Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 58

NATURAL SCIENCES

Biology and Biochemistry
Overview

The Biochemistry and Biology programme will give
you a comprehensive background into the varying
and complementary perspectives of the science
of life, from the whole organism to cellular and
molecular levels. This will equip you with the skills
to tackle increasingly problematic and complex
issues surrounding our ever growing and ageing
human population, and the impacts our actions have
on each other and life on Earth. Biochemistry offers
a particular emphasis on mammalian biochemistry
and human disease with integrated coverage of
molecular biology, while biology concentrates
on whole organisms, their relationships with the
environment and one another, and the way in
which they have evolved.
You will attend a terrestrial and seashore biology
field course during the summer vacation, between
the first and second years. In the second and third
year, you can select modules to focus in on human
biology, animals, disease, applied biology, ecology
or brain science. There is also the option to do a
combined subject double experimental project in
your final year, enabling you to do a more in depth
study. We also offer many additional academic
learning opportunities, such as study abroad in
your second year, industrial placements between
the second and third year, and research projects at
partner organisations.
A degree in Biochemistry and Biology is the first step
towards a variety of careers in the pharmaceutical
and food industries, in the hospital service and
environmental health, as well as many aspects of
biological, environmental and medical research.
The applied nature of many of the modules will give
you transferable employability skills that make our
graduates competitive in their field, as well as in
other more generic graduate careers.

Course content

First year
The first year programme includes seven core
modules and introduces the five key themes
developed across the programme: Macromolecules;
Metabolism and Disease; Molecular Biology;
Cell Biology and Signalling; and Diversity.
• Nature’s Tools: Proteins and Enzymes
• Metabolism: Major Metabolic Pathways
• Information and Inheritance
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Cells and Organelles: Biochemical Aspects
of Cell Biology
• Genetics and Evolution
• Diversity of Life
In addition, elective modules include Ecology and
Environment and Human Physiology and Pathology.
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Second year
There are six core modules, the emphasis of
the biochemistry modules being on mammalian
biochemistry and cell biology and the biology
modules on developing key field, laboratory and
research skills.
• Research and Analytical Skills
• Gene and Protein Engineering
• Metabolism in Health and Disease
• Endocrinology and Signalling
• Molecular, Cellular and Structural Immunology
• Life at the Extremes
Life at the Extremes includes the eight day
residential field course at a coastal location
in North Wales and a small group project.
You will have the opportunity to select two biology
elective modules, which could include Animal
Physiology, Living Together: Behaviour,
Co-operation and Conflict, or Human Genetics.
Third year
You will be required to complete two independent
study modules. This can be in the form of a research
project (experimental or non-experimental),
dissertation or placement. You may choose to do
a double experimental project, which will enable you
to do a more in depth study on a particular area of
interest. Acquisition, Analysis and Communication
of Information is also a core module.
You will select five option modules from a wide range
of subjects that could include:
• Human Parasitology
• Neurological Basis of Brain Disease
• Case Studies in Biotechnology
• Clinical Pathology
• Biochemistry and Therapy of Disease
For further details on the modules please
see page 54 and page 56.