Credits: 4 (3-0-2)
Description
Darwinian evolution & molecular perspective; Introduction to phylogeny - Classification systems in biology and relationships; Cellular assemblies – From single cell to multi-cellular organisms: Geometry, Structure and Energetics; Comparing natural vs. humanmade machines; Infection, disease and evolution – synergy and antagonism; Immunology – An example of permutations and combinations in biology; Cancer biology – Control and regulation; Stem cells – Degeneracy in biological systems; Engineering designs inspired by biology – Micro- to Macro- scales.
Laboratory: Biosafety; Buffers in biology - Measuring microlitres, Preparation of standard biological buffers, buffering capacity and pKa of buffers, response of cells and plant tissues in different buffering conditions; Observing cell surface and intracellular contents using light and fluorescence microscopy, measuring cellular motion using real-time video microscopy; Measuring and visualizing intracellular molecular components - Proteins and Genomic DNA