Taking Molecular vs. Cell Biology?

[Algophiliac]

How similar are molecular vs. cell biology? I am considering taking molecular biology during a difficult semester, however my class in cell biology proved very difficult for me. In general, the in-depth aspects of cell translation, behavior, etc., while interesting, are more difficult for me to grasp and replicate on tests--they also take more time. What would you recommend? I do have a five day trial period, in which I can register and then "drop" without it showing up on my transcript. Should I bother registering?

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[flatearth22]

Only take them if you're sure you can get an A. Pick the one that is regarded as "easier" (both in workload and grade-wise) by your school.

 

[Whatyousay]

Only take them if you're sure you can get an A. Pick the one that is regarded as "easier" (both in workload and grade-wise) by your school.

I don't think that answered the OP's question.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

I would think Cell would be more fun. Molecular sounds boring imo.

 

[Algophiliac]

I would think Cell would be more fun. Molecular sounds boring imo.

Cell biology is very fun, but unfortunately for me, very difficult, specifically time-wise. If anyone does know the answer to the question, or has taken either of these courses and can provide relative feedback, please let me know...

 

[raltima07]

I don't think that answered the OP's question.

Go back to the 2016 thread fool

 

[JESSFALLING]

I'd like to know the answer to the OP's questions too. Also, do molecular biology and biochemistry cover similar topics? If so, should someone taking biochemistry opt for cell biology over molecular biology if they can only take one? Tnkx.

 

[Whatyousay]

I'd like to know the answer to the OP's questions too. Also, do molecular biology and biochemistry cover similar topics? If so, should someone taking biochemistry opt for cell biology over molecular biology if they can only take one? Tnkx.

Biochemistry and molecular biology may cover some of the same topics, but in general, they are two separate entities.

I would opt to take biochemistry over almost any non-pre req science course. Biochem has become a "recommended" course for a sizeable number of medical schools, and it's gradually becoming a requirement at many schools (i.e. Johns Hopkins).

 

[Algophiliac]

Biochemistry and molecular biology may cover some of the same topics, but in general, they are two separate entities.

I would opt to take biochemistry over almost any non-pre req science course. Biochem has become a "recommended" course for a sizeable number of medical schools, and it's gradually becoming a requirement at many schools (i.e. Johns Hopkins).

I don't think that answered the question completely, but it is very good advice!

I'd love an answer to both questions, if anyone at all has taken these classes...since they're not that uncommon...

 

[Whatyousay]

I don't think that answered the question completely, but it is very good advice!

I'd love an answer to both questions, if anyone at all has taken these classes...since they're not that uncommon...

What specifically bugged you about cell biology?

Think of molecular bio as a "level down" from cell bio - instead of talking about the cell itself, you're now talking about the cellular processes at a molecular level (as the name obviously implies).

 

[UnclePhil]

when i took those courses you couldn't take cell biology without knowing molecular biology.

 

[capn jazz]

i took cell bio and molecular bio. cell bio was way better, in my opinion. i don't know why - i got cell bio way more easily than molec. in fact, molecular bio is the lowest grade on my transcript (it was an cross ugrad/grad class full of md/phds. biggest mistake of my life. 🙁)

 

[thisiswilde]

I found molecular biology somewhat challenging, even though I enjoy biology. If you didn't do well in cell biology, I wouldn't take it since some of the concepts are similar. however, it is not hard to do well, as long as you have time to set aside and study

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

OP, the rigor of the class is going to vary from one university to another, but at my school cell was definitely much more difficult and time consuming than molecular. I took molecular genetics (5 credit class, but easier than my 4 credit cell class) instead of molecular bio, but my friend took molecular bio and barely studied and got A's on all the tests. Once again, though, I'm sure it's different from one university to another.

 

[Algophiliac]

OP, the rigor of the class is going to vary from one university to another, but at my school cell was definitely much more difficult and time consuming than molecular. I took molecular genetics (5 credit class, but easier than my 4 credit cell class) instead of molecular bio, but my friend took molecular bio and barely studied and got A's on all the tests. Once again, though, I'm sure it's different from one university to another.

Thank you, but I am wondering more specifically how the two classes differ, since what I define as hard may be a bit different. Cell bio is very intense in terms of processes, how every little detail functions on an in-depth level, which requires quite a bit of time and dedication from me to get a decent grade.

However, I do understand that molecular biology would be a level down, but I am wondering just what that entails specifically. How it differs from cell bio would also be nice to know...

 

[zeppelinpage4]

This probably differs school to school, but at mine cell biology is a sophomore/junior level course. However molecular biology is typically something junior/seniors take, the professor is also tougher. I haven't taken molecular but since it requires more pre requisite classes, I'd imagine it's harder than cell biology, at least at my school.

I did take cell biology though and really enjoyed it. It didn't seem that much more difficult than intro bio, we just went more in depth but covered less material and went a bit slower. So the extra time sort of made up for the extra details/info we covered. It's pretty cool to learn some of the pathways and really get a deeper look into why and how some processes work.

 

[Stewabeet]

At my school, one class is not a prereq for the other, and they covered pretty different material.

Cell biology covered many different cellular pathways. It was more of, "If you do *this* to a cell, what happens then?" More about the larger response of the cell. However, there were still maaaaany nitty gritty details to memorize. I got to use a fluorescent microscope for one lab, which was pretty exciting (now I use one almost every day...ha).

Basically, I found that molecular biology had a stronger emphasis on DNA. Molecular biology covered plasmids in many different ways. We talked a lot about supercoiling DNA in the beginning, which I found EXTREMELY boring. I really enjoyed the lab for this course - we did a yeast hybrid screen for proteins that interacted with a specific tumor suppressor which is found mutated in many cancers. We ended up running many gels over the course of the semester, from what I remember. We also studied DNA replication, transcription, translation, and DNA repair pathways as they occur in humans.

Some people at my school do better in molecular biology, some do better in cell biology. I find protein pathways far more interesting, and thought memorizing crap about circular DNA in bacteria coiling was the most useless information ever. I do wish I'd paid more attention though, since the lab techniques we covered are very common and useful. And now I study DNA repair pathways...oops with respect to not paying attention senior year...but yay for pubmedding reviews now!

Also, at my school you have no choice and must take both if you major in Molecular and Cellular Biology (which is what I did) or Chemical and Physical Biology. I had a friend who knew she wanted to do research but was majoring in Human Evolutionary Bio, for which neither course was required, but she took them both because the labs and knowledge are just that useful for future biologists in most research. Just try to take which one you feel more drawn to! It boils down to cell pathways versus many many things about DNA, in my opinion and at my school.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

Thank you, but I am wondering more specifically how the two classes differ, since what I define as hard may be a bit different. Cell bio is very intense in terms of processes, how every little detail functions on an in-depth level, which requires quite a bit of time and dedication from me to get a decent grade.

However, I do understand that molecular biology would be a level down, but I am wondering just what that entails specifically. How it differs from cell bio would also be nice to know...

As Stewabeet said, molecular is mostly about DNA...DNA replication, transcription, translation, post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications, control of gene expression, and pretty heavy emphasis on techniques used in molecular biology research ie PCR, DNA hybridization, southern blotting, cloning, etc. There is quite a bit of detail involved, but I personally felt that it was less detail than cell. Depending on how in-depth your intro bio class was, you may have already covered a lot of the topics in there.

 

[Algophiliac]

Basically, I found that molecular biology had a stronger emphasis on DNA. Molecular biology covered plasmids in many different ways. We talked a lot about supercoiling DNA in the beginning, which I found EXTREMELY boring. I really enjoyed the lab for this course - we did a yeast hybrid screen for proteins that interacted with a specific tumor suppressor which is found mutated in many cancers. We ended up running many gels over the course of the semester, from what I remember. We also studied DNA replication, transcription, translation, and DNA repair pathways as they occur in humans.

Some people at my school do better in molecular biology, some do better in cell biology. I find protein pathways far more interesting, and thought memorizing crap about circular DNA in bacteria coiling was the most useless information ever. I do wish I'd paid more attention though, since the lab techniques we covered are very common and useful. And now I study DNA repair pathways...oops with respect to not paying attention senior year...but yay for pubmedding reviews now!

Thank you, this is perfect! Fortunately, DNA is exactly what I enjoy learning about, and your description of the material in the class was precisely what I succeed well at in other courses--albeit in lesser details. 🙂 I do have to take them both, as well, and am glad to hear molecular biology will be more "simple" for me than cell biology.

And thank you, Hyperstudyosis, this is great to hear and definitely what I enjoyed most in other classes, like intro bio, genetics, etc.

 

[beysam]

Let me jump in and share my insight. Forget about the level of difficulty because it depends from school to school and from person to person. However, many schools have prerequisites for molecular bio courses such as cell bio and organic chem I.

And it makes sense it is kind of intro to biochem course, if you will. In addition, it examines the physical-chemical properties of biological macromolecules, the mechanisms of information storage in DNA, and the steps involved in expression of this information.....


I hope that clarifies all and would recommend the OP to take mol bio at least, if not biochem.

 

[iniquus]

In my school cell biology was much more difficult than molecular biology, in addition to being more interesting.

 

[Algophiliac]

Let me jump in and share my insight. Forget about the level of difficulty because it depends from school to school and from person to person. However, many schools have prerequisites for molecular bio courses such as cell bio and organic chem I.

And it makes sense it is kind of intro to biochem course, if you will. In addition, it examines the physical-chemical properties of biological macromolecules, the mechanisms of information storage in DNA, and the steps involved in expression of this information.....


I hope that clarifies all and would recommend the OP to take mol bio at least, if not biochem.

My school lists cell biology and organic chemistry I as "preferred" pre-requisites for the course. I am wondering just how necessary they were to you when you took molecular biology? Did you mean that you would recommend I take cell biology prior to molecular biology...? Do they really intermingle to the point where I might have difficulty understanding one without the other? Hmmm.

 

[beysam]

My school lists cell biology and organic chemistry I as "preferred" pre-requisites for the course. I am wondering just how necessary they were to you when you took molecular biology? Did you mean that you would recommend I take cell biology prior to molecular biology...? Do they really intermingle to the point where I might have difficulty understanding one without the other? Hmmm.

I don't think you would need deeper knowledge of cell bio. I don't go as far as to say they "intermingle", to use your word, but orgo chem I knowledge would be key, at least in my case. Again it depends how deeper your school goes in to mol bio.