Undergraduate Biology 2023-2024

Five themes, critical to understanding biology and life, will be explored – Developmental Biology, Microbiology and Disease, Evolution and Behaviour, Immune Systems and Environmental Physiology. Each theme is structured to provide you with core knowledge, insight into how science is practiced, an introduction to current research topics and skills that are useful for investigating, recording and analysing information.
The course will be delivered using a blended learning approach and can be taken by students who will be on campus in first semester, or those who may choose to stay at home

A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of major groups of organisms from plants through fungi to early invertebrates.

Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success.
Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the diversity of plants and invertebrates.

This course begins with study of the physical workings of the Earth and the interactions between living organisms and their environments. We then look at the effects humans are having on the planet, potential solutions to global problems and thoughts on the future.

Teaching is by staff with different subject specialisms who give both variety and immediacy to course material.

Exposure to the problems we are facing both now and in the future will help you make informed choices in your everyday life.

A range of ‘wet’ and computer-based practicals enhance the classroom teaching and develop generic scientific skills.

• A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of advanced invertebrates and vertebrates.
• Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success. For example what are the key evolutionary steps enabling life away from the water? How do birds fly?
• Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the features of invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals.

The course will help you develop or consolidate skills in experimental design, sampling, analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data.

Each week, there are one 1-2 recorded introductory lectures to help you prepare for the computer practicals. In two 2-hour sessions per week you will work through a series of computer-based data tasks, using relevant and realistic biological and environmental themes. The course will introduce you to different types of software which can be used to analyse data, including Excel, Minitab, and R studio.

Teaching is informal and friendly. During sessions, staff will chat to you about your progress and provide help where necessary.

This course builds on themes from introductory ecology courses: effects of biodiversity, disturbance in natural communities, nutrient and energy cycles. herbivory, predation, competition, population dynamics, parasitism, mutualisms and foodwebs.  You will develop your abilities to interpret data by applying theory discussed in classes to real-life data sets using short problem-solving exercises linked to each topic.  Feedback will help you improve writing and interpretation skills.  Extended problem-solving exercises will improve your communication skills, scientific writing and introduce you to valuable approaches to summarising complex datasets in Excel. You will also consider issues around experimental design.

Genetics and evolution are inextricably linked and provide the foundation for all other biological concepts. In this course we introduce the subject of genetics from an evolutionary perspective that is informed by genome analysis.

A series of lectures and computer workshops will introduce you to the fundamental principles of evolution, genetics and molecular biology. In practical classes you will have opportunity to practise modern molecular techniques.

You will also explore ethical dilemmas that arise as a consequence of our potential ability to manipulate genomes.

• Physiology is the science of understanding life.  It allows you to explore and understand why your body does what it does and how it does it;
• This introductory physiology course explores living processes at the level of cells and molecules;
• The course lays down many of the fundamental concepts of physiology required to appreciate advanced study of many of the medical science disciplines;
• You will gain practical experience and understanding of electrophysiological techniques required for the study of electrically excitable tissues, like nerves and muscle;
• You will also gain valuable experience in the key skill of writing formal scientific reports

• this course will provide a comprehensive understanding of how genetic information is stored, how it is accessed by the cell to form functional proteins and how the release of this information is controlled to produce a healthy human child;
• understanding this process is essential to understanding the basis of human disease and the course will examine how genetic differences affect disease susceptibility;
• this popular, comprehensive and cutting edge course will equip students with the essential knowledge, skills and confidence in molecular biology required to progress on all courses undertaken in the School of Medical Sciences

Lectures and practical classes consider important and controversial conservation issues, encouraging you to discuss and develop your ideas and thinking.  A visit to a local nature reserve introduces the management issues and opportunities facing small urban sites.  An essay provides you with the opportunity to study a Biodiversity Action Plan species of your choice and to analyse critically the work undertaken to conserve it.  Extended problem-solving exercises will develop your skills in diagnosing causes of species decline.  Detailed feedback on written work which will help you consolidate your skills in scientific writing and writing for a more general audience.

Do you know how your body functions? The body is analogous to a complex machine that depends on appropriate functioning of all of parts. Physiology is the study of how the parts work and interact with other parts to support the normal functioning of the organism.

This course introduces the basics of animal physiology, highlighting similarities and differences in animals across the tree of life.

Lectures provide theoretical understanding of the processes that underpin the functioning of and communication between cells, tissues and organs.

Practicals allow you to apply concepts and develop lab skills.

Through the study of examples from across different phyla, you gain an appreciation of processes fundamental to all animals, and of differences across groups.

The assessments give you the opportunity to consolidate your learning, explore a topic of interest in more depth and develop transferrable skills.

• The Physiology of Human Organ Systems course aims to develop and integrated understanding of human organ structure and function through:

  • innovative teaching approaches covering the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and reproductive systems

  • participation in practical classes where students act as subjects and investigators. These will reinforce lecture material, develop scientific acumen and build team working skills

  • focussed and interactive problem solving sessions applying knowledge to clinical scenarios, and developing fundamental skills critically required in the final years of the degree;

  • informal teaching sessions where one-to-one staff-student interactions encourage discussion in a non-threatening environment

This is a residential field course designed to provide you with training in field identification knowledge and ecological sampling techniques.  The course is held at the Kelvinside Academy John Duff Lodge, Corgarff, Strathdon, Scotland. Group based project work encourages development of  skills in team working, data collection, analysis and presentation.

Dates for 2023-2024 are Friday 10th to Thursday 16th May 2024.

This is a residential field course that uses the University of Aberdeen Lighthouse Field Station up in Cromarty to introduce a range of terrestrial, coastal and marine habitats, and the techniques that are being used to study and manage the diverse species in these ecosystems.

The field course provides an insight into how scientific research and long-term monitoring underpins our understanding and management of biodiversity, and the different organisations responsible for stewardship and conservation across the UK. The course explores how natural and anthropogenic environmental change can influence different coastal ecosystems, and the challenges of managing those ecosystems where there are a range of practitioners, stake-holders and end-users with different and potential conflicting priorities.

Importantly, the course provides “real world” experience of ecological fieldwork, with a focus on how to design, plan and safely execute monitoring programmes for a range of different species and habitats.

Dates for 2023/2024 are 12/05/2024 to 17/05/2024

Residential field course designed to introduce you to the main groups of parasitic invertebrates and protozoa in our indigenous wildlife and provide you with training in field identification and sampling techniques.

Field work provides opportunities to observe, identify and collect host and intermediate host species, and training in field identification and sampling techniques.

Lab work provides for the morphological and molecular identification of parasites, and experiments on parasite physiology and manipulation of host behaviour.

Group based project work provides skills in team working, data collection, analysis and presentation.

We aim to pack as much experience into this course as we can in 6 days, so we work long and quite intensive days to allow you to develop deep understanding of parasitology, but there is always time at the end of the day to unwind with peers and staff in the excellent social facilities and to enjoy the unique environment of the Isle of Cumbrae.

Dates for 2023/24 are 24th May 2024 to 31st May 2024.

During day trips from Aberdeen, you will learn and practice a variety of techniques for sampling and identifying organisms in the field.

We will take opportunities to interact with scientists from NGOs and research institutes, who will give instruction on techniques and provide overviews on the remits and opportunities within their organisations.

Group based project work provides skills in team working, data collection, analysis and presentation.

You will develop skills in biological recording by maintaining a detailed record of the field activities in a field notebook.

By visiting and working in a variety of environments you will become familiar with common species, the ecological characteristics of local habitats and have opportunities to apply your classroom learning to the field.

Dates for 2023/2024 are 20th May 2024 to 26th May 2024

This is a marine biological field course to the Millport Field Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. The course introduces you to littoral and nearshore marine life in its natural environment and provides training in methods for sampling, surveying and species identification. You are encouraged to understand the taxonomy and adaptations of marine organisms in an ecological context.

The course typically includes surveying one or more rocky shores and a scientifically renowned sandy shore, sampling plankton and seabed organisms from a small research vessel, and carrying out a group project over two days. Through the various field and laboratory activities and close interaction with course staff, you will deepen your knowledge of marine organisms and their environments, acquire field skills and enhance your abilities in species identification, data collection, analysis, presentation and teamwork.

Dates for 2023–24

24–31 May 2024 (Friday to Friday)

Please note that you will be responsible for arranging and paying for your return journey to the ferry terminal in Largs, North Ayrshire, where the class will assemble prior to taking the ferry onto the Isle of Cumbrae. There are good transport links to Largs by road and rail. Detailed guidance on travel options will be provided in advance of the course.

• If you counted the bacteria in your gut, you might be surprised to find that you have 10 times more than you have cells in your body;

• The moment we are born, we become colonised with beneficial microbial life, the start of a relationship that impacts upon our health and well-being

• Pathogenic microbes represent an important health threat requiring an understanding both of infection and technology that we use to protect us.

• This course explores the positive and negative aspects of our relationship with microbes, and how our immune system helps to maintain a fragile peace with our closest neighbours

• understanding the fundamental workings of cells is important to a wide range of scientific disciplines; 
• this course integrates the key metabolic and biochemical processes that underpin human, animal and plant life in relation to health and disease; 
• this core knowledge prepares you for more advanced study in all areas of life sciences and has wide ranging applications; 
• you will also participate in an award winning practical series focussed on drug discovery which will build essential employability skills in experimental design, data analysis and practical laboratory skills

A course in which students explore both core and emerging issues in the plant sciences, focusing in particular on the inter-dependence of plants, people and environment.  Students are encouraged to develop a range of important generic and applied skills, through lectures, practicals and seminars. One practical and two seminars contribute 60% of the course mark. An online assessment contributes 40% of the overall course grade and consists of short, structured questions.

This course introduces the biology of the open oceans, shelf seas, coastal waters, estuaries and shores. The focus is mainly on the diversity of lifeforms in different marine environments and the adaptations of these organisms to their living conditions, taking account of the physical and chemical characteristics of the environment. The course also aims to develop skills in marine biological research methods, data analysis, reading scientific articles, critical thinking, and scientific writing. The knowledge and skills developed through these activities provide a strong foundation for further study of the functioning of marine ecosystems and the impacts of humans on them.

Field exercises will expose students to techniques for identifying and characterising organisms, and for sampling aspects of the environment.

Lab practicals will develop students’ skills and relate observations and hands-on experience to concepts introduced in lectures; post-lab debrief sessions will ensure students consolidate their learning.

Formative exercises will introduce students to a range of novel assessment types and provide a scaffold for the final summative assessment.

Through the production of a graphical abstract and written report students will demonstrate their understanding of one of the experiments conducted during the course.

You will utilise a robust approach to statistical analysis, a skill highly valued by employers and researchers.
Lectures provide context, background and step-by step guidance on how to conduct and interpret a selection of statistical analyses.
Through a series of exercises, you learn to explore data, to specify appropriate linear models for your research question and to interpret their results.
Online tests structured around the exercises and lecture content allow you to demonstrate your achievement of course learning outcomes.
Working with biological and environmental datasets in a structured and supportive environment, you will gain confidence and proficiency with data analysis.

Ecological Genomics is a young and dynamic field where ecology intersects with high-throughput sequencing technologies. This technological revolution has opened exciting potential to address long-standing problems in ecology and evolution from a genome-wide perspective. This course will explore the origins and the meaning of this field of research, and will showcase the applications of different approaches to analyse sequence data, outlining how experimental work in this discipline is designed and executed. You will fully appreciate the great power of “omics” approaches in the context of a continuously evolving technological landscape. 

Fundamental concepts of animal behaviour are introduced through a series of lectures and practicals, essential knowledge for those interested in better understanding animal behaviour as well as potentially undertaking an animal behaviour Honours project.

During the practicals students are encouraged to reflect on the theoretical knowledge learned during the lectures and apply that in explaining the observed behaviour of animals.

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of animal behaviour by producing an innovative multimedia presentation on the observed behaviour of a species of their choice.

• You will be trained in broad environmental thinking required to understand complex, contemporary environmental problems.
• Following a text will immerse you in ways of thinking about environment-society relations, critical consideration of different perspectives and gain experience with interpretive tools.
• By preparing and presenting a case study you will engage in the co-production of knowledge.
• Nine objects of concern are available as case studies (E.g., carbon dioxide; trees; wolves; uranium; tuna; lawns; bottled water; French fries; and, e-waste).
• Short written assessments develop your written communication skills; group activities and discussions develop your capacity for attentive exchange, informed argument and reasoning.

This non-credit bearing course will facilitate your preparation for your Honours project.

Lectures and workshops will clarify expectations for project work and provide training in risk assessment, consideration of ethical issues, environmental impacts and project planning.

Resources to help you define and plan your project will be made available through MyAberdeen, helping you to be confident that your project planning is sufficiently advanced by the end of your Programme Year 3.

Submission of an agreed (with your supervisor) project outline, completed checklists and preliminary risk assessment will allow you to demonstrate engagement with your project.

This course continues the focus on comparative animal physiology, following from Comparative Physiology 1, and goes  into the more complex systems. These include  energy balance & thermogenesis, reproduction, respiration, defence & immunology, and osmoregulation.. The course aimsto consolidate your integrated understanding of physiology ranging from cells to tissues to organs.

Extended laboratory practicals provide an opportunity to apply your understanding of physiological mechanisms to design and carry out experiments. You will also develop advanced skills by troubleshooting and interpreting data.

Written and oral assignments are structured to build confidence and competence in explaining complex ideas and presenting information to different types of audiences (e.g., scientists or the general public).

We spend a week in the Cairngorms National Park (Deeside and Speyside) meeting land managers from a range of organisations (e.g. ecological restoration projects, National Trust for Scotland, grouse moor managers, Forestry & Land Scotland and farmers) to gain first-hand experience of key conservation issues.  This course allows you to explore, discuss and debate the complex and sometimes conflicting land management goals of different groups.  Meeting the people responsible for on the ground decisions about land management provides an unparalleled opportunity to understand these complex issues in real life.

In 2023/24 this course will run 15th - 21st April 2024.

Practical laboratory experience enables you to develop skills and competencies relevant to lab-based Honours projects.

Lectures provide the theoretical foundation for understanding the techniques, methodologies and data generated.

Structured learning consolidates your understanding of health and safety issues and your competence in using standard procedures related to creating solutions and determining sampling protocols.

Feedback on your lab report will help you develop your communication skills and allow you an opportunity to engage with critical evaluation of practical work.

The dates for this course are 8th April - 19th April.

This course is designed to teach practical skills and will only be run on-campus (there will be no online alternative available)  

This course examines the practical interface between conservation theories and implementation, examining how conservation approaches are applied in practice to conserve species, habitats and ecosystems, to inform policy-makers and to integrate stakeholders.

This is an interactive course that encourages debate and discussion. The course aims to bridge the gap between the theory you will have learnt in second year Conservation Biology and the applied conservation issues of today. You will be able to meet a range of academics, as well as policy advisers and practitioners from various organisations through a field visit and guest speakers, and we hope this will enhance your awareness and enjoyment of the subject.

The lectures, discussions and fieldtrip will provide insights into the professional environmental sector which may influence your career decisions. By producing a research grant proposal, an infographic and critiquing current conservation topics, you will gain practice in skills relevant to the practical implementation of conservation goals, providing you with the opportunity to develop transferable skills in synthesising information, critical evaluation and research project design.

Under the supervision of an academic, you develop a research proposal suitable for submission to a funding organization.

The exercise of defining a researchable question, outlining the methodology, and writing an argument as to why the research should be funded provides excellent training for students interested in pursuing a career in science. 

During regular meetings with the course coordinators you develop your skills in record keeping, oral communication, and critical appraisal.

From feedback on your draft proposal you will gain experience in refining a written argument and in presenting documents professionally.

This independent research project develops your skills in scientific inquiry and critical analysis, as well as important generic skills, including presentation and time management.

Projects are field-, lab- and/or desk-based, developed on a topic of your interest under the direction of a supervisor. 

Training in skills needed to perform your project is provided by world-leading researchers and their teams.

Workshops and drop-in sessions provide training in data analysis and thesis production.

This skill set will be appropriate for advanced study in the field of biological science or other careers where the generic skills that you will develop are highly valued.

You research a topic and write an extended essay, developing specialist knowledge and refining your synthesis and evaluation skills.

You choose your topic from a list that includes fundamental and cutting-edge issues, providing you with flexibility and an opportunity to pursue your interests.

An introductory workshop reminds you of good practice in writing an extended essay and a meeting with your essay supervisor provides you with feedback on your essay plan. You also have the opportunity to submit a draft essay for comments from your essay supervisor.

An opportunity to gain first-hand experience in communicating biological sciences to young people in a school or other educational setting

A chance to develop skills for the classroom or other educational settings, supervised and encouraged by experienced school teachers.

Course grades are derived from four activity areas: log book, teacher evaluation, presentation, end-of-course report

Accumulate a set of transferable professional experience and skills that are likely to enhance employability.

Note that this course is thin thread.

By participating in on-campus workshops and completing a range of reflective assessments, students gain professional development and enhance their employability.

Students engage in external, work-related activities in placements that they secure, typically over the summer months but it can be during the academic year, as well.

External engagement activities require the approval from the student’s academic School.

This course explores a range of daunting environmental pollution issues that confront today’s society, including persistent substances, water pollution, air pollution and climate change, as well as waste issues. Although pollution prevention is acknowledged, the course explores our approaches to monitoring and management of existing environmental pollution problems. The course’s cornerstone is pollution science, its understanding and use in policy making. This aspect is particularly emphasised during the practical classes and tutorials, which provide hands on experience and further insight into afore mentioned problems. The course also benefits from the input of guest speakers who provide access to the reality of various roles in tackling the environmental issues and important contact with practitioners.

You research a topic and write an extended essay, developing specialist knowledge and refining your synthesis and evaluation skills.

You choose your topic from a list that includes fundamental and cutting-edge issues, providing you with flexibility and an opportunity to pursue your interests.

An introductory workshop reminds you of good practice in writing an extended essay and a meeting with your essay supervisor provides you with feedback on your essay plan. You also have the opportunity to submit a draft essay for comments from your essay supervisor.

This course considers the generation, analysis, and use of global data on biological consequences of environmental change.
You will gain familiarity with the main drivers of global change in ecological systems, and how existing insights of drivers have been ‘scaled up’ from individual studies to knowledge on global patterns. Hands-on tutorials build confidence and skill in handling large-scale datasets while gaining appreciation of their biases and limitations.
You will further critically evaluate how science becomes policy, empowering knowledge of links between data, knowledge, and practice in a changing world.

Under the supervision of an academic you conduct independent research and produce a thesis in the form of a peer-reviewed manuscript.

This project develops your skills in scientific inquiry and critical analysis, as well as useful generic skills, including time management.

Projects are field-, lab- and/or desk-based, developed on a topic of your interest under the direction of a supervisor. 

This skill set will be useful both for future careers and further study in the field of biological science or other careers making use of these generic skills.

Students will write a scientific document and a document aimed at a public audience and present their work to a mixed audience of specialists and non-specialists. Students will submit their public written document for publication. Skills in communicating complex ideas in clear and simple language will be developed. Students will also take advantage through the academic year of opportunities to communicate science to a public audience e.g. in radio and TV interviews and at science festivals – these will be assessed formatively.

During peer-review sessions students will gain experience in evaluating communication documents and in providing critical and constructive comments.