Curriculum

Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology ( MCDB) 50 presents the developmental biology of stem cells in mice and humans, with an overview of the various types of stem cells that exist and an emphasis on embryonic stem cells.  The overview will include the important functional differences between embryonic, hematopoietic, and adult stem cells as well as the differences in their biomedical potentials.  Techniques such as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and other methods for the derivation of stem cell lines will be outlined so that differences that may seem subtle at first glance are clarified.  Students will also delve into the larger debate on human embryonic stem cell research while continually drawing connections to the established fields of bioethics, politics, and philosophy.  The course will ground the issues by looking at the history of the debate over the embryo, with careful attention paid to the language used in arguments.  An exploration of important social, ethical, political, and economic issues and how they arose with respect to the stem cell debate will round out the remainder of the course.

Class Lecture and Discussion Sections

Students in the class must attend the following class lecture: