Cell Signalling - course unit details - BSc Biology - full details (2025 entry)

Early clearing information

This course is available through clearing for home and international applicants

If you already have your exam results, meet the entry requirements, and are not holding an offer from a university or college, then you may be able to apply to this course.

Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: C100 / Institution code: M20

Key features:
Study abroad
Field trips
Accredited course

Typical A-level offer: AAA-AAB including specific subjects
Typical contextual A-level offer: AAB-ABC including specific subjects
Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABB-ABC including specific subjects
Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36-35 points overall with 6,6,6 to 6,6,5 at HL, including specific requirements

Full entry requirements How to apply

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £34,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Additional expenses

Additional expenses could include UK or foreign field trips. These are subsidised by the University but you still need to contribute to the cost of the field course if you choose to go. Costs vary depending on the destination. Free, UK-based field trip options are available. For more information, visit the course unit page.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Course unit details:
Cell Signalling

Course unit fact file
Unit code	BIOL31441
Credit rating	10
Unit level	Level 3
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

The cells of our body integrate signals from multiple stimuli in order to mount appropriate physiological responses. These signals are transmitted to specific targets within the cell by intracellular signalling pathways that employ post-translational modifications, particularly phosphorylation. The fidelity of signal transmission by these pathways and the cross-talk between them are tightly controlled. This unit will cover how key signalling pathways in cells transduce extracellular signals to regulate gene expression and cellular processes such as growth and apoptosis. It will also provide an understanding of how disruption of these pathways can lead to diseases such as cancer and stroke.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title	Unit code	Requirement type	Description
The Dynamic Cell	BIOL21121	Pre-Requisite	Recommended
Molecules and Cells in Human Disease	BIOL21351	Pre-Requisite	Recommended
Genome Maintenance & Regulation	BIOL21101	Pre-Requisite	Recommended
Introduction to Cancer	BIOL21742	Pre-Requisite	Recommended

Aims

• provide an understanding of the mechanisms by which cells communicate • illustrate the commonality and differences in these mechanism using examples of key signalling molecules and pathways • provide a basis for understanding disease processes in which signalling is compromised • give insight into the experimental methods used for studying cell signalling

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to: • describe the various types of signalling molecules including receptors, adapter proteins, second messengers, kinases and phosphatases • understand how the physical properties of signalling molecules influence their behaviour • describe the major intracellular signalling pathways in cells and have an understanding of their complexity and the interactions between them • have an understanding of the link between extracellular signals and intracellular events, including the regulation of gene expression and apoptosis • discuss the relevance of cell signalling in a variety of physiological and pathological situations • appreciate the experimental techniques associated with the study of cell signalling • research the scientific literature to enhance their knowledge and develop their critical thinking skills.

Syllabus

• Introduction to cell signalling: signalling networks, protein-protein interactions, protein phosphorylation/de-phosphorylation. • Receptors: types of receptor (RTK, GPCR, TGF, cytokine and Wnt receptors), their mechanism of action and their regulation. • Second messengers: calcium, cAMP and phospholipid signalling. • Intracellular signalling pathways: covering the major pathways in cells (MAPK, PI3K-AKT, mTOR, JAK-STAT, SMAD, IKK-NF-B, Wnt), their components and key roles of protein kinases and phosphatases. • Transcriptional regulation by signalling pathways: roles of transcription factors and chromatin modifications. • Techniques used to research cell signalling.

Employability skills

Group/team working: Students participate in a Teams-Based Learning exercise (TBL) where they work in groups to apply their knowledge to problems.
Written communication: Students write an essay that provides training in logically organising ideas under time pressure.

Assessment methods

Written exam: 100% Written exam: Part 1 consists of short answer questions and Part 2 is to write an essay.

Feedback methods

In the TBL sessions, students will receive both individual and group feedback.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam	2
Lectures	18

Independent study hours
Independent study	80

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Alan Whitmarsh	Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Dr Gino Poulin, Dr Cathy Tournier, Dr Alan Whitmarsh

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