Functional Biology

Course goals

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Describe the concept of evolution and its contribution to biological processes;
2. Explain different life cycles and describe the diversity of life (tree of life);
3. Reflect on the role of microorganisms in the biosphere and relate that to biological processes and functions (e.g. nutrient cycling);
4. Connect structure, growth and development of microorganisms to specific functions;
5. Connect the different forms of reproduction of eukaryotic organisms to their biology and lifestyles;
6. Connect commonalities and differences in structure, growth, and development of plants and animals to specific biological functions (e.g. transport, long-distance signaling);
7. Use basic concepts in plant and animal physiology to describe responses of plants and animals to their environment and to explain their role in physiological responses and immunity;
8. Indicate the importance and relevance of model organisms for understanding and studying biological processes;
9. Reflect on ethical aspects of research and societal issues (e.g. GMO);
10. Work in a team, communicate with team members, participate in team discussions and decision making, learn from each other, give and receive feedback;
11. Search scientific literature, structure content, design a poster, present a poster, ask and answer questions at presentations.

Content

Students in the life sciences need to understand how changes at the molecular level affect a wide range of biological processes and, ultimately, the functioning of organisms. Therefore, this course aims to take the steps from molecules and cells discussed earlier to the biology of a wide range of organisms and the processes and mechanisms that affect their functions and activities.   

Set up of this course:
This course covers evolution, starting with key evolutionary concepts and the "Tree of Life". In lectures and work groups, students learn about the differences and similarities between organisms and their genes and proteins and how these can be studied from an evolutionary perspective. Students will then explore the importance and diversity of microorganisms and the various important biological processes in which they function, e.g. in nutrient cycling. This section includes a hands-on microbiology laboratory session.

The course then focuses on the higher eukaryotes, especially plants and animals. Here, we discuss these organisms' multicellularity, growth, development, and physiology. In individual assignments, students explore the parallels and differences of important biological processes, such as development, chemical signals directing growth and physiology, reproduction, immunity, electric signalling and neural regulation. 
 
Throughout the course, students work on a group project describing research on a biological process in a selected model organism, culminating in a plenary poster session during the course's final week.

Relation to other courses:
This course places knowledge acquired in previous courses ‘Cell Biology’ (MBLS-101) and ‘Biomolecular Chemistry’ (MBLS-105) in the wider context of comparative physiology and genetics. This course provides the fundament for more advanced biology courses. 

Teaching format course (estimation):
Lectures 10%
Practical 15%
Tutorials 20%
Self-study 55%

This course uses lectures, Q&A sessions, and either computer or laboratory practicals. In addition, this course contains online modules, self-study, and individual assignments to engage students with the material and deepen their learning. A group assignment resulting in a written and oral report in the form of a poster for a plenary poster session simulates the actual teamwork process.

Grading (check course manual for details):

1. Written exam 1 (32%)
2. Written exam 2 (22%)
3. Written exam 3 (26%)
4. Group assignment and poster presentation (20%)

Each grade of the exams must be greater than or equal to 5.0; the average grade must be at least 5.5. The poster assignment must be at least 6.0. 
A minimum attendance of 75% at mandatory live sessions is required for admittance to the re-exams.