “Lecture 13: Gene Regulation I” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  MPEG4 (MP4) and OGG
  iTunes U Video, and Transcript
  
  Instructions: Watch the entire video lecture (about 50 minutes) on MIT’s Opencourseware website.  You may also click on the tab titled “Transcript” to read the transcript in HTML or to click on “Download” to access the PDF file.  This lecture will cover the topics outlined in subunits 6.3.1-6.3.3
   
  Terms of Use: Graham Walker, 7.014 Introductory Biology, Spring 2005. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed January 11, 2011). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.

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6.3.1 RNA Polymerase II  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.3

6.3.2 General Transcription Factors  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.3.  Focus on “General Transcription Factors and Initiation of Transcription by RNA Polymerase II” section of the reading.

6.3.3 DNA Binding Domains  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.3.

6.3.4 RNA Maturation  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Translation of mRNA” and “RNA Processing and Turnover”

  Links: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Translation of mRNA” and “RNA Processing and Turnover” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: From “Translation of RNA,” read the introduction and the subsections “The Ribosome,” “Organization of mRNAs” (first paragraph only), and “The Process of Translation,” along with associated figures (Figs. 7.4-7.6 and 7.8-7.14).  Read the section “RNA Processing and Turnover” in its entirety, along with all associated figures (Figs. 6.37-6.38).  These will cover the material in 6.3.5-6.3.7.
   
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6.3.5 Ribosome  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3.4.  Focus on “Translation of mRNA.”

6.3.6 Translation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3.4.  Focus on “Translation of mRNA.”

6.3.7 Protein Folding  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3.4.

6.4 Regulation of Gene Expression  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: “Regulation of Transcription in Eukaryotes”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: “Regulation of Transcription in Eukaryotes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this section in its entirety, along with all associated figures (Figs. 6.18-6.36).  This will cover the material in 6.4.1-6.4.4.  Please note that, although they are not described as such, the “Relationship of Chromatin Structure to Transcription” and “DNA Methylation” are examples of epigenetic regulation.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: MIT OpenCourseware: Professor Graham Walker’s “Lecture 14: Gene Regulation II”

  Link: MIT OpenCourseware: Professor Graham Walker’s “Lecture 14: Gene Regulation II” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  MPEG4 (MP4) and OGG
  iTunes U Video, and Transcript
  
  Instructions: Watch the entire video lecture (about 47:30 minutes) on MIT’s Opencourseware website.  You may also click on the tab titled “Transcript” to read the transcript in HTML or to click on “Download” to access the PDF file.  Please note that this lecture also covers the topics outlined in subunits 6.4.1-6.4.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Graham Walker, 7.014 Introductory Biology, Spring 2005. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed January 11, 2011). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.

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6.4.1 Epigenetic Regulation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.4.  Focus on the “Relationship of Chromatin Structure to Transcription” and “DNA Methylation” sections of the reading.

6.4.2 Post-transcriptional Modifications  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.4.

6.4.3 Repressors and Enhancers  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.4.  Focus on “Eukaryotic Repressors” and cis-Acting Regulatory Sequences: Promoters and Enhancers” sections of the reading.

6.4.4 Inducible Systems  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 6.4.  Focus on “Structure and Function of Transcriptional Activators” section.

• Assessment: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions - The Nucleus” and “Questions – RNA Synthesis and Processing”

  Links: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions - The Nucleus” and “Questions – RNA Synthesis and Processing” (both HTML)
  
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-5).  Please note that answers are posted directly below the questions asked; try to cover them while you answer the questions yourself.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Web Media: Studio Daily: XVIVO and Harvard University’s “The Inner Life of a Cell”

  Link: Studio Daily: XVIVO and Harvard University’s “The Inner Life of a Cell” (Flash)
  
  Instructions: Please note that this resource is optional.  Watch this short (eight-minute), un-narrated video to visualize the processes occurring daily within a eukaryotic cell.  This video was created by animators as XVIVO after consultation with cell and molecular biologists at Harvard University, in order to illustrate the workings of a cell.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 6 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 6 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 6 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 6.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 6 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 7: Mitosis and Cytokinesis  

Every cell in your body has the capacity to divide and make new cells.  Mitosis is the process by which one cell turns into two identical ones.  Because of mitosis, most cells in your body don’t live past a few months.  In other words, despite your chronological age, your body is really just a few months old!  

Mitosis is split into four phases.  This unit will carefully explore each phase, ending with cytokinesis, whereby the cell membrane will pinch itself off and split in half in order to produce two separate cells.

Unit 7 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 7 Learning Outcomes   show close


• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach: “The Events of M Phase”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach: “The Events of M Phase” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Read the section in its entirety, along with all associated figures (Figs. 14.23-14.31).  This reading will cover the topics outlined in subunits 7.1-7.7, and all inclusive subunits.
  
  Terms of Use: “Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Mitosis and Cell Division”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Mitosis and Cell Division” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 17 titled Lecture 26: “Mitosis and Cell Division,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the entire video lecture.  Note that this lecture covers topics outlined in subunits 7.1-7.7, and all inclusive subunits.
  
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: Professor Harvey Lodish et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Microtubule Dynamics and Motor Proteins during Mitosis.”

  Link:Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: Professor Harvey Lodish et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Microtubule Dynamics and Motor Proteins during Mitosis.” 
   
  Instructions: Read the section in its entirety, along with associated figures. This will cover material in subunits 7.2-7.7.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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7.1 Open Mitosis and Closed Mitosis  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 7 introduction.

7.2 Prophase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 7 introduction. Focus on the “Stages of Mitosis” section of the reading.

7.2.1 Nuclear Condensation and Condensin  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “MPF and Progression to Metaphase” section of the reading. This subunit is covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the first section and the “The Kinetochore is a specialized attachment site at the chromosome centromere” section.

7.2.2 Cytoplasmic Changes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “MPF and Progression to Metaphase” section of the reading.

7.3 Prometaphase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. This subunit is covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Kinetichores generate the force for poleward chromosome movement” section.

7.3.1 Nuclear Envelope  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “MPF and Progression to Metaphase” section of the reading. This subunit is covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Astral Microtubules determine where cytokinesis takes place” section.

7.3.2 Spindle Assembly  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. This subunit is covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Formation of poles and capture of chromosomes are key events in spindle assembly” section.

7.3.3 Chromosome Attachment  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Stages of Mitosis” section of the reading. This subunit is covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “The kinetochore is a specialized attachment site at the chromosome centromere” section.

7.4 Metaphase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “MPF and Progression to Metaphase” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7.

7.4.1 Metaphase Plate  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “MPF and Progression to Metaphase” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Kinetochores generate the force for poleward chromosome movement” section.

7.4.2 Chromosomal Oscillations and Microtubule Flux  

Note: This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7.  Focus on the section titled “Kinetochores Generate the Force for Poleward Chromosome Movement."

7.5 Anaphase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Proteolysis and the Inactivation of MPF: Anaphase and Telophase” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “During Anaphase chromosomes separate and the spindle elongates” section.

7.5.1 Anaphase A  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Microtubule shortening during Anaphase A” section.

7.5.2 Anaphase B  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7 This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Spindle elongation during anaphase B” section. Anaphase A is the earlier of the two anaphase phases, when there is a shortening of the microtubules but no actual separation of chromosomes or ATP usage.  Anaphase B refers to the process of separating the two poles of chromosomes; it also requires ATP for energy

7.6 Telophase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Proteolysis and the Inactivation of MPF: Anaphase and Telophase” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7.

7.7 Cytokinesis  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Cytokinesis” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7.

7.7.1 Contractile Ring  

Note: This subunit is covered by the Cooper reading and video assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Cytokinesis” section of the reading. This subunit is also covered by the Lodish reading assigned beneath Unit 7. Focus on the “Astral microtubules determine where cytokinesis takes place” section.

7.7.2 Variations in Bacteria  

• Reading: David Krogh’s Biology, A Guide to the Natural World: “Introduction to Genetics, Mitosis, and Cytokinesis”

  Link: Prentice Hall: David Krogh’s Biology, A Guide to the Natural World: “Introduction to Genetics, Mitosis, and Cytokinesis” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read subsection 9.5, “Variations in Cell Division.”
   
  Terms of Use: “Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: In the “Cell Cycle and Mitosis” tutorial, under “Test Yourself (11 problems)”, answer questions 1-11.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 7 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 7 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 7 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 7.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 7 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 8: Meiosis  

Meiosis, the other form of cell division, is the process by which one cell becomes four genetically unique cells.  This process is essential to reproduction and the creation of unique offspring, which ultimately adds diversity to life.  Meiosis is the reason you look similar to (but not exactly like) your parents.  As in mitosis, meiosis is comprised of four phases.  However, meiosis takes place in two stages, meiosis I and II.  Most importantly, there is period of genetic recombination in meiosis during which the maternal and paternal DNA mix and result in the development of unique genomes.  You should also note that, unlike mitosis, meiosis results in haploid cells and only takes place in two types of cells: sperm and oocyte cells.

Unit 8 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 8 Learning Outcomes   show close


• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Meiosis and Fertilization”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Meiosis and Fertilization” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Process of Meiosis,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 14.32-14.36).  This will cover the topics outlined in subunits 8.1-8.3.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Meiosis”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor David G. Drubin’s “Meiosis” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 15 titled Lecture 28: “Meiosis,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture, which covers the topics outlined in subunits 8.1-8.3.
  
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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8.1 Meiotic Prophase  

• Web Media: The Saylor Foundation’s “Figure 8.1”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Figure 8.1” (PNG)
   
  Instructions: Please open The Saylor Foundation’s Figure 8.1.  Note that this subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath Unit 8.

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8.1.1 Leptotene  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.  

8.1.2 Zygotene  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.

8.1.3 Pachytene and Chiasma  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.  Chiasma is the point at which the Holliday Junction appears and genetic information is exchanged between the chromosomes.  Chiasma is the defining characteristic of the pachytene stage, and is also called the chiasmata.

8.1.4 Diplotene  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction

8.1.5 Diakinesis  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.

8.2 Meiosis I  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.

8.2.1 Metaphase I  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.

8.2.2 Anaphase I  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.

8.3 Meiosis II  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction.  Focus on the last paragraph of the reading.

8.3.1 Metaphase II  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction. Focus on the last paragraph of the reading

8.3.2 Metaphase II Arrest in Humans  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading beneath the Unit 8 introduction. Focus on the “Regulation of oocyte meiosis” section

8.3.3 Anaphase II  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath the Unit 8 introduction. Focus on the last paragraph of the reading.

8.4 Sperm and Oocyte Difference in Meiosis  

• Reading: Contexo’s “Meiosis”

  Link: Contexo’s “Meiosis” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Differences between Sperm and Egg Formation.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Assessment: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology”

  Link: University of Arizona’s Biology Project: “Cell Biology” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: In the “Meiosis” tutorial, under “Test Yourself (10 questions)”, answer questions 1-10.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 8 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 8 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 8 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 8.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 8 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 9: The Cell Cycle  

Both meiosis and mitosis represent one phase of the cell cycle, which is an ordered set of events that a cell undergoes in preparation for division.  The cell cycle we talk about usually refers to the mitotic cell cycle, but there is also a meiotic cell cycle.  The cell cycle consists of several distinct phases, such as doubling of the genome, growing in size, etc.  In addition, the cell cycle has many “restriction points” that act like roadblocks, preventing the cell from dividing before it is ready to do so.  These restriction points ensure the integrity of the cell.  Any mutation which results in cell division without the control of the checkpoints will likely result in cancer.

Unit 9 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 9 Learning Outcomes   show close


9.1 General Phases of Cell Cycle  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsections “Phases of the Cell Cycle”, “Regulation of the Cell Cycle by Cell Growth and Extracellular Signals”, and Cell Cycle Checkpoints,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 14.1-14.9).  These will cover the topics outlined in subunits 9.1 and 9.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Cell Cycle I”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Cell Cycle I” (YouTube)
   
  Also available in:
  Tunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the webpage to item 7 titled Lecture 37: “The Cell Cycle I,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the entire video lecture.  This resources covers the topics outlined in subunits 9.1-9.3, and it begins to touch on the topic of subunit 9.4.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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9.1.1 G1 Phase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.

9.1.2 S phase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.

9.1.3 G2 Phase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.

9.1.4 Mitosis  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.

9.1.5 Interphase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.  Focus on the “Phases of the Cell Cycle” section of the reading.

9.1.6 G0 Phase  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.  Focus on the “Regulation of the Cell Cycle by Cell Growth and Extracellular Signals” section of the reading and Figure 14.6.

9.2 Meiosis in the Cell Cycle  

Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned beneath subunit 9.1.

9.3 Checkpoints of Cell Cycle  

• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Checkpoints”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “Checkpoints” (YouTube)
   
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 4 titled Lecture 40: “Checkpoints,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the entire video lecture.  Note that this video discusses concepts outlined in subunits 9.3.1-9.3.3
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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9.3.1 G1 Restriction Point  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 9.1 and the video assigned beneath subunit 9.3.  Focus on the “Regulation of the Cell Cycle by Cell Growth and Extracellular Signals” section of the reading.

9.3.2 S Phase Restriction Point  

Note: This sub- subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 9.1 and the video assigned beneath subunit 9.3.  Focus on the “Regulation of the Cell Cycle by Cell Growth and Extracellular Signals” section of the reading.

9.3.3 G2 Restriction Point  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 9.1 and the video assigned beneath subunit 9.3.  Focus on the “Regulation of the Cell Cycle by Cell Growth and Extracellular Signals” section of the reading.

9.4 Cyclins and Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs)  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Regulators of Cell Cycle Progression”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Regulators of Cell Cycle Progression” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Families of Cyclins and Cyclin-Dependent Kinases,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 14.17 and 14.18).  This will cover the topics outlined in 9.4.1-9.4.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Cell Cycle II”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Kunxin Luo’s “The Cell Cycle II” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
  
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 6 titled Lecture 38: “The Cell Cycle II,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch the entire video lecture.  Note that the concepts discussed in this lecture will cover the topics outlined in inclusive subunits 9.4.1-9.4.4
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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9.4.1 General Features of Cyclin and CDK  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.4

9.4.2 Positive Regulators of CDK and Cyclin Pairs  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.4.

9.4.3 Negative Regulators of CDK and Cyclin Pairs  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.4.

9.4.4 Cyclin Degradation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 9.4.Cyclin degradation is crucial to moving forward with the cell cycle.  Without degradation, there would be too many active CDKs, and the resulting mix would greatly confuse a cell in terms of whether it should proceed or stop.  Specific cancers mutate certain CDKs and push the cell to constantly divide.

• Assessment: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e:

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions – The Cell Cycle” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Answer questions 2-6.  Please note that answers are posted directly below each question; try to cover them while you answer the questions yourself.
  
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 9 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 9 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 9 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 9.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 9 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 10: Cellular Transport  

Just as your body has a circulatory system that moves nutrients and waste, every cell in your body has a vast network system that carries things from one place to another.  In Unit 5, you learned about the units that make up this transport network.  You will now learn about the signals and “roadmaps” that direct traffic in that network.  Though there are many different types of transport, the most important ones export gene products from the nucleus to their destined locations.  As you will see, the gene products themselves include specific sequences that define their destination. 

You will also learn that cells have the ability to secrete or intake vesicles (membrane-enclosed spaces), which also require specific transport mechanisms.  This unit will go over a few of the major ones.

Unit 10 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 10 Learning Outcomes   show close


10.1 Nuclear Transport  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nuclear Envelope and the Traffic between the Nucleus and the Cytoplasm”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Nuclear Envelope” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Selective Transport of Proteins to and from the Nucleus,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 8.8-8.11).  This will cover the topics in subunits 10.1.1-10.1.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: YouTube: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Transport Into and Out of Nucleus II and Intracellular Transport of Proteins I”

  Link: YouTube: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Transport Into and Out of Nucleus II and Intracellular Transport of Proteins I” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this entire video lecture (about 51 minutes) via YouTube.  Note that this lecture will cover topics outlined in the subunits 10.1.1-10.1.3
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California - Berkeley's Berkeley Webcast. This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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10.1.1 Nuclear Import  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.1.

10.1.2 Nuclear Export  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.1.Focus on Figure 8.11.

10.1.3 Ran GTPases (Guanosine Triphosphate)  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.1.

10.2 Co-translational Targeting in the Nucleus  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Endoplasmic Reticulum”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Endoplasmic Reticulum” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsections “The Endoplasmic Reticulum and Protein Secretion,” “Targeting Proteins to the Endoplasmic Reticulum,” and “Protein Folding and Processing in the ER,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 9.2-9.8 and 9.14-9.16).  This will cover the topics outlinedin subunits10.2.1-10.2.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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10.2.1 Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) and SRP Receptor  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 10.2. Focus on the “Targeting Proteins to the Endoplasmic Reticulum” section and Figure 9.7.

10.2.2 Translocation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 10.2. Focus on the “Targeting Proteins to the Endoplasmic Reticulum” section.

10.2.3 N-Linked Glycosylation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 10.2. Focus on the “Protein Folding and Processing in the ER” section.

10.2.4 Rough ER Processing  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 10.2. Focus on the “Protein Folding and Processing in the ER” section.

10.3 Post-translational Targeting to Organelles  

10.3.1 Transport to Mitochondria  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e:: “Mitochondria”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Mitochondria” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Protein Import and Mitochondrial Assembly,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 10.4-10.7).  
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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10.3.2 Transport to Chloroplasts  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chloroplasts and Other Plastids”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chloroplasts and Other Plastids” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Import and Sorting of Chloroplast Proteins,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 10.15-10.16).
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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10.4 Vesicular Transport  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Mechanism of Vesicular Transport”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Mechanism of Vesicular Transport” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this section.  Note that this reading will cover the concepts outlined in subunits 10.4.1-10.4.3.  The following five categories of vesicular transport listed in subunits 10.4.1-10.4.5 can be very complex, but, for our purposes, you will only need to understand the basics: the overall structure of molecules in each class, how the molecules aid in vesicle formation/dissociation, and how the transport signal is conducted.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Lecture: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Vesicular Transport”

  Link: UC Berkeley: Professor Randy Schekman’s “Membrane Vesicular Transport” (YouTube)
  
  Also available in:
  iTunes U
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to item 32 titled Lecture 10: “Membrane Vesicular Transport,” and click on “View in iTunes.”  Please watch this entire video lecture, which covers the topics outlined in subunits 10.4.1-10.4.3.
   
  Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley.  This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

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10.4.1 COP I (Coat Complex)and COP II Coated Vesicles  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.4.  Focus on the “Coat Proteins and Vesicle Budding” section of the reading.

10.4.2 Clathrin Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.4.  Focus on the “Coat Proteins and Vesicle Budding” section of the reading

10.4.3 SNARE (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein Receptor) Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and video assigned beneath subunit 10.4.  Focus on the “Vesicle Fusion” section of the reading.

10.4.4 Dynamin Family  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Endocytosis”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Endocytosis” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis” along with all associated figures (Figs. 12.36-12.40).  This will cover the topics outlined in subunits 10.4.4 and 10.4.5.
   
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10.4.5 Caveolin Family  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 10.4.4.

The Saylor Foundation's Unit 10 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 10 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 10 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 10.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 10 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 11: Specialized Organelle Functions  

This last unit will discuss the special functions of certain cell organelles.  You might think of organelles as specialized organs that perform vital tasks such as digestion, detoxification, and energy production.  Detoxification plays more of a role in a liver cell, whereas digestion is more important in a stomach cell and energy production more important in a muscle cell.  Thus, although all cells have the same kinds of organelles, the relative abundance of each type is different based on the type of cell you are studying.

Unit 11 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 11 Learning Outcomes   show close


11.1 Digestive Organelles  

11.1.1 Lysosomes  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Lysosomes” and “Protein Degradation”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Lysosomes” and “Protein Degradation” (both HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of “Lysomes” and, in “Protein Degradation,” read the subsection entitled “Lysosomal Proteolysis.”
   
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11.1.2 Peroxisomes  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Peroxisomes”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Peroxisomes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Functions of Peroxisomes,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 10.24-10.28).  This will cover the topics outlined in 11.1.2 and 11.1.3.
   
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11.1.3 Glyoxysomes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.1.2

11.2 Golgi  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Golgi Apparatus”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Golgi Apparatus” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this section, along with all associated figures (Figs. 9.22-9.29).  This will cover the concepts covere in subunits 11.2.1-11.2.5.
   
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11.2.1 cis-Golgi  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.2. Focus on the “Organization of the Golgi” section and Figure 9.23.

11.2.2 trans-Golgi  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.2.

11.2.3 Glycosylation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.2.Focus on the “Protein Glycosylation within the Golgi” section.

11.2.4 Transport of Membrane Proteins  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.2.

11.2.5 Secretory Vesicles  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 11.2.Focus on the “Protein Sorting and Export from the Golgi Apparatus” section.

11.3 Smooth ER  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Endoplasmic Reticulum”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “The Endoplasmic Reticulum” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “The Smooth ER and Lipid Synthesis,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 9.17-9.19).  This reading will also cover the topic outlined in subunit 11.3.1.
   
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11.3.1 Steroid Metabolism  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading beneath subunit 11.3.

11.3.2 Gluconeogenesis  

• Reading: Dr. Michael King’s Medical Biochemistry Pages: “Gluconeogenesis”

  Link: Dr.  Michael King’s Medical Biochemistry Pages: “Gluconeogenesis” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction, but do not concern yourself with the diagrammed pathway.
   
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11.3.3 Detoxification and Cytochrome P450 Family  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: B. Alberts, et al.’s Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4e “The Endoplasmic Reticulum”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: B. Alberts, et al.’s Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4e “The Endoplasmic Reticulum” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the attached chapter.  Focus on the “Smooth ER is abundant in some specialized cells” section. The cytochrome P-450 family consists of enzymes that are active in the liver and are involved in detoxification (also known as xenobiotic metabolism—breaking down foreign chemicals or other substances that are toxic to an organism). 
   
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11.4 Mitochondria  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Mitochondria”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Mitochondria” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “Organization and Function of the Mitochondria,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 10.1 and 10.2).  This reading will cover the topics outlined in subunits 11.4.1-11.4.5
   
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11.4.1 Outer and Inner Membranes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.4.

11.4.2 Matrix  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.4.

11.4.3 Cristae  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.4.

11.4.4 TCA Cycle and ATP Production  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.4.

11.4.5 Thermogenesis  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: Professor Harvey Lodish et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: Professor Harvey Lodish et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsection “Brown-Fat Mitochondria Contain an Uncoupler of Oxidative Phosphorylation.”
   
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11.5 Chloroplasts  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chloroplasts and Other Plastids”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Chloroplasts and Other Plastids” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the introduction and the subsection “The Structure and Function of Chloroplasts,” along with all associated figures (Figs. 10.13-10.14).  This reading will cover concepts outlined in subunits 11.5.1-11.5.6.
   
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11.5.1 Outer and Inner Membranes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.5. Focus on Figure 10.13.

11.5.2 Thylakoids  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.5. Focus on Figure 10.13.

11.5.3 Photosynthetic Electron Transfer  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.5. Focus on Figure 10.14.

11.5.4 Carbon-Fixation  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Photosynthetic Stages and Light-Absorbing Pigments”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Section 16.3: Photosynthetic Stages and Light-Absorbing Pigments” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to and read the section titled “Three of the Four Stages in Photosynthesis Occur Only during Illumination.”
   
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11.5.5 Photosystem I and II  

• Reading: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Molecular Analysis of Photosystems”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: W.H. Freeman: H. Lodish, A. Berk, S.L. Zipursky, et al.’s Molecular Cell Biology, 4e: “Section 16.4: Molecular Analysis of Photosystems” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down to the section titled “Chloroplasts Contain Two Functionally and Spatially Distinct Photosystems.” Begin reading here and continue until the end of the webpage.
   
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11.5.6 Similarities to Mitochondria  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading and assigned beneath subunit 11.5.There are many similarities between chloroplasts and mitochondria.  Both have dual-layer membranes, inner compartment folding, and proton-driven ATP synthases.  There are also differences, however, between their carbon-fixation reactions and, of course, respective degrees of light-dependency.

• Assessment: Assessment for BIO301: GRE’s “Practice Booklet - Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology”

  Link: GRE’s “Practice Booklet - Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Follow the instructions for downloading the practice booklet at the bottom of the webpage linked above, and answer questions 6, 9, 10, 21, 24, 36, 40, 51, 52, 55, 67, 68, 85, 86, 89, 100, 102, 109, 11-121, and 127-129.  An answer key is located at the end of the booklet.
  
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• Assessment: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions – Mitochondria, Chloroplasts, Peroxisomes”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions – Mitochondria, Chloroplasts, Peroxisomes” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Answer questions 1 and 3-6.  Please note that answers are directly below the questions asked; try to cover them while you answer the questions yourself.
  
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• Assessment: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions – Protein Sorting and Transport: The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, and Lysosomes”

  Link: National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Bookshelf: Sinauer Associates, Inc.: Professor Geoffrey Cooper’s The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 2e: “Questions – The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, and Lysosomes” (HTML)
  
  Instructions: Answer questions 1-5.  Please note that answers are posted directly below the questions asked; try to cover them while you answer the questions yourself.
  
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The Saylor Foundation's Unit 11 Quiz  

• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 11 Quiz"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 11 Quiz" (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the linked quiz to test your knowledge of the material covered in Unit 11.  When you are done, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Unit 11 Quiz Answer Key” (PDF).

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Final Exam  

• Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Final Exam"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO301 Final Exam"
  
  Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam.  If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.

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