what defines "molecular and cellular biology" ?

[DrMidlife]

I see some schools are suggesting or requiring molecular and/or cell biology classes.

Um, I'm taking upper division microbio and biochem, and these classes are quite a bit more involved than my school's UG cell bio classes. I'm in to cell membrane transport mechanisms at the molecular level, glycolysis, TCA and photosynthesis at the molecular level, immunology, enzyme conformations, etc. and I'm doing a bunch of cell lab techniques (culturing, blots, sequencing, etc.)

Can somebody name a basic definitive topic in molecular and cellular biology that isn't also in micro or biochem?

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[spicedmanna]

I see some schools are suggesting or requiring molecular and/or cell biology classes.

Um, I'm taking upper division microbio and biochem, and these classes are quite a bit more involved than my school's UG cell bio classes. I'm in to cell membrane transport mechanisms at the molecular level, glycolysis, TCA and photosynthesis at the molecular level, immunology, enzyme conformations, etc. and I'm doing a bunch of cell lab techniques (culturing, blots, sequencing, etc.)

Can somebody name a basic definitive topic in molecular and cellular biology that isn't also in micro or biochem?

Geez, it's been awhile since I took biochem... You are right that there are a lot of similarities between biochem and CMB; obviously, CMB relies on biochem to some extent. Modern CMB can be thought of as containing biochem, cytology, and genetics. Hmm... I don't know about definitive, since they are all intertwined, but how about protein/second messenger signaling pathways (intercellular signalling/signal transduction), voltage-gated receptors and other common forms of receptors, cell regulation, differentiation (developmental biology), aspects of molecular genetics (gene regulation) in health and disease, mechanisms and implications of cell apoptosis, elements of the basement membrane in endothelial cells and cell junctions, evolution and endosymbiotic theory, cytoskeletal elements, electrical properties of cells (muscles and neurons), specific focus on organelles and eukaryotic cytology, patch-clamping, protein dye studies, radioimmunoassays, eukaryotic cell imaging, overview of in situ hybridization, and the pathogenesis of cancer. That's all my brain can come up with at 2am.

 

[JDMD243.0]

I also think of it in terms of how the research process seems to work-- geneticists isolate a gene by its phenotypic effects on a model organism i.e. Notch or Shh. Molecular/cell biologists figure out what effect the gene product has on the cell physiology. Biochemists work out the mechanism of the molecular interactions.

If you're thinking it terms of classes to take in addition of micro/biochem to prepare for med school, I've been taking several pathology type classes which I think are useful i.e. immunology, pathogenic micro, virology, cancer biology, pharmacology. Reinforces the concepts from micro/biochem since you learn how different pathogens hijack cellular processes and how drugs can work to counteract. I think it also covers a lot of the year 2 material for med school .

 

[fahimaz7]

I was a CMB undergrad student.. Our cell classes emphesized some of the following...


protein transport and processing
RNA stabilization
general cell components and their function (such as MAPs (Dynesin and Kinesin)
Ca+ waves, and other charged molecules
Cell membrane transport and mvmt of molecules (both diffusion and protein-regulated
CAMs
Cell-signalling (Jak-stat, mapk, etc)
Development (2cells, 4 cells, 8 cells a dollar) and all the patterning that goes with it (Dorsal, Tolls, Cactus, etc)
All the neuro development, neuron attractants/repulsions, development of the brain, cranial nerves and their disorders, etc.
And then of course tons of metabolism (glycolysis, FA metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and the storage of all that good stuff)
Cell Cycle (all the phophatases and kinases that regulate each stage as well as all the stuff that is going on (cyclins etc))

Basically any very specialized class past the biochemistries satisfies that classification. Cells and their function, interaction, and disease down to the molecular level.

And when you think you've gone really deep, you're only on the surface

Hope that helps.. It was just off the top of my head.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I also think of it in terms of how the research process seems to work-- geneticists isolate a gene by its phenotypic effects on a model organism i.e. Notch or Shh. Molecular/cell biologists figure out what effect the gene product has on the cell physiology. Biochemists work out the mechanism of the molecular interactions.

This is wrong; genetics, cell bio ad biochem encompass so much more than your post (not to attack just you). There are almost never cut-and-dry distinctions between the research of any of the basic sciences (even comparing say Anatomy to biochemistry). Molecular technologies have created such an overlap between the basic health sciences you will struggle to find differences.
Anatomy will focus more on structural things with a bit of function
Biochem will focus more on pathways themselves with a bit of function
physiology is sort of the bridge between biochem and anatomy as it will focus more on functional aspects of the structures and pathways


Molecular/Cell bio and biochem are functionally the same thing. While your cell bio class may teach different things than the biochem class, all topics in cell/molec bio could also be considered biochemistry. This is why many universities have a 'Biochemistry & Molecular Cell biology' department.
If the distinction had to be drawn you could say that molec/cell focuses more on macro-molecular processes (ie cell division) while biochem will focus more on micro-molecular processes (ie the interaction of kinesin with MTs during cell division) but even that distinction blurs as you move into more detail.

The distinctions are blurry in the lab but the classes, which are broad overviews of the subject, will have an easier distinction. Still though, cell/molec bio and biochem (especially at the grad level) will be very very similar.