Cell Biology
BIO361
Fall 2023

In the above images, (B) wild-type and mutant C. elegans lacking the function of the (C) laat-1 gene were imaged to detect VIT-2, which is a major yolk component.   In laat-1(-) mutants, yolk granules, which are type of lysosome-related organelle (LRO), are enlarged.  C. elegans has another type of LRO called gut granules.  During fall of 2023, students in BIO361 will investigate whether laat-1(-) also disrupts gut granule morphology.  The images are from Liu et al. 2012.

Welcome to the field of biology that aims to understand the structure and function of the fundamental unit of life - the cell. In this course our study of cells will consider five major unanswered questions in the field: (1) How are organelles made? (2) How do cells move? (3) How do organisms control their cell number? (4) How do cells communicate? (5) What mechanisms cause cancer? In considering our current answers to these questions we will integrate microscopic, biochemical, genetic, molecular, and systems biology approaches to the study of cells. We will discuss some of the hypotheses, experiments, and results that have led to our current (and only partially complete) answers to these questions. We will read and discuss primary literature articles that investigate how pathogens co-opt normal cellular processes. We will explore and discuss the relationships between cell biology and society.  Our own studies of cell biology will focus on understanding how  lysosome-related organelles are constructed in the model organism C. elegans.