CELL BIOLOGY

BIOL 2533

BIOL 2533 CELL BIOLOGY Fall 2001

Lectures: 9:30-10:50, TR in room KIMP 102
Exams will all be given during scheduled hours in KIMP 102 with assigned seating.

Instructor: Dr. Claudia Bailey  
Office: FERR 220  [BISC unfortunately is unable to provide students with easy access
to professors while SCEN is being renovated.; a more suitable space will be sought]  
Phone: 575-3251 BISC Office;  575-6365  Dr. B’s lab
email: cfbailey@comp.uark.edu 
Lab - 4 sections all meet at posted times in SCIE 315;  Mr Rotton and 
Mr Pettway presiding 

Until the problem of  space for confidential student/prof interaction is resolved,
email provides the best option for questions.  In emergencies, call the BISC
secretary (now housed in WAAX) at 575-3251.
 
Is there reading material for the course? 
Required text: The World of the Cell. 4th Edition by Becker, Kleinsmith and Harper. 
                      Benjamin/Cummings  Publishing, 1999.

Other Resources: 
Good supplementary textbooks with more in-depth and detailed information are:
[available via amazon.com]
Molecular Cell Biology by Darnell, Lodish and Baltimore. Available in the Chemistry
Library 
          QH581.2 .D37 1990ecular Biology of The Cell by Alberts, Bray, Lewis, Raff,
Roberts, and Watson. Available in Mullins  
          QH581.2 .M64 1989.
 
What will we be learning?
You might think that we would be learning everything about cells but that’s not very
realistic when you consider that  some scientists spend much of their productive
research life on "parts" of  just one topic within one chapter.  Knowledge about
cells is growing at such a pace that we are forced to begin with an overview and
become more specialized as we progress through "upper division" courses and then
mature into independent investigators.  Consequently we will be laying a foundation
of understanding of how cells are organized and what they are composed of, their
fundamental cellular processes, and how they interact with their environment.

Tentative Lecture and Exam Schedule

Month	Day	 Chapter & Lecture
AUG	29       Chapter 1: Course Introduction & A Preview of the Cell
	31	 Chapter 2: Chemistry of Cells
SEPT	4-11	 Chapter 3: Macromolecules
	11	             complete chpt. 3
	                    ASSIGNMENT #2	 
        13       Chapter 4: Cells and Organelles 
	18	 Chapter 7: Membranes
        20       Chapter 11/22: Beyond the Cell
        25    ** Exam I   (Chpts 1 - 4, 7 and assigned pgs)
	27	 Chapter 5: Bioenergetics
OCT      2	 Bioenergetics (cont'd)
	 4	 Chapter 6: Enzymes
	 9	 Enzymes (cont'd)
			    ASSIGNMENT #3
	11	 Chapter 8: Transport Across Membranes
	16    ** Test II  (Chpts. 5, 6, and 8)
	18	 Chapter 12: Compartments
	23	 Chapter 13: Anaerobic respiration
	27	 Chapter 14: Aerobic respiration
	30       Chapter 15: Photosynthesis	
NOV	 1	      complete  cell metabolism
	 6    ** TEST III  (Chpts 12 - 15)
	 8	 Chapter 16: DNA & Chromosomes
	13	 Chapter 19: Genetic Code and Transcription
	15	 Chapter 20: Protein Synthesis and Sorting
	20	 In-class (no exceptions) retest;  assignment #4
	22	 Thanksgiving Holiday
	27	 Chapter 21: Regulation of Gene Expression
	29	 Chapter 10: Signal transduction
DEC	4	              continued
	6	 Chapter 17: Cell cycle
	12	 Growth, Cancer, Differentiation into cell types
DEC	13	 Final Exam   12:30 - 2:30    PM   THURSDAY

There is a direct correlation between attendance and taking of complete class notes
with grades attained.


Testing and Grade Policies

1.] Exams will cover lecture materials, assigned chapters from the text, homework and
problem sets. We will not cover every detail of every assigned chapter. The
particular emphases on which the exams will be based will be those covered in
lectures. THEREFORE, IF YOU ATTEND LECTURES THEN YOU WILL BE BETTER INFORMED WHEN IT
COMES TIME FOR EXAMS.

2.] All of the exams will consist of short and long written answers. Each question
will have a maximum point value for it. You will receive points based on the quality
and completeness of your answer. Partial credit will be given based on a
determination of how much of the correct answer you provide.   Your ability to write
LEGIBLY and CONCISELY will be important. You may give the correct answer but
incorrect information may lead to deductions.

3.] There will be NO makeup examinations except in extreme emergencies with prior
arrangement made with Dr. Bailey.  If you wish to have a chance of a makeup you must
notify Dr. Bailey of your request  PRIOR to the start of the exam and be prepared to
document your excuse. 
If you can NOT make an exam then you should call the office (575-3251) and ask for
Dr. Bailey. If I am not available then LEAVE A MESSAGE.   ALSO leave a voice mail
message at 575-6365.
If you fail to notify me or can not present evidence for the reason for your absence,
then the exam missed will be counted as a zero. 
 In dire emergencies and with sufficient excuse I reserve the right to accommodate
the student as I see fit.

4.] Graded exams will be returned to you.  It is your responsibility to be present to
receive them.  Understanding and correcting errors is an important part of learning.
Cumulative scores will be posted  on the web site using the last five digits of your
ID number. If you do not want your scores posted then you must notify Dr. Bailey in
writing.

5.] After exams have been returned they may be resubmitted for regrading. Regrade
requests must be made in writing within one week of return of the exams to the
students. Excuses do NOT constitute basis for a regrade. Regrade requests must
include:
A) the exam
B) a list of questions to regrade 
C) The reasoning for the request for regrade. Regrades usually are based on: 
     1) a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of your answer 
     2) an alternative reading of the question on your part
     3) your incorporation of  material from another course/source which was
        accurate but may have been perceived as inappropriate.
     4) your writing was not legible and some critical word(s) in your answer can now
        be clarified.
     5) many of the expected answers may exclude certain rare exceptions, if you know
        them and your answer is congruent with those exceptions, then you should get
        credit.
D) Please note: stating the correct answer does NOT constitute the basis for
a regrade. We know the answer, you need to tell us why yours is also (at least
partially) correct.

In the past, many students have been very successful in `regrades' resulting in a
significant change in their final grade.
Each chapter ends with study questions which you should use as practice materials.
Work together while studying.  Many of the exam questions will be based on the
concepts covered in the study questions.  

Grades -

1.] Grades for the course will be determined according to a combination of scores: 
66.6% from the three (3) regular exams covering lecture and the book 
chapters plus
the in-class assignment points; 
33.3% from the comprehensive final 

2.]  The comprehensive final will provide an opportunity to "make-up" for a poor test
performance.  "Improvement points" will be added to test scores in proportion to
significant improvement in comprehension as documented by your answers.

3.] All exams, and final grades will be based on a 100% possible. Grade scales will
be based on: A 90%; B 80%; C 70%; D 60%; F <60% with some final flexibility. These
boundaries may be moved down but will not be moved higher. There is no curve in this
class. 
In ANY CASE, please come see me. Avoiding seeing me is NOT the solution to your
problem. I am NOT here to make your life miserable but am here to assist you in
pursuing your education successfully.
Any questions concerning grade status during the semester are welcomed.  Attempts
will be made to notify students of inadequate progress.  


STUDY HABITS FOR THIS COURSE

In order to succeed in this course you need to understand that the emphasis is not
rote memorization. Rather the course emphasizes a WORKING UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS
TOPICS IN CELL BIOLOGY. The examinations are designed to test whether you have
learned certain key concepts and facts and that you can use/apply those concepts and
facts. 
The text is designed so that EACH CHAPTER BUILDS ON A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU KNOW AND
UNDERSTAND THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER.  
This translates into a need for you to practice certain key activities in order to
succeed in this course. 
Many of these study habits may be new to some students:
1.]  Attend and participate/take notes in all lectures; even a bare outline indicates
emphases.
A) The lectures are where it really happens. If you don't attend then the book is a
big mass of facts. The lectures will help you mold the information into a format that
makes sense.
B) Ask questions: if you don't understand then chances are others don't. Raise your
hand and ask for a clarification. Don't be embarrassed. If you prefer, send an email
or a note. It is not always possible to know when we are failing to get the point
across. 
C) Knowledge is not assimilated by osmosis. There has to be active transport. Sitting
in the back of the room where the screen, chalkboards and instructor are hard to see
will only reduce your chances of success.
D) We may not strictly adhere to the schedule of lecture topics and exam times to
suit the speed with which we progress. Only if you attend lectures will you know what
has transpired and what is coming next.
2) Prepare for each lecture- prior to each lecture you should prepare your mind for
the topics
A) Review your notes from the previous lecture. 
B) Browse through the upcoming chapter noting keywords and studying figures
C) Develop questions from the last lecture and about the upcoming topic(s)
D) Generally these few steps take only 30 minutes or so but will help prime your mind
for the subject
3) Keep up with your studies
A) Within 24 hours after a lecture you should:
a) Go back over your lecture notes to review what we covered
b) Browse the chapter noting the subjects covered in the lecture and then concentrate
on the material covered
c) Develop and write down questions for the next lecture that identify gaps in your
knowledge. We will try to begin each lecture by asking whether there are any
questions from last time. It does no one any good to go on if we don't understand the
previous topic.
B) Studies on the progression of learning from short term memory to long term
memories have shown that commitment to long term memory is facilitated by repeated
mental exposures over a short time period (usually a few days). This is why some
people benefit from transcribing and organizing their lecture notes. The point is
that if you do not revisit your lecture notes and the chapter until right before the
exam then it will take more exposure to achieve long lasting recollection. 
C) This course is not here to see whether you can memorize something for a short time
and then forget it. If you don't establish a working understanding of proteins and
enzyme mechanisms then you can NOT understand the topics of gene expression, cell
cycle regulation, or energy metabolism. Therefore, you have to achieve and maintain a
working knowledge of the subjects in chapter 3 if you hope to have a chance when it
comes to chapter  5, 6, 14, or any other later chapter. The chapters build in a
logical progression. If you don't understand the stuff from Tuesdays lecture then you
will be lost in the lecture on Thursday.
D) If you keep current on the course then studying for exams will mainly involve
review 
4) Review what you missed (and what you didn't) on exams
A) When you get your exams back you need to go over them and figure out how or why
you missed. Exam keys will be posted (TBA). Consider submitting a regrade request. If
the instructions on what constitutes a legitimate regrade are not clear then come see
me.
5) Seek help before it is too late
A) If you do poorly on an exam, especially the first exam, then don't just wait and
see whether it gets better on the second. With the completion of two exams we will be
approaching the last date for a drop with grade of W, and 50% of the hour exams will
be past. The first exam is generally the easiest exam and the second is usually the
most difficult. 
B) Every year I have students show up after 3 exams and they are doing far worse than
they expected. At that point it is quite difficult to come up with meaningful changes
in study habits to sufficiently reverse the scoring deficit. The time to recognize a
problem is early on before you become too far behind.
C) If you do poorly then give yourself a fighting chance by seeking help. The
University provides some assistance. I may be also able to help if we review your
study habits, prior educational experiences, and note taking.
D) Unfortunately, this is a large class and it is nearly impossible to associate
every face with a name. My door is open, I read and respond to my email, and I would
really be happy if you all got an A or B for this course. However, history says that
the grade distribution will include some Ds and Fs.  Get help early not at the last minute!