PCB3134 Section 3387 syllabus
EUKARYOTIC CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
PCB 3134 Section 3387 and 01H3, Fall – 2012
3 credits
PREREQUISITES: A grade of “C” or better in Core Biology (BSC 2010, 2010L, 2011, 2011L); Organic
Chemistry (CHM 3210 or 3200) or equivalent courses
CLASS SCHEDULE: M, W, F, 3rd Period (9:35 AM – 10:25 AM), MCCC (McCarty Hall C) 100
TEXT: Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments, 6th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey,
2010. Author - Gerald Karp
COURSE WEBSITE: http://lss.at.ufl.edu/. Please select PCB 3134 (Section 3387)
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: Materials including the syllabus, individual lecture outlines, copies of
previous tests with answer keys, your test and quiz results, as well as information related to assignments and
testing will be posted on the web page.
INSTRUCTOR: Zhonglin Mou
Office: 1249 Microbiology and Cell Science Building (MCS)
Telephone: 352-392-0285
Email: [email protected]
OFFICE HOURS: M, W, F 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM or by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the course are to provide an understanding of the structural,
molecular and functional organization of eukaryotic cells. Emphasis will be placed on:
(1) The structural organization of cells and cell organelles;
(2) The specific function(s) of each organelle;
(3) Compartmentalization of functions within the cells and organelles;
(4) The integration of functions that are compartmentalized within cells;
(5) The regulation of cell functions;
(6) Transmission of genetic information;
(7) Cell proliferation;
(8) Experimental approaches to the study of cell structure and functions.
Students will be responsible for material covered in the lectures and assigned reading from the text. The chapters
that parallel the lecture material are listed on the course outline. You should read the material assigned from the
text prior to the lecture in order to get the maximum benefit from the lecture. I suggest that you read the
“Synopsis” for each chapter (located at the end of the chapter) to get an overview of the material before you read
the individual assignments from the chapter.
Lecture topics for the course are listed in the course calendar (see below). The topics to be covered will follow
the order indicated in the schedule of lecture topics; however, the actual dates and amount of coverage of specific
topics may vary somewhat from the list.
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PCB3134 Section 3387 syllabus
Date
8/22
8/24
8/27
8/29
8/31
9/5
9/7
9/10
9/12
9/14
9/17
9/19
9/21
9/24
9/26
9/28
10/1
10/3
10/5
10/8
10/10
10/12
10/15
10/17
10/19
10/22
10/24
10/26
10/29
10/31
11/2
11/5
Reading
Assignment
(Chapters)
Topic
Introduction to the Study of Cell and Molecular Biology (Synopsis 29)
Course introduction
Overview of cell organization
Techniques in cell and molecular biology (Ch 18)
The Chemical Basis of Life (Synopsis 81-82)
Chemical bonds, water, pH, and buffers
Overview of molecular composition of cells
Bioenergetics, Enzymes and Metabolism (Synopsis 115-116)
Thermodynamics, free energy, reaction equilibrium
Enzymes - properties, activation energy, mechanisms, kinetics
Metabolism - oxidation/reduction, energy transfer, regulation
The structure and Function of the Plasma Membrane (Synopsis 170-171)
Overview - understanding membrane structure, membrane composition - lipids
Membrane composition - carbohydrates, proteins
FIRST TEST (in classroom)
Lipids and membrane fluidity, dynamic nature of plasma membrane, erythrocyte
membrane
Movement of substances across cell membranes
Membrane potentials, nerve impulses
Aerobic Respiration and the Mitochondrion (Synopsis 203-204)
Mitochondria structure/function, oxidative metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle
Oxidation/reduction, electron transport, proton motive force
ATP formation, other roles of the proton motive force, peroxisomes
Photosynthesis and the Chloroplast (Synopsis 227-228)
Chloroplast structure/function, overview of photosynthesis, pigments
Photosynthetic units, reaction centers, photophosphorylation
Carbon dioxide fixation, carbohydrate synthesis
Interaction Between Cells and Their Environment (Synopsis 262-263)
Extracellular space, interaction of cells with the extracellular matrix
SECOND TEST (in classroom)
Cell-cell interaction, cell junction, plant cell walls
Cytoplasmic Membrane Systems: Structure, Function and Membrane
Trafficking (Synopsis 315-316)
Endomembrane systems, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic
reticulum (RER)
Complete RER, golgi complex, vesicle transport
Lysosomes, proteasomes, plant vacuoles, endocytosis, importing proteins
The Cytoskeleton and Cell Motility (Synopsis 375-377)
The cytoskeleton, microtubules, intermediate filaments
Microfilaments, molecular motors, cilia and flagella
Muscle contractility, nonmuscle motility
The Nature of the Gene and the Genome (Synopsis 417-418)
Chromosomes, chemical nature of DNA
Structure of the genome, stability of the genome
THIRD TEST (in classroom)
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Chapter 1
Chapter 18
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
PCB3134 Section 3387 syllabus
11/7
11/14
11/16
11/19
11/26
11/28
11/30
12/3
12/5
12/7
12/13
Gene Expression: From Transcription to Translation (Synopsis 471-473)
Overview of expression of genetic information, ribosomal RNA, 5S RNA
Transfer RNA, messenger RNA, genetic code
Structure of tRNA, translation - initiation, elongation, termination
The Cell Nucleus (Synopsis 530-532)
The nucleus - nuclear envelop, nuclear pore, nucleocytoplasmic exchange
Chromatin/chromosomes, nuclear organization
DNA Replication (Synopsis 558-559)
Replication is semiconservative, replication in prokaryotes, DNA polymerases,
fidelity of replication, replication in eukaryotes
Cellular Reproduction (Synopsis 602-603)
Cell cycle, cell cycle regulation
Mitosis, cytokinesis, meiosis, recombination
Review (in classroom)
Reading Day – No Class
FINAL EXAM – COMPREHENSIVE
12:30 PM – 2:30 PM in MCCC 100 (regular classroom)
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
CLASS ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for all material covered in
lecture and any announcements related to the course. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find
out what was covered in the lecture and whether or not any announcements relative to the course were made. To
find out about what occurred in a class that you missed, you may contact me during times that I am available
outside of class or you may ask other students in the class if you consider their information reliable.
TESTING: On the tests, you will be responsible for material covered in lecture as well as the assigned readings.
Much of the material covered in lecture will reinforce the material covered in the text. In addition, there will be
material covered in lecture that is not covered in the text. You will be responsible for the lecture material whether
or not it is covered in the assigned reading. Most test questions will be based on material covered in lecture and
related material in the text or material that is specifically assigned for study that was not covered in lecture. A
few of the test question may come from material in the reading assignments, which was not covered in lecture.
Tests given during the semester will cover the units of material indicated under the TEST SCHEDULE. A fully
functional computer will be needed, as the tests will be computer-based multiple-choice questions. The final
exam will cover the entire course and also will be the computer based, multiple question format. Examples of the
type of question that will be asked can be found in the tests given in previous years, which are available on the
course webpage. You must arrive on time for the tests. No one may begin a test after the first student completes
his/her test and leaves the classroom. Exams will be automatically closed at the end of the test period and no
additional time will be allowed to complete a test regardless of when the test was begun. (If you come late to the
test, you will have less time to complete the test.)
In addition to the three tests and final exam, there will be 10 quizzes/homework assignments given during the
semester. The quizzes/homework assignments will be based on materials covered in lectures or assigned readings
before the day of the quiz/homework. All 10 quizzes/homework assignments will be used to determine the
your grade, and there will be no make-up quizzes/homework assignments.
TEST SCHEDULE: All tests will be given in the room where the class meets for lecture. Each test will cover
material presented in lecture and in the assigned readings for the dates indicated below. If the progress of the
class deviates from the outline in the syllabus, the material covered on each exam will be the material actually
covered on those lecture days, any supplemental material for the lectures and the reading material related to that
lecture material.
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PCB3134 Section 3387 syllabus
FIRST TEST
SECOND TEST
THIRD TEST
FINAL EXAM
9/17 Material covered in lecture from 8/24-9/14 and assigned readings.
10/12 Material covered in lecture from 9/19-10/10 and assigned readings.
11/5 Material covered in lecture from 10/15-11/2 and assigned readings.
12/13 The final exam will cover the entire course. The final exam will have about twice
as many questions as tests one, two or three. About 48 percent of the questions will be
based on the material covered in lectures 11/7 through 12/3 and the remainder of the
questions will be taken approximately equally from the first three sections of the course
(about 17 percent each).
MAKE-UP TEST POLICY: If required, there will be make-up tests given during the week after each test
(except the final exam). Any student having a valid excuse for missing a test (e.g., serious illness, death of an
immediate family member, jury duty) will be given permission to take the make-up test. Generally, the makeup test will be more difficult than the regular one. The make-up tests will be scheduled at a time other than the
regular class period. If you miss both a test and the make-up test, a "0" will be assigned as your grade for the
missed test unless you can convince me that you had valid excuses for missing both.
MAKE-UP TEST SCHEDULE: Make-up tests will be scheduled in the late afternoon or early evenings of the
days indicated below:
FIRST MAKE-UP TEST
SECOND MAKE-UP TEST
THIRD MAKE-UP TEST
Monday, 9/24
Friday, 10/19
Wednesday, 11/14
The time of each make-up test will
be determined based on the schedule
of those student(s) taking the test.
GRADING: The course grade will be determined by your performance on two of the three tests (you can drop
one of the three tests) and the comprehensive final exam. Each test will determine 25 percent of your grade; the
final exam will determine 30 percent of your grade; and the quiz grade will determine 20 percent of your grade.
Grade Scale:
Grade
A
AB+
B
B-
Percent of total points
95 - 100
90 - 95
87 - 89
83 - 86
80 - 82
Grade
C+
C
D+
D
E
Percent of total points
77 - 79
70 - 76
67 - 69
60 - 66
0 - 59
OFFICE HOURS: Office hours are listed at the top of the course syllabus or will be held at other times as
announced or by appointment. Any change in the listed office hours will be announced in class and posted on the
course web page. If you have any problems in the course, I encourage you to take advantage of my office hours
for whatever your specific needs may be.
EXPECTATIONS FOR CLASS DEMEANOR: Please be courteous and do not talk during lecture, as this will
interfere with the learning process of other students. Also, cell phones should be turned off during lecture.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities who require
classroom accommodations should first register with the Dean of Students Office of Disability Resources, in
Peabody 202 (phone: 352-392-1261). The Dean of Students Office of Disability Resources will work with the
instructor to accommodate the student. Please see the University of Florida Disability Resources website for
more information at: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drp/services/.
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PCB3134 Section 3387 syllabus
ACADEMIC HONESTY: All students registered at the University of Florida have signed the following
statement:
"I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree
to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment
may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University."
Every student in this course is expected to adhere to this pledge of academic honesty in class assignments and
tests.
SOFTWARE USE: All faculty, staff and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws
and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal
penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules,
disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION: The following information is included at the request of the Office of the Dean
for Academic Programs, IFAS.
UF counseling Services
Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic
goals, which interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:
1. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling;
2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling
3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARA), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling
4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.
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