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PHA-10030 - Module Specification
School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

PHA-10030 - Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Coordinator: David Morgan Tel: +44 1782 7 33474
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24


Aims
The understanding, diagnosis and treatment of disease is increasingly grounded in the molecular biosciences. This module aims to provide an introduction to biology at the molecular and cellular level, and considers what cells are, what they look like, and how they work. It will establish the principles and knowledge base of biochemistry to give students the means to build understanding of living things at the molecular level; and will convey how molecules, large and small, cooperate so that our cells are able to utilise food as fuel, to produce and respond to messengers that enable communication and coordination between different tissues.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/pha-10030/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe the structure and function of the key molecules of life ¿ protein and amino acids, simple carbohydrates and lipids, and nucleic acids.: 1,2,4
Recognise how the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and kinetics constrain chemical and biological reactions, and the strategies that have evolved to allow biological reactions to work within these constraints.: 1,2,4
Explain how lipids and proteins interact to form a functionalised cell membrane, and the role of such membranes in compartmentalising cell activity in organelles; in facilitating cell-cell interactions; and in harnessing the energy of electrochemical gradients to power the cell.: 1,2,4
Perform basic analysis of biochemical and cell biology data.: 1,2,3,4

Study hours

Lectures: 34 hours
Workshops: 9 hours
Laboratory sessions: 32 hours
Assessed laboratory practicals and exam: 10 hours
Independent study: 215 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exam weighted 20%
A 2-hour exam at the end of semester one comprising of MCQ and short answer questions
A two hours exam to omprise of 40 MCQ questions (five choices, one correct answer) and short answer questions (two to be chosen out of four). The exam will have an overall weight of 20%.

2: Exam weighted 20%
A 2-hour exam at the end of semester two comprising of MCQ and short answer questions
A two hours exam to omprise of 40 MCQ questions (five choices, one correct answer) and short answer questions (two to be chosen out of four). The exam will have an overall weight of 20%.

3: Laboratory Practicals weighted 30%
Laboratory assessment
This will take two parts. Multiple formative and summative laboratory aptitude tests will be completed in the laboratory sessions, and witnessed and signed off by teaching or demonstrating staff. A single summative laboratory report (~2000 words) will be submitted two weeks after the completion of the relevant practical session. This will be supported by opportunities to submit formative lab reports for earlier sessions (overall weight: 30%).

4: Assignment weighted 30%
In-course assignments
Three in-course assignments that will be set at timings to align with content delivery during the course of the module, consisting in problems of biochemistry and cell biology; students will have two weeks to submit the solution via Turnitin. Problems will be in the form of Process-oriented Guided Learning (POGIL) worksheets with multiple sections to complete. Students will gain formative experience using these worksheets in the workshop sessions, and then additional worksheets will be used for summative assessment in this assessment component. (overall weight: 30%).

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024