Duration
30h Th, 40h Pr
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The teaching activities of the Cell Biology course take place during the first semester. Three main types of activities are organized: theoretical courses, practical work sessions and study aids. Students are evaluated on these activities during the first semester. The final evaluation is a written examination organized during the January session.
Theoretical courses (16 chapters) :
- The Chemical Unity of Living Organisms
- Cells and Methods Used to Study Them
- The Plasma Membrane
- The Nucleus
- The Endoplasmic Reticulum
- The Golgi Apparatus
- Lysosomes
- Peroxisomes
- Mitochondria and Cellular Respiration
- Chloroplasts and Photosynthesis
- The Cytoskeleton
- Comparison of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
- Cell Communication
- Cell Death
- Cell Division
- Reproduction
- How to use the microscope and the binocular lens
- Osmosis and membrane permeability
- Cellular energy
- Mitosis
- Reproduction in animals
- Reproduction in plants
- Plant tissues
- Animal tissues
- Composition and structural organization of life
- Osmosis and membrane permeability
- Replication / Transcription / Translation
- Cellular energy 1: cellular respiration
- Cellular energy 2: photosynthesis
- Cell Division and Reproduction
- Integrative view of the cell
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This introductory course in cell biology focuses on the structure, organization, and functions of the cell, the fundamental unit shared by all living organisms. Particular attention will be given to organelle dynamics and interactions, as well as to the cell communication mechanisms that allow cells to perceive and respond to their environment. The mechanisms underlying cell division, reproduction, and cell death will also be examined.
Studying these different processes is essential for understanding how living organisms function. This knowledge provides a fundamental basis for scientific education across all disciplines. Applying the concepts covered in this course will help explain numerous biological phenomena encountered in everyday life.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Mastery of the French language and a good knowledge of basic mathematics from secondary school are necessary for an optimal approach to the course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Three main types of learning activities are organized:
- Theoretical courses (16x2h) are given in amphitheater (ex cathedra). Students are asked to answer questions from the teacher.
- Practical works (8x4h) illustrate concrete aspects of the theoretical course. Practical work sessions take place in the Institute of Zoology (Building I1, Quai Van Beneden, 22. 4020 Liège) and last 4 hours. During these sessions, the students carry out different experimental protocols and observations under the microscope. They constitute an important aid in the acquisition of knowledge, in the acquisition of a critical spirit and in the development of the sense of observation. At each session, an assessment is submitted to the students.
- The study aids (7x2h) are organized in small groups of students (25-30). These sessions allow students to practice application exercises, which are an integral part of the exam. The active participation of the students in the thinking and the resolution of the exercises is the basis of these sessions. A detailed document containing all the information necessary for this activity (distribution of groups, schedules, local, work to prepare ...) is provided to students at the beginning of the year.
- Mandatory online formative tests can be organized every (Formatests).
For each student, a longitudinal follow-up of these activities can be carried out with their consent during the first semester. If signs of stalling are highlighted, the pedagogical team can contact the student concerned in order to help, advise or refer the student to the appropriate department.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Students have to attend the main activities. Presence at theoretical courses is not obligatory, but strongly advised. Presence at the practical work sessions and study aids is obligatory (presence is checked at each session).
In addition, obligatory preparatory activities (to do at home) are requested from students, in particular for:
- Access to practical work: conducting an online test before each session (pre-tests of practical work). This test focuses on the content of the session introduction, in order to encourage students to prepare the sessions. For each session, the non-performance of this test results in a penalty for the evaluation of the concerned session, while a success in the test results in a bonus. The practical modalities of these tests will be presented to the students at the beginning of the year.
- Access to study aids: preparation of a homework for each session (provided to students at the beginning of the year, in the document described in the previous section). This preparation will be checked by the supervisor, who may, if necessary, refuse the session access to the student who has not fulfilled this homework.
Finally, various optional activities are also offered to students on the eCampus platform of the University of Liège : discussion forum, exercises, glossary, remediation modules ...
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Refernece book: Cellular biology-Campbell
Further information:
Two books are essential for this course:
- « Guide de travaux pratiques de Biologie. Stéphanie Herkenne » : practical work guide, available in eCampus.
- Cell biology - Exercises and methods. M. Thiry, P. Rigo, S. Racano et A. Palmaers.4rd ed. Dunod": a reference book for the theoretical course and study aid sessions. This book is on sale in bookshops and is available free of charge on the cairn-sciences.info website with a ULiège connection (either by being connected in a ULiège building on its internet network, or by using the ULiège VPN).
Other interesting optional works:
- Cell Biology" M Thiry P. Rigo, N. Thelen and V. Goosse. Goosse. 1st Ed. Dunod in the "Je me trompe donc j'apprends" series. This book is on sale in bookshops and is available free of charge on the cairn-sciences.info site with a ULiège connection (either by being connected in a ULiège building on its Internet network, or by using the ULiège VPN).
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
- DUring TP, evaluation can happen. These evaluations relate to the subject matter of the session concerned. The performance and quality of the online pre-test can modify the results of these evaluations.
- An attendance rating is assigned to students for their attendance at completing the formatests.
- The final evaluation is a written examination, covering all the subjects seen during the different teaching activities (theoretical course, practical work and study aids). A examination will be organized during each session.
The overall rating (for deliberation) for the teaching unit takes into account the different types of evaluations outlined above. As a reminder, a score greater than or equal to 10/20 will be automatically credited.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
For obligatory activities (practical work and study aids), any absence must be justified by an official certificate. In case of repeated and unjustified absences, sanctions will be imposed:
- Beyond one unjustified absence during the practical work sessions and/or study aid sessions, the access to written examination of cell biology will be denied to the concerned student.
The use of laptops, tablets, smartphones and cameras is forbidden, unless it is directly related to the activity in progress (for example, during a practical session, it is permitted to take a photograph of a dissection or histological section for personal use, but their distribution, for example on social networks, is strictly forbidden). Any breach will be penalised by exclusion from the course in the event of a repeat offence.
All course announcements, last minute changes or other useful information for students are available on the eCampus website of the University of Liège in the Cell Biology course (BIOL0006-2).
Contacts
Stéphanie Herkenne, Mitochondria in cell-to-cell communication lab. GIGA, B34, AVenue de l'Hôpital, 1 4000 Sart Tilman. Tel: 04 366 33 79. E-mail.sherkenne@uliege.be
Les personnes encadrant les travaux pratiques et les aides à l'étude :
Florine HAbets-E-mail: Florine.Habets@uliege.be
GOOSSE Véronique - E-mail : V.Goosse@uliege.be
LEBRUN Marielle - E-mail : mlebrun@uliege.be
PALMAERS Amélie - E-mail : apalmaers@uliege.be
THELEN Nicolas - E-mail : nthelen@uliege.be
Secrétariat :
BROUWERS Sébastien - Tél. : 04 366.50.98 - E-mail : s.brouwers@uliege.be