This Course & The Field of Cell Biology As the fields of cell science have grown and matured, the old ways of categorizing subject areas have changed. The borderlines between disciplines have blurred almost to the point where they become difficult to define. Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology (the youngest subject area), Genetics and Cell Physiology, once distinct sciences, now overlap in many ways. In fact, any substantial publication in any one of these areas typically involves the use of methods that typifies one or more of the other areas. With this in mind, it is essential that we keep our focus. This course looks at the structure and function of cellular components with a view to showing how they interact on a multitude of levels. This is a course about the holistic interactions of cellular components. What they are and how they work together to ensure the proper functioning of the cell. To do this it is necessary to select topics that demonstrate a point. Whenever possible the diversity of options that are available to a cell will be given. While we may not be able to learn everything we need to know in a single course, it is hoped that in the end a sense of the complexity of the cellular ecosystem will be appreciated. By selecting relevant topics and interesting aspects of those topics, we will give a sense of what is happening today in the field of cell biology. In the end, we feel you will have a greater understanding of how the cells in your body function and how complex your cells are. We also hope to invoke an interest in a subject that is just beginning to get exciting. Since this is an advanced course with several pre-requisites, it is assumed that the student has a basic knowledge of genetics, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology. It is assumed that the student understands mutations and how they can be used to study molecular function. Textbook reading assignments are not given but you should use your textbook to clear up any problems and to get another perspective on the topic under consideration. Everything you need to know for this course is covered in the on-line material. If you learn it and understand it, you will do well in the course. However, you must be able to communicate the information in the proper coherent way and at an advanced level.