VTMED 5200 - Cell Biology and Genetics (Foundation Course II)

Fall, spring. 8 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: VTMED 5100. Enrollment limited to: first-year veterinary students.

G. A. Weiland and staff.

Designed to develop an appreciation of the molecular and cellular basis of animal health and disease. Students gain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate cell function, the molecular signaling processes that form the basis of integrated function and the response to disease, and the mechanisms underlying inherited traits and genetic disease. Students are introduced to the pathologic basis of disease and the immune response by studying cellular responses to injury. Emphasis is placed on defining and characterizing normal cell function and on understanding how mutations in specific genes promote disease. Fundamental biological processes as revealed by gross and microscopic pathological changes are emphasized. The course is divided into two parts separated by a midterm exam. The first part is made up of three sections: Principles of Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, and Medical Genetics. The second half of the course builds upon and expands these principles, using examples from veterinary medicine including wound repair and cancer. In both parts, clinical cases are utilized to illustrate the concepts presented.