Quantitative Biology of the Cell
This first semester course for freshman paints a comprehensive picture of biology that eliminates a perceived dichotomy between the physical and life sciences. The traditional separation of disciplines and curricula has kept students from using concepts and methods of reasoning fundamental to chemistry and physics in addressing biological problems. Quantitative Biology of the Cell bridges this gap. Based thematically on “The Cell”: its inner workings, as the building block of life, and its malfunction, e.g. cancer and mad cow disease, this course infuses the content with the concepts of physics and chemistry in the areas of ‘structure’, ‘dynamics’ and ‘energetics’. The classroom curriculum starts with the cell, deconstructs it and then re-synthesizes it from chemical building blocks. This approach is mirrored in multi-week laboratory experiences, where inquiry-based exercises strengthen the structure-dynamics-energetics theme and provide a forum for using and critically evaluating the applicability of mathematical models