Unlike what the title and headers imply, this article seems to be much more about biochemistry than biology—is that because my perception of the place of biochemistry in biology is flawed? Is it because this is a building block for later posts, that will breach other subjects in biology?
It’s a foundation—it’s easiest to illustrate the patterns I’m describing on a molecular/cellular level, but they apply across the board. My current intent for the actual series is to start with a group of posts on molecular/cellular systems, both because a basic understanding of genetics and metabolism is extremely useful to understanding everything else, and because it’s the area I’m most familiar with.
However, recognizing that about half the interest expressed in the suggestions thread was for topics above the molecular level, I’m trying to figure out how to do some posts on them earlier without making things disjointed/difficult to follow. I might settle for weaving in short bits about how molecular topics will apply to macroscale ones later.
I’m afraid I’m not sure what you like to call stuff within your field. But if I was going with the university subject metaphor and pulling something out of thin air it’d be:
BIO253: Modelling Cellular Systems
A second year Bio subject with a prereq of BIO101 and two semesters of maths and stats. :)
(Note: If I was actually within the field I expect at I would cringe at the inaccuracy.)
Hah, no, that does sound like a real course title, although usually they call it “cellular engineering” to sucker in more people who would be turned off by an explicit mention of math in the title.
(I kid. Mostly.)
It is only a small subset of what I want to cover, though. I shall continue to think on it.
Nice article, just a minor quibble:
Unlike what the title and headers imply, this article seems to be much more about biochemistry than biology—is that because my perception of the place of biochemistry in biology is flawed? Is it because this is a building block for later posts, that will breach other subjects in biology?
It’s a foundation—it’s easiest to illustrate the patterns I’m describing on a molecular/cellular level, but they apply across the board. My current intent for the actual series is to start with a group of posts on molecular/cellular systems, both because a basic understanding of genetics and metabolism is extremely useful to understanding everything else, and because it’s the area I’m most familiar with.
However, recognizing that about half the interest expressed in the suggestions thread was for topics above the molecular level, I’m trying to figure out how to do some posts on them earlier without making things disjointed/difficult to follow. I might settle for weaving in short bits about how molecular topics will apply to macroscale ones later.
This is definitely not Biology 101.
I can’t really argue with that. I’ve been going back and forth with myself over whether I should call it something different. Suggestions?
I’m afraid I’m not sure what you like to call stuff within your field. But if I was going with the university subject metaphor and pulling something out of thin air it’d be:
BIO253: Modelling Cellular Systems
A second year Bio subject with a prereq of BIO101 and two semesters of maths and stats. :)
(Note: If I was actually within the field I expect at I would cringe at the inaccuracy.)
Hah, no, that does sound like a real course title, although usually they call it “cellular engineering” to sucker in more people who would be turned off by an explicit mention of math in the title.
(I kid. Mostly.)
It is only a small subset of what I want to cover, though. I shall continue to think on it.
How about “LW Biology 101 Introduction: Bases of Biochemistry”?
I guess it depends of what you’re going to talk about in the rest of the sequence.