Cells are not only the basic building blocks of all organisms they are also the source of the vast
diversity that characterizes life on earth. This course provides an opportunity to explore the nature of
cells, both the unity and the breadth of cell structure and function, from bacteria and archaea to
eucarya. It builds on the introduction contained in BABS1201. The major topics covered include: the
cell cycle and the processes that regulate entry into, transition through and exit from the cycle;
mitosis, meiosis, cyclins and cdks, apoptosis and cancer; cellular integrity and movement, the
cytoskeleton, cilia and flagella; interactions of cells with each other and their environment, signaling
pathways, chemotaxis and sensing, biofilm formation and interactions between archaea, bacteria
and eucarya. Practical work illustrates and extends the lectures.