Short course
From Bacteria to Human: the biological diversity of living cells
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
20/01/2027 - 17/02/202714:00 - 16:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£190.00
Across living organisms, they all share the same principle of being structured and functioning through their biological cells. Being the smallest building unite of any living organisms; cells represent an outstanding form of coordination between structure and function that provide the organism of its own specie’s identity. As little as single cell such as bacteria or multicellular such as trillions in human, all cells share commonalities of living components that result in a meaningful functional organism. However, across species different organisms have differences in their cells. Moreover, with multicellular individual organism there is also differences providing the different cell types. For example, we as humans have over 210 different cell types.
In this short course, we will learn about basic structures of cells from bacteria to human. We will also examine how scientists discover facts about cells. We will have a visit to the Oxford Science Museum and explore histories about the vast diversities of living organisms.
In this course, you will have the opportunity to visit the prestigious Oxford University’s natural science museum and get to explore real example model of living cells and organisms.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Wednesday 20 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Course introduction & The concept of living organisms: Commonalities of all living cells
What constitutes a living organism? What are the essential biological processes required for any living cell?
Week 2: Discovering and studying cells (Visit to the Oxford Natural Science Museum (N.B. there is a small entry charge)
What tools scientists used to investigate living cells? Exploring the history of microscopy and how we fist studied biological cells.
Week 3: Single cell organisms: Bacteria
What is the bacterial cell structure and what makes them different bacterial types?
Week 4: The diversity of animals’ cells (Visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum – free entry)
Exploring collections of different animals and how they were studied.
Week 5: The Human Cell
What is different about human cells and how they work together to make us human who we are?
Please note: students will have to arrange their own transport for the field trip, and cover the cost of any entry fees.
Course aims
Course aim:
To appreciate and learn about how living cells functions in different species
Course objectives:
- To introduce the normal healthy cell
- To understand the difference in biological cells in different species
- To relate knowledge to relevant preserved items at Oxford museums
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
- Learn basic living cells
- Understand the difference between living cells in different species
- Relate living cells relevant museum collections to our understanding of the biological cells via museum visits.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.
– This course is for beginners, no prior knowledge is required.
– This course is part of the Genes & Diseases Course Series offered by Amr Abdelgany. Students who have previously taken other courses in the series may encounter some overlap in the content.
Teaching methods
The course is delivered using a diverse range of teaching formats, allowing students to be at the centre of directing learning the session contents. In a two-hour session, there will be a PowerPoint presentation lecture introducing and explaining the main content of the lesson, followed by questions and answers (Q&A) session. The Q&A session is an integrated discussion that include contributions from students as well as the tutor. In all sessions, participants are always part of the class and encouraged to engage in discussions. Some session will be in a workshop format where participant will be working on a task in groups, followed by a general discussion. Topic-specific discussion groups is also considered in some of the sessions.
Assessment methods
This course is not accredited, so there are no assessments or coursework.
Dr Amr Abdelgany
Amr is a Departmental Lecturer at the Department who has worked on gene therapy since his DPhil at Oxford. He then continued his research at Oxford exploring novel genetic methods for discovery of new therapies. Amr has taught for the Department since 2012.
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £190.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- Introduction to the Human Cell. eBookIt, 2012. / O’Day, Danton H.
Module code: O26P421BIW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
