Curriculum Map

Cell and Molecular Biology

Author:
Ella L. Ingram, Associate Professor of Applied Biology, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana

This Curriculum Map provides a list of highly relevant and engaging content from throughout AccessScience for use in enriching your teaching. Site assets such as tables, graphs, diagrams, photos, and animations have been mapped to standard topics taught in an introductory Cell and Molecular Biology course. Use the "Copy Link" functionality to paste a direct link from each asset into your school's learning management system for easy incorporation into your curriculum.

Course Topics

Basic Cell Function
Asset Description
Diagram This figure from the article Cell adhesion illustrates how cell-to-cell adhesion is accomplished.

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion about how cells adhere to like cells using cadherin proteins.		 copy link
Animation This animation explores the cell cycle and shows specific events associated with it, giving special emphasis to mitosis.

Suggested use: Show when explaining phases of the cell cycle.		 copy link
Briefing This short article describes the emerging field of regenerative medicine, focused on restoring function through tissue engineering or cell-based therapy.

Suggested use: Ask students to summarize practical and experimental aspects of regenerative medicine based on this Briefing.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Cell cycle article characterizes the cycle in terms of the key Cdk- and cyclin-dependent processes that occur.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of the roles of Cdk and cyclin protein complexes during different phases of the cell cycle.		 copy link
Animation This animation, entitled Cell Proliferation Signaling Pathway, illustrates how cells grow and how cell division is regulated.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of how growth factors bind to cellular receptors to signal the start of processes that control growth and division.		 copy link
Biography This biography discusses the life of Theodor Schwann, a 19th-century physiologist, who co-formulated cell theory in the animal context, along with other important discoveries.

Suggested use: Assign to learn historical information about cell theory, the discovery of pepsin, and Schwann cells.		 copy link
Animation This animation describes the process of phagocytosis of infecting agents by phagocytes in the context of their immune function.

Suggested use: Demonstrate the process of phagocytosis including opsonization, the formation of phagosomes, phagolysosomes, and exocytosis of lytic products.		 copy link
Internal Organization
Asset Description
Biography This biography of Christian de Duve tells the story of de Duve's discovery of lysosomes and peroxisomes.

Suggested use: Assign prior to an introduction of lysosomes and peroxisomes.		 copy link
Micrograph This image from the article Mitochondria shows the microstructure of a rat-liver mitochondrion as depicted by electron microscopic tomography.

Suggested use: Illustrate the microstructure of an animal mitochondrion; have students identify the outer membrane (red) and peripheral inner membrane (yellow).		 copy link
Diagram This illustration from the article on cell membranes diagrams multiple types of membrane-bound proteins.

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion of the function of proteins found in cell membranes.		 copy link
Biography This biography of Camillo Golgi explores his comprehensive work in neurology, including his discovery of the cell structures now known as Golgi apparatus.

Suggested use: Assign as homework, then facilitate discussion of Golgi's discoveries in tissue staining and the consequent discovery of cellular organelles.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on cell membranes illustrates the process by which membranes are produced and delivered to various cellular locations.

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion of the biosynthesis of membrane lipids and proteins, and their subsequent transport to appropriate cellular locations.		 copy link
Micrograph This image of endothelial cells, from the article Cytoskeleton, shows actin filaments and microtubules of the cytoskeleton based on immunofluorescence techniques.

Suggested use: Show when discussing components of the cytoskeleton (actin, microtubules, and nuclei).		 copy link
Diagram This dual illustration, from the article Vacuole, compares a protozoan vacuole with a plant vacuole.

Suggested use: Show when discussing the function and importance of vacuoles; have students compare and contrast the structures and their functions in these two different organisms.		 copy link
Cell Communication
Asset Description
Diagram This figure from the Signal transduction article succinctly delineates the major types of cell receptors and their various signaling actions.

Suggested use: Assign to have students differentiate the functions of G-protein-coupled, tyrosine kinase, and adenylyl cyclase receptors.		 copy link
Animation This animation on signal amplification shows how cells use cAMP and other molecules to amplify signals from surface proteins.

Suggested use: Show this animation to demonstrate how signals from cell-surface receptor proteins can be amplified to increase their effect.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Death Receptor depicts the basic process of death-receptor signaling.

Suggested use: Refer to this diagram in a discussion of apoptosis to illustrate activation of the death receptor and caspases.		 copy link
Diagram This figure illustrates the basic mechanism of the notch-signaling system via notch-ligand interactions.

Suggested use: Enhance explanation of the interaction between the Notch, and the Serrate and Delta ligands.		 copy link
Animation This animation explores the processes by which cAMP and calcium ions serve as second messengers.

Suggested use: Have students watch this animation prior to explaining how cAMP and calcium ions act as second messengers.		 copy link
Genetic Mechanisms
Asset Description
Biography This biography details the contributions of Elizabeth Blackburn to the discovery of telomerase and its protective role in chromosome replication. This work won her the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Suggested use: After introducing the function of telomerase, refer students to this biography to learn additional information on its discovery.		 copy link
Animation This animation explains the multiple roles of RNA in cell function and protein synthesis.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of the biosynthesis and functions of rRNA, mRNA, and tRNA.		 copy link
Animation This animation illustrates the structure and packaging of DNA into chromosomes.

Suggested use: Show prior to a discussion of DNA packaging and the function of histones.		 copy link
Animation This animation explains the translation step of protein synthesis.

Suggested use: Show following a discussion of how the codon sequence on mRNA is translated into proteins.		 copy link
Table This table lists the many types of RNA found in living cells and describes their functions.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of RNA types and functions.		 copy link
Diagram This figure illustrates the various molecules involved in the transcription process.

Suggested use: Display to point out the details of the activation of transcription.		 copy link
Diagram This diagram from the article Mitosis represents the stages of mitosis in a typical animal cell.

Suggested use: Illustrate the phases of mitosis; display without the caption and have students identify each phase.		 copy link
Cytology Methods
Asset Description
Diagram This figure, from the article Cell senescence, delineates the process of human cell culture and cell population doublings.

Suggested use: Show when introducing the topic of cell culturing.		 copy link
Image This image portrays a pyrimadal neuron that is expressing the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP). This is used in cytology and developmental biology to study and track organelles. When GFP expression is manipulated with promotor control this allows for selective expression, e.g., the image shown here.

Suggested use: Display to engage students prior to a discussion on the use of green fluorescent protein in cytology and demonstrate the selective expression of GFP in this pyramidal neuron cell.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on cellular imaging illustrates the imaging methods of photoactivation, photoconversion, and chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI).

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion of photoswitch techniques.		 copy link
Micrographs This pair of microscopic images from the article on tissue culture shows a culture of HeLa cells at two resolutions.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of HeLa cell culture.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on micromanipulation depicts a cell undergoing transplantation of the nucleolus via a micromanipulator.

Suggested use: Illustrate the precise technique of micromanipulation.		 copy link
Diagram The field of synthetic biology is a combination of the fields of genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology. The central part of this diagram shows the main methods used in this relatively new scientific field.

Suggested use: Assign prior to discussing the definition and purpose of synthetic biology.		 copy link
Cell Functions
Asset Description
Diagram This figure illustrates the activation of mast cells by various stimuli, and their response.

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion of cells that have specific immune functions related to allergies and infectious agents.		 copy link
Animation This animation explains the process by which cytotoxic T-cells act against virus-infected cells.

Suggested use: Play this video to support a discussion of how T-cells can recognize and attack infected cells.		 copy link
Biography This biography describes Alois Alzheimer's work in neuropathology that led to the observation of nerve tissue abnormalities we now call Alzheimer's disease.

Suggested use: Assign after discussing the function of nerve cells to reinforce student understanding and pique student interest in the history of science.		 copy link
Diagram This figure explores the development and migration of hematopoietic stem cells during mouse embryogenesis.

Suggested use: Enhance a discussion of the functions and applications of HSCs, which are the stem cells in the blood lineage and have been used in patients for transplantation therapy in the fields of hematology and regenerative medicine.		 copy link
Diagram This figure, from the article Lactation, depicts the process of lactation and accompanying changes in cell size and shape.

Suggested use: Use in an enrichment exercise to have students describe the changes in milk secretory cells in response to certain stimuli.		 copy link