Fundamental Topics in Biology will develop knowledge that is relevant to all our Life Science degrees by relating key concepts to specific contexts. The molecular and cellular processes that underpin larger biological systems will provide the student with a comprehensive overview of the subject and develop the skills required to apply biological concepts to practical problems important for all the degree subjects. The course will build upon knowledge from Biology 1A and Biology 1B and help the student consolidate and develop skills including molecular techniques, results analysis and presentation, interpretation of data and statistics. 

Normally, four lectures per week (Monday to Friday) plus one 3-hour lab per week for 5 weeks. There is one 2-hour in person workshop and one online workshop to be completed in a specific week. In addition, there are three 2-hour tutorials which are a mix of in person and online format with details provided ahead of time.

None.

The course will be assessed by means of a 1-hour examination paper in the December diet (30%), class tests (30%), an essay (20%) and a lab report assignment (20%). The written examinations and class tests will normally comprise MCQ and short-answer questions.

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

The aims of the course are:

■ To develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of biological systems from molecular and cellular processes to organisms and ecosystems; 

■ Describe core biological processes relevant to all Life Sciences;  

■ To develop appropriate skills in data interpretation and analysis;

■ To develop laboratory skills in key research methods;

■ To develop key transferable skills and graduate attributes.

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

■ Apply core theories, concepts and principles relevant to disciplines within the biological sciences; 

■ Describe key biological processes across a broad hierarchical range from molecules to ecosystems using contemporary examples such as 'Ageing and Disease', 'Genomes to Ecosystems' and 'Microbes and the Immune System'; 

■ Interpret information from relevant literature;

■ Analyse scientific data, including data collected in the laboratory;

■ Communicate scientific ideas effectively.