Cell Biology : Complete Syllabus

Complete Curriculum

Cell Biology

A comprehensive, university-level syllabus covering the molecular and structural foundations of life from the chemistry of macromolecules to the complexity of cell signalling and cancer biology.

10Units

52Topics

3Levels

∞Curiosity

SubjectCell Biology

LevelFoundation → Advanced

PrerequisitesBasic Chemistry, Biology

FormatSelf-study / Academic

Last Updated2026

Course Units

How to use this syllabus:
Start with the foundation units, then move into cytoskeleton, division, gene expression, signalling, cell death, and finally cancer cell biology.

Unit 01Foundation

The Chemistry of Life

Chemical foundations every cell biologist must know

• Atoms, bonds, and functional groups — covalent, ionic, hydrogen bonds
• Water and life — polarity, hydrogen bonding, pH, buffers
• Carbohydrates — monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides; structural vs. storage roles
• Lipids — fatty acids, phospholipids, sterols, waxes
• Proteins — amino acids, peptide bonds, primary to quaternary structure, folding, denaturation
• Nucleic acids — DNA and RNA structure, nucleotides, base pairing
• Enzymes — catalysis, active site, Michaelis–Menten kinetics, inhibition

Unit 02Foundation

Cell Architecture

Structure and organisation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

• Prokaryotic cells — bacteria and archaea; cell wall, nucleoid, flagella, plasmids
• Eukaryotic cells — animal, plant, fungal cell structure and comparison
• The nucleus — nuclear envelope, nuclear pore complex, nucleolus, chromatin organisation
• Endomembrane system — ER (rough and smooth), Golgi apparatus, vesicle trafficking
• Mitochondria — structure, cristae, semi-autonomous nature, endosymbiotic origin
• Chloroplasts — thylakoid, stroma, grana; endosymbiotic theory
• Other organelles — peroxisomes, lysosomes, vacuoles, centrosomes
• Cell size and surface area:volume ratio

Unit 03Foundation

Biological Membranes

Structure, dynamics, and transport across membranes

• Fluid mosaic model — phospholipid bilayer, membrane fluidity, cholesterol
• Membrane proteins — integral, peripheral, lipid-anchored; functions and topology
• Membrane asymmetry — leaflet composition, glycocalyx
• Passive transport — simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, aquaporins
• Active transport — primary (Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase) and secondary active transport
• Endocytosis — phagocytosis, pinocytosis, receptor-mediated endocytosis, clathrin
• Exocytosis — constitutive and regulated secretory pathways
• Membrane potential — ion gradients, resting potential, Nernst equation

Unit 04Foundation

Energy and Metabolism

How cells harvest, store, and use energy

• Thermodynamics in biology — free energy (ΔG), ATP as energy currency
• Glycolysis — 10 steps, substrates, products, regulation
• Pyruvate oxidation and Acetyl-CoA
• Citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) — reactions, regulation, NADH and FADH₂ yield
• Oxidative phosphorylation — electron transport chain, complexes I–IV, ATP synthase, chemiosmosis
• Fermentation — lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation; when and why
• Photosynthesis — light reactions, photosystems I and II, Calvin cycle
• Metabolic integration — gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, amino acid catabolism

Unit 05Intermediate

The Cytoskeleton

The dynamic internal scaffolding of the cell

• Actin filaments (microfilaments) — polymerisation, treadmilling, nucleation (Arp2/3, formins)
• Intermediate filaments — types (keratins, lamins, vimentin), mechanical roles
• Microtubules — tubulin dimers, dynamic instability, GTP cap model, MTOC and centrosomes
• Motor proteins — myosin (actin-based), kinesin and dynein (microtubule-based); directionality
• Cilia and flagella — axoneme structure (9+2), ciliary motility, primary cilia as sensory antennae
• Cell migration — lamellipodia, filopodia, Rho GTPases (Rac, Rho, Cdc42)
• Muscle contraction — sarcomere structure, sliding filament model, cross-bridge cycle

Unit 06Intermediate

Cell Division

The cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, and their regulation

• The cell cycle — G₁, S, G₂, M phases; G₀ quiescence; duration and variation
• DNA replication — origins, helicase, polymerases, Okazaki fragments, proofreading
• Mitosis — prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase; spindle assembly
• Cytokinesis — contractile ring (animal) vs. cell plate (plant)
• Meiosis I and II — synapsis, crossing over, chiasmata, independent assortment
• Cyclin–CDK regulation — cyclins, CDKs, CKIs, the restriction point, APC/C
• Checkpoints — G₁/S, G₂/M, spindle assembly checkpoint; p53, Rb, ATM/ATR
• Errors in division — non-disjunction, aneuploidy, chromosomal instability

Unit 07Intermediate

Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis

From DNA to functional protein

• Chromatin structure — nucleosomes, histone modifications, euchromatin vs. heterochromatin
• Transcription — promoters, RNA polymerases, transcription factors, elongation, termination
• RNA processing — 5' capping, 3' polyadenylation, splicing, snRNPs, spliceosome
• Translation — ribosomes, codons, tRNA, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, initiation-elongation-termination
• Protein targeting and sorting — signal sequences, SRP, co-translational import
• Post-translational modifications — phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, proteolytic cleavage
• Protein quality control — HSP70, HSP90, proteasome, unfolded protein response
• Non-coding RNAs — miRNA, siRNA, lncRNA; gene regulation mechanisms

Unit 08Intermediate

Cell Signalling

How cells communicate, integrate information, and respond

• Signal types and range — autocrine, paracrine, endocrine, contact-dependent
• Receptor classes — GPCRs, receptor tyrosine kinases, nuclear receptors, ion channel receptors
• Second messengers — cAMP, cGMP, IP₃, DAG, Ca²⁺; amplification and kinetics
• Major signalling pathways — RAS/MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, Hedgehog
• Signal transduction and amplification — phosphorylation cascades, GTPases, adapter proteins
• Signal termination — phosphatases, GTPase activity, receptor desensitisation and internalisation
• Cross-talk and signal integration — how cells integrate multiple simultaneous signals
• Cellular responses — changes in gene expression, metabolism, cytoskeleton, and cell survival

Unit 09Advanced

Cell Death and Senescence

Programmed death, cellular ageing, and tissue homeostasis

• Apoptosis — intrinsic pathway, extrinsic pathway, caspase cascade
• Bcl-2 family proteins — Bax, Bak, BH3-only, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL
• Necrosis vs. apoptosis vs. necroptosis — morphological and molecular differences
• Autophagy — selective and bulk autophagy; autophagosomes, ATG proteins
• Cellular senescence — telomere shortening, oncogene activation, oxidative stress, SASP
• Ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and other cell death modalities
• Telomeres and telomerase — end-replication problem, stem cells and cancer
• Ageing at the cellular level — ROS, mitochondrial dysfunction, proteostasis collapse

Unit 10Advanced

Cancer Cell Biology

The molecular basis of malignant transformation

• Hallmarks of cancer — Hanahan & Weinberg framework; all eight hallmarks in molecular detail
• Oncogenes — RAS, MYC, HER2, Cyclin D1
• Tumour suppressor genes — Rb, TP53, BRCA1/2, APC, PTEN
• DNA damage response in cancer — mutator phenotype, microsatellite instability, homologous recombination deficiency
• Tumour microenvironment — immune evasion, angiogenesis, cancer-associated fibroblasts
• Metastasis — EMT, invasion, intravasation, extravasation, colonisation
• Cancer stem cells — hierarchical tumour organisation, therapeutic implications
• Therapeutic targeting — CDK inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, synthetic lethality

Key Concepts and Terms Across the Course

Fluid mosaic model Endosymbiotic theory Central dogma Chemiosmosis Dynamic instability Signal transduction Restriction point Apoptosis Oncogene Tumour suppressor Meiotic recombination APC/C Spindle assembly checkpoint Chromatin remodelling Ubiquitin–proteasome GPCR signalling Autophagy Epithelial–mesenchymal transition Telomerase RNA splicing Cohesin Rho GTPases cAMP cascade Oxidative phosphorylation Nuclear pore complex miRNA regulation Cellular senescence CRISPR-Cas9 Synthetic lethality Hallmarks of cancer

Learning Path

Foundation

Build the Base

• Unit 01 — Chemistry of Life
• Unit 02 — Cell Architecture
• Unit 03 — Biological Membranes
• Unit 04 — Energy and Metabolism

Intermediate

Go Deeper

• Unit 05 — The Cytoskeleton
• Unit 06 — Cell Division
• Unit 07 — Gene Expression
• Unit 08 — Cell Signalling

Advanced

Master the Field

• Unit 09 — Cell Death and Senescence
• Unit 10 — Cancer Cell Biology
• Primary literature and research papers
• Experimental methods and techniques

Suggested Assessment Structure

Component	Description	Weight
Concept Notes	Detailed notes for each unit — definitions, diagrams, and mechanisms in your own words	20%
Unit Quizzes	Short-answer and MCQ assessments after each unit to check retention and comprehension	15%
Pathway Diagrams	Annotated diagrams of major pathways — cell cycle, signalling cascades, metabolic pathways	15%
Paper Review	Critical reading and summary of one primary research paper per advanced unit	20%
Midterm Exam	Units 1–5: structured questions covering architecture, membranes, energy, and cytoskeleton	15%
Final Exam	Units 6–10: essay and structured questions on division, signalling, cancer, and cell death	15%

Cell Biology — Complete Syllabus

10 Units · 52+ Topics · Foundation to Advanced
Compiled 2026