cell biology

Biology 401 : Cell Biology Assignment 3 (Rev ision 6 ) 1 Assignment 3: Essay In this course, you have learned about general principles of cell function. The essay assignment gives you an opportunity to focus on a specific topic that interests you. Your essay should be about 2,000 words (approximately 8 type -written, double -spaced pages), and should explain the m olecular basis of the topic you choose. Choosing a Topic Think about possible topics as you proceed through the course, and discuss them with your Academic Expert (AE). The only requirement for a topic is that it focuses on cell and molecular biology. For example, you might investigate the molecular basis of a disease such as AIDS or breast cancer, of aging, or of a degenerative disorder such as ALS or MS. You could study a normal cellular process such as signal transduction by G proteins, cell recognition and adhesion, or steroids and gene expression, in more detail. A new application in biotechnology or genetic engineering might also be of interest. You could get ideas from news reports of medical research, or by scanning the contents of Scientific America n. Perhaps a research project at your local university is particularly intriguing, or maybe a textbook reading will trigger an idea. You might choose to browse Medline Plus , a website that provides resour ces and discusses topics in cell biology. Once you and your AE have agreed on a topic , submit a summary of your proposed topic (no longer than 250 words). Gathering Research After you write the midterm exam, you should start gathering material for your ess ay. In consultation with your AE, select some key subject terms to help you search the literature for relevant articles. Your AE will assist with the procedure for searching and obtaining articles if needed. One excellent website is PubMed , which is run by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Writing the Essay For further information on writing essays for university -level courses, see the section of the Course Orientation titled Writi ng Essays in Science. Your reference list and citations should be completed according to the format indicated in that section . It is also important to include in the essay some figures and tables that you have encountered in your research in order to illus trate data or concepts. This will contribute to your overall grade.