School of Biomedical Sciences

Courses

2016-17 GSBS Essentials of Bioscience Cost of Attendance

Application Deadline: December 15, 2016

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Essentials of Biochemistry

Essentials of Biochemistry (BMSC 5101)

This is an online, one credit hour course that will build the student’s fundamental knowledge of biomolecules, biochemical interactions and metabolic processes. Following the completion of this course, students will be able to describe the structure and function of primary biomolecules and discuss the pathways by which carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are synthesized and broken down to produce energy in the biological environment. Students will be able to explain the biochemical basis underlying some of the metabolic disorders and inherited diseases. Essentials of Biochemistry is intended to build the core knowledge about biomolecules and biochemical processes that will provide a springboard for students to go on to more specialized, in-depth study of in advanced graduate level courses and programs.

This course runs from January 9, 2017 through February 5, 2017.

The course is divided into 6 modules represent the fundamental elements of biochemistry:

  • Module 1 – Macromolecules, water and biological buffers
  • Module 2 – Nucleic acids and protein structure and function
  • Module 3 – Lipids and carbohydrates – Structure and function
  • Module 4 – Metabolism – Glucose metabolism
  • Module 5 – Metabolism of lipids
  • Module 6 – Metabolism of protein and Integration of metabolism

Essentials of Cell Biology

Essentials of Cell Biology (BMSC 5102)

This is an online, one credit hour course that will build the student’s fundamental knowledge about cell biology. Students will review origins of the cell as the unit of life, its organization into functional compartments, and differentiate between unicellular and multicellular organisms. The course will allow students to identify, describe and distinguish cellular organelle structures. They will be able to compare and contrast organelle characteristics and function. They will also be able to explain basic principles of cellular regulation, and communication within the cell, between cells and with the surrounding environment. Students will discover how cells signal at cellular, organ, tissue and organism levels, and describe pathways through which cells turnover their components. Finally, cell death mechanisms will be introduced in context of homeostasis and cancer. Essentials of Cell Biology is intended to build core knowledge about Cell Biology that will provide a springboard for students to go on to more specialized, in-depth study of Cell Biology in advanced graduate level courses and programs.

This course runs from February 6, 2017 through March 5, 2017.

The course is divided into 6 modules represent the fundamental elements of cell biology:

  • Module 1 – Cellular Organization Part I
  • Module 2 – Cellular Organization Part II
  • Module 3 – Biomembranes
  • Module 4 – Cytoskeleton, cell junctions and extracellular matrix
  • Module 5 – Cell signaling
  • Module 6 – Cell death

Essentials of Human Genetics

Essentials of Human Genetics (BMSC 5103)

This is an online, one credit hour foundation course designed to introduce students to the essential concepts of molecular genetics and to establish their knowledge base for continued study in the areas of medicine and biomedical sciences. Following completion of this course, students will be able to recognize biological molecules such as DNA and RNA, describe how DNA is packaged within a cell, and discuss how these features affect gene regulation. Students will develop a fundamental understanding of the cell cycle and will be able to describe the genetic outcomes of meiosis and mitosis. They will be able to define and identify different modes of inheritance and be able to explain how DNA replication and DNA damage relate to one another and interact to create heritable changes in organisms. Finally, students will be able to describe how DNA is transcribed into RNA that ultimately leads into translation into a protein. Essentials of Molecular Genetics is intended to build core knowledge about molecular biology and genetics that will provide a springboard for students to go on to more specialized, in-depth study of in advanced graduate level courses and programs.

This course runs from March 6, 2017 through April 2, 2017.

The course is divided into 6 modules that represent the fundamental elements of molecular genetics:

  • Module 1 – Structure and Function of Genes, Genomes and Chromosomes
  • Module 2 – Cell Cycle and Inheritance
  • Module 3 – DNA Replication and DNA Damage
  • Module 4 – Organization and regulation of a Gene
  • Module 5 – Transcription of DNA to RNA
  • Module 6 – Translation of RNA into Proteins