Unit · year 1
BU-101 · Cell Biology
Threads structure · systems26 lectures6 concepts
The cell as the fundamental unit of life: its architecture, membranes and division.
PREREQUISITES
None — this unit is the entry point to the canon.
Lectures
| L01 | What Makes Something Alive — |
| L02 | The Discovery of the Cell |
| L03 | Cell Theory |
| L04 | Microscopy: Light, Electron, and Beyond |
| L05 | Scale in Biology: From Atom to Organism — |
| L06 | Prokaryotic Cell Architecture |
| L07 | Eukaryotic Cell Architecture |
| L08 | Comparing Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes |
| L09 | The Nucleus and Genetic Control |
| L10 | Mitochondria and Chloroplasts |
| L11 | The Endomembrane System |
| L12 | Ribosomes and Protein Export |
| L13 | Lysosomes, Vacuoles, and Degradation |
| L14 | The Cytoskeleton |
| L15 | Structure Serves Function: The Organising Principle |
| L16 | Membrane Composition |
| L17 | The Fluid Mosaic Model |
| L18 | Membrane Proteins and Their Roles |
| L19 | Cell Walls, Junctions, and the Extracellular Matrix — |
| L20 | The Cell Cycle: Phases and Control |
| L21 | Mitosis Stage by Stage |
| L22 | Cytokinesis and Cell Division in Plants and Animals |
| L23 | Meiosis and the Halving of Chromosome Number |
| L24 | The Origin of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts |
| L25 | Evidence for Endosymbiosis |
| L26 | Synthesis: The Cell as the Unit of Life |
Concepts in this unit
T-001
Cell theory
All living things are made of cells, and cells arise only from pre-existing cells.
T-002
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Two fundamentally different cellular architectures.
T-003
Organelles and the structure-function principle
Each organelle's form is matched to its role.
T-004
The fluid mosaic membrane
A dynamic lipid bilayer studded with mobile proteins.
T-005
The cell cycle and mitosis
How a cell duplicates and divides its contents faithfully.
T-006
The endosymbiotic theory
Mitochondria and chloroplasts descend from engulfed bacteria.