Details of LS3102 (Autumn 2026)
| Level: 3 | Type: Theory | Credits: 4.0 |
| Course Code | Course Name | Instructor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| LS3102 | Cell Biology | Bidisha Sinha, Malancha Ta |
| Preamble |
|---|
| This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of cell biology. Building on the basic concepts, it delves deeper into cellular organization, transport mechanisms, and signaling pathways, highlighting their implications in healthy and diseased cellular states. |
| Syllabus |
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| Syllabus
Overviewof cell biology Biomembranes and cell architecture: Lipids, membrane fluidity, phase separation, Membrane proteins, Asymmetry in Bilayer, Phospholipid assembly. Transport of ions and small molecules across membranes: Principles of membrane transport; Transporters and active membrane transport; K+channel, Aquaporins, Na+-K+ATPase, Calcium pump, CFTR. Intracellular compartments and protein sorting : Compartmentalization of the cell, Topological equivalence; Signal sequences, Gated Transport, Nuclear pore; Endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Protein translocation. Vesicular trafficking, exocytosis and endocytosis: Principles of transport between compartments and Protein sorting; Retrograde transport; Clathrin-mediated endocytosis, Caveolae; Constitutive and Regulated exocytosis. Cell signalling pathways: GPCRs, Enzyme-coupled receptors, Ras-MAPK signaling, PI3 kinase-Akt pathways, TGF-b superfamily. Cytoskeleton dynamics: Microfilaments, Intermediate filaments, Microtubules Cell junction, cell adhesion and ECM: Classification of cell junctions, Cadherins, Selectins, Fibronectin, Collagen, Elastin, Basal lamina, Integrins. Cell cycle, cell division and cancer cells: Cell cycle control system, Check points, S and M Cdks, Properties of cancer cells, Tumors induce angiogenesis, Tumor suppressor genes, Proto-oncogenes. Stem Cells: Embryonic stem cells and their properties, Embryonic germ cells and their properties, Adult stem cells, Mesenchymal stem cells and their paracrine effects, iPSCs, Ethics of stem cell research. Apoptosis: Biochemical markers of apoptotic cells, Intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis |
| References |
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| References
1. Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Lulian Lewis,Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Edition 5, Garland Science (2007) 2. Harvey Lodish, Arnold Berk, Chris A. Kaiser, Monty Krieger, Matthew P. Scott, Anthony Bretscher, Hidde Ploegh and Paul Matsudaira, Molecular Cell Biology, Edition 6, W. H. Freeman & Co., (2008) 3. Robert Lanza Essentials of Stem Cell Biology, Academic Press, 2005 |
Course Credit Options
| Sl. No. | Programme | Semester No | Course Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IP | 1 | Elective |
| 2 | IP | 3 | Elective |
| 3 | MP ( Chemical Biology ) | 1 | Core |
| 4 | MP | 1 | Not Allowed |
| 5 | MP | 3 | Not Allowed |
| 6 | MR | 1 | Elective |
| 7 | MR | 3 | Elective |
| 8 | MS | 3 | Not Allowed |
| 9 | MS ( Biological Sciences ) | 5 | Core |
| 10 | MS | 7 | Elective |
| 11 | MS | 9 | Elective |
| 12 | RS | 1 | Elective |
| 13 | RS | 2 | Elective |