Anatomy and Cell Biology Liberal Program - Core Science Component (B.Sc.) (47-48 credits)
Offered by: Anatomy and Cell Biology (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 47-48
Program Description
The B.Sc.; Liberal Program – Core Science Component in Anatomy and Cell Biology is a flexible program that focuses on the fundamentals of cell and molecular biology and human anatomy. The program includes a range of biomedical science disciplines such as biology, experimental medicine, pharmacology and neurobiology. Students may complete this program with a minimum of 47 credits or a maximum of 48 credits depending on their choice of complementary courses.
Degree Requirements — B.Sc.
This program is offered as part of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree.
To graduate, students must satisfy both their program requirements and their degree requirements.
- The program requirements (i.e., the specific courses that make up this program) are listed under the Course Tab (above).
- The degree requirements—including the mandatory Foundation program, appropriate degree structure, and any additional components—are outlined on the Degree Requirements page.
Students are responsible for ensuring that this program fits within the overall structure of their degree and that all degree requirements are met. Consult the Degree Planning Guide on the SOUSA website for additional guidance.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (32 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| ANAT 214 | Systemic Human Anatomy. | 3 |
Systemic Human Anatomy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the gross anatomy of the various organ systems of head, neck and trunk regions of the human body. Emphasis on functional anatomy. Laboratory component includes exploration of the human body through cadaveric prosections, imaging and other materials. | ||
| ANAT 261 | Introduction to Dynamic Histology. | 4 |
Introduction to Dynamic Histology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to light and electron microscopic anatomy in which cell and tissue dynamics will be explored in the principal tissues and organs of the body. | ||
| ANAT 262 | Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology. | 3 |
Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The architectural, functional and temporal continuity of organelles and the cytoskeleton of mammalian cells is introduced as well as their functional integration in the phenomena of exocytosis, endocytosis, protein trafficking and cell motility and adhesion. | ||
| BIOL 200 | Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression. | ||
| BIOL 202 | Basic Genetics. | 3 |
Basic Genetics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences. | ||
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. 1 | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| PHGY 209 | Mammalian Physiology 1. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of body fluids, blood, body defense mechanisms, muscle, peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems. | ||
| PHGY 210 | Mammalian Physiology 2. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine and renal systems. | ||
- 1
Students who have taken the equivalent of CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. and/or MATH 203 Principles of Statistics 1. in CEGEP and receive a course exemption upon admission are exempt from the program requirement(s) and must replace these credits with elective course credits to satisfy the total credit requirement for their degree.
3 credits from the following statistics courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 203 | Principles of Statistics 1. | 3 |
Principles of Statistics 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Examples of statistical data and the use of graphical means to summarize the data. Basic distributions arising in the natural and behavioural sciences. The logical meaning of a test of significance and a confidence interval. Tests of significance and confidence intervals in the one and two sample setting (means, variances and proportions). | ||
| PSYC 204 | Introduction to Psychological Statistics. | 3 |
Introduction to Psychological Statistics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The statistical analysis of research data; frequency distributions; graphic representation; measures of central tendency and variability; elementary sampling theory and tests of significance. | ||
Complementary Courses (15-16 credits)
Students complete a minimum of 15 or a maximum of 16 complementary course credits selected as follows:
9 credits of advanced anatomy courses (AAC) selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 314 | Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy . | 3 |
Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the gross anatomy of the musculoskeletal system (bone, joints, muscles and neurovascular structures) of the head, neck, trunk, upper and lower limb regions of the human body, emphasizing functional anatomy and including surface anatomy and imaging. Exploration of the human body through cadaveric prosections, imaging and other materials. | ||
| ANAT 321 | Circuitry of the Human Brain. | 3 |
Circuitry of the Human Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the functional organization of the human brain and spinal cord. The course focuses on how neuronal systems are designed to subserve specific motor, sensory, and cognitive operations. | ||
| ANAT 322 | Neuroendocrinology. | 3 |
Neuroendocrinology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A lecture course describing brain-endocrine relationships. Emphasis on modern experimental evidence and conceptual developments within the field. | ||
| ANAT 365 | Cellular Trafficking. | 3 |
Cellular Trafficking. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the fundamental mechanisms that govern the organizations of intracellular membranes, how vesicle generation is signaled, how the membranes curve and bud, and how vesicles know where to go and fuse. In addition to intracellular vesicles, the principles of mitochondrial dynamics and process of cellular autophagy are examined. Also, there is a focus on "Applied Cell Biology", with respect to how the exquisite regulation of cellular transport plays a central role in complex biological systems. A series of modules will take students through the mechanisms of cellular polarity, neurotransmission, metabolic cell biology, pathogen invasion, and more. The emphasis is on the morphological aspects of the processes, and on the major techniques that led to discovery. | ||
| ANAT 381 | Experimental Embryology. | 3 |
Experimental Embryology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic processes of reproduction and embryonic development, such as molecular signaling; cell-cell interaction; differentiation; cell fate determination; genetic and epigenetic control of embryonic development. | ||
| ANAT 514 | Advanced Human Anatomy Laboratory. | 3 |
Advanced Human Anatomy Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A laboratory course exploring human anatomy education through regionally focused dissection-based projects and applications of technology in anatomy teaching and learning. | ||
| ANAT 565 | Diseases-Membrane Trafficking. | 3 |
Diseases-Membrane Trafficking. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will examine how research into diseases has played a key role in unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms controlling membrane trafficking in mammalian cells. Membrane trafficking disorders fall into two groups those arising from a) membrane-associated or b) cytoskeletal defect. Topics include a) mechanisms of endosomal maturation, lysosomal storage disorders and rab protein-mediated vesicular trafficking and b) rho GTPase and cytoskeletal binding protein mediated trafficking associated with neurological diseases and cancer. | ||
| NEUR 310 | Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the functional organization of nerve cells, signalling in the nervous system, and principles of neural development. Topics include cell polarity, neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, receptors and second messengers, cell lineage, guidance of axon outgrowth, and nerve regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on analysis of neurons at the molecular level. | ||
6-7 credits of biologically oriented courses (BOC) selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 314 | Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy . | 3 |
Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the gross anatomy of the musculoskeletal system (bone, joints, muscles and neurovascular structures) of the head, neck, trunk, upper and lower limb regions of the human body, emphasizing functional anatomy and including surface anatomy and imaging. Exploration of the human body through cadaveric prosections, imaging and other materials. | ||
| ANAT 321 | Circuitry of the Human Brain. | 3 |
Circuitry of the Human Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the functional organization of the human brain and spinal cord. The course focuses on how neuronal systems are designed to subserve specific motor, sensory, and cognitive operations. | ||
| ANAT 322 | Neuroendocrinology. | 3 |
Neuroendocrinology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A lecture course describing brain-endocrine relationships. Emphasis on modern experimental evidence and conceptual developments within the field. | ||
| ANAT 365 | Cellular Trafficking. | 3 |
Cellular Trafficking. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the fundamental mechanisms that govern the organizations of intracellular membranes, how vesicle generation is signaled, how the membranes curve and bud, and how vesicles know where to go and fuse. In addition to intracellular vesicles, the principles of mitochondrial dynamics and process of cellular autophagy are examined. Also, there is a focus on "Applied Cell Biology", with respect to how the exquisite regulation of cellular transport plays a central role in complex biological systems. A series of modules will take students through the mechanisms of cellular polarity, neurotransmission, metabolic cell biology, pathogen invasion, and more. The emphasis is on the morphological aspects of the processes, and on the major techniques that led to discovery. | ||
| ANAT 381 | Experimental Embryology. | 3 |
Experimental Embryology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic processes of reproduction and embryonic development, such as molecular signaling; cell-cell interaction; differentiation; cell fate determination; genetic and epigenetic control of embryonic development. | ||
| ANAT 565 | Diseases-Membrane Trafficking. | 3 |
Diseases-Membrane Trafficking. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will examine how research into diseases has played a key role in unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms controlling membrane trafficking in mammalian cells. Membrane trafficking disorders fall into two groups those arising from a) membrane-associated or b) cytoskeletal defect. Topics include a) mechanisms of endosomal maturation, lysosomal storage disorders and rab protein-mediated vesicular trafficking and b) rho GTPase and cytoskeletal binding protein mediated trafficking associated with neurological diseases and cancer. | ||
| BIOL 300 | Molecular Biology of the Gene. | 3 |
Molecular Biology of the Gene. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of current knowledge and approaches in the area of regulation of gene expression, post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and signal transduction. | ||
| BIOL 301 | Cell and Molecular Laboratory. | 4 |
Cell and Molecular Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to biology research and communication with a focus on cell and molecular biology. Through conducting a series of project-based experiments and writing a final report, molecular and synthetic biology techniques such as gene cloning, manipulation, protein isolation and characterization and how research is conducted, analyzed and communicated will be addressed. In addition, an introduction to bioinformatics methods and their role in analysis will be provided. | ||
| BIOL 303 | Developmental Biology. | 3 |
Developmental Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A consideration of the fundamental processes and principles operating during embryogenesis. Experimental analyses at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels will be presented and discussed to provide an overall appreciation of developmental phenomena. | ||
| BIOL 306 | Neural Basis of Behaviour. | 3 |
Neural Basis of Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information. | ||
| BIOL 313 | Eukaryotic Cell Biology. | 3 |
Eukaryotic Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth examination of the structure and function of eukaryotic cells, with an emphasis on experimental design and interpretation. Examination of the molecular mechanisms of various cellular processes, including protein homeostasis, intracellular transport, cytoskeletal dynamics, multicellular organization and cell proliferation. | ||
| BIOL 314 | Molecular Biology of Cancer. | 3 |
Molecular Biology of Cancer. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The molecular basis of human cancers, including analyzing the events that promote the formation of oncogenes and inhibit tumour suppressor genes, the biochemical properties of the proteins encoded by these genes, and their functions. Current molecular targets for cancer therapy and the concepts and consequences of inheriting mutations in genes that predispose to cancer. | ||
| BIOL 320 | Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. | 3 |
Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Functional and comparative approach to neuroanatomy, examining how species changes in brain organization contribute to evolutionary changes in behaviour. | ||
| COMP 204 | Computer Programming for Life Sciences. | 3 |
Computer Programming for Life Sciences. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Computer Science (Sci): Computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, types, functions, conditionals, loops, objects and classes. Introduction to algorithms, modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging. Emphasis on applications in the life sciences. | ||
| EXMD 504 | Biology of Cancer. | 3 |
Biology of Cancer. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the biology of malignancy. A multidisciplinary approach dealing with the etiology of cancer, the biological properties of malignant cells, the host response to tumour cell growth and the principles of cancer therapy. | ||
| NEUR 310 | Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the functional organization of nerve cells, signalling in the nervous system, and principles of neural development. Topics include cell polarity, neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, receptors and second messengers, cell lineage, guidance of axon outgrowth, and nerve regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on analysis of neurons at the molecular level. | ||
| NEUR 502 | Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. | 3 |
Basic and Clinical Aspects of Neuroimmunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The role of inflammation in physiological function of the nervous system, as well as in a broad range of neurological diseases where inflammation can act as a contributing factor to the development of pathology or promote recovery, including fundamentals of neuroimmunology to molecular/cellular aspects of neuroinflammation underlying the pathology seen in clinical conditions. | ||
| PATH 300 | Human Disease. | 3 |
Human Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Provides a fundamental understanding of the diseases prevalent in North America, for upper level students in the biological sciences. Includes: general responses of cells and organ systems to injury; assessment of individual diseases by relating the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention to the primary biological abnormalities in each disorder. | ||
| PHAR 300 | Drug Action. | 3 |
Drug Action. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles of pharmacology and toxicology. Frequently encountered drugs will be used as a focus to illustrate sites and mechanisms of action, distribution, metabolism, elimination and adverse side effects. | ||
| PHAR 301 | Drugs and Disease. | 3 |
Drugs and Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course further explores the basic principles of pharmacology as illustrated by drugs used in the treatment of disease. Emphasis is placed on drugs used for diseases prevalent in North America. | ||