EM Cell Science

 

Dear Students, welcome to the Cell Science course!

In accordance with the Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ), we would like to inform you about the most important requirements for the successful completion of this course. In case of any extraordinary changes, updates will be announced on the Moodle (E-learning) platform, and through Neptun messages.

 

Requirements for signing the semester

The requirements for obtaining the end-of-semester signature are:
(i) attendance and active participation in at least 75% of the practical sessions (a maximum of three absences is permitted [Study and Examination Regulations (TVSZ), Section 29 (2)]), and (ii) achievement of at least 30% of the maximum score in each of the two midterms separately.

More than three absences (regardless of the reason) will invalidate the semester. Attendance will be checked at the beginning of each practice. A maximum delay of 10 minutes is permitted; any delay exceeding 10 minutes will be counted as an absence. A valid semester (signature) is required to be admitted to the exam.

 

Assessment during the semester

During the semester, two Moodle tests (midterms) will be written in week 6 and week 14 during practices. These tests cover both theoretical and practical material taught up to that point.

Completing both midterms is mandatory, and students must achieve at least 30% of the maximum score in each midterm separately in order to successfully complete the semester.

A missed midterm can be made up during the same week by taking it with another practical group, following prior consultation with the practical instructor and the course administrator or at a separate time at the end of the semester.

Students who do not achieve the minimum requirement of 30% on either midterm will be given an opportunity to retake that midterm at a separately scheduled time at the end of the teaching period. Students are required to retake only the midterm in which they failed to achieve the 30% minimum.

If the dates of the midterms are unsuitable, students can notify this to their practical instructor or the course coordinator until the end of week 2 (18 September).

The Moodle midterms include material from lectures, the textbook (text + figures), the chapters o the practical e-book (pdf), and presentation slides (schematic figures, light and electron microscopic images). Topics for the mideterms will be listed in detail in the table published on the website.
(In case of force majeure, the form and content of assessment may be modified).

 

General Rules

Participation in practical classes is only allowed in appropriate mental and physical condition. Please note that recording (audio, photo, or video) of lectures or practices is prohibited without the permission of the instructor (Rector’s Regulation KORL_6_2013).
Students are responsible for any damage caused in the classrooms.

 

Examination

The validation of the semester (signature) can be checked in Neptun at the beginning of the examination period.

The exam period lasts from 14 December to 18 December 2026, and from 4 January to 12 February 2026. An exam (colloquium) will be held in Moodle. Registration for the exam is only possible through Neptun, according to the deadlines defined in the TVSZ and depending on available slots.

The exam material includes the textbooks, material presented in the lectures and practical classes. A detailed syllabus will be published on Moodle in a table format before the exam period. In addition to having a lexical knowledge of the subject matter, the ability to synthesize knowledge is also required. High school-level biology knowledge is assumed.

Students should plan their exam schedule carefully. Please note that evaluation of the written tests and administration of results takes time. Exam grades will be available in Neptun.

For the third and any further exam attempts, students must pay a repeat exam fee. Students who registered but did not attend the exam must provide a written justification within three working days to the course coordinator by email. Failure to do so will result in the obligation to pay a fee for unexcused absence.

If you are required to take an oral exam before an examination committee, you will be informed in advance via a Neptun message about the time and location of the oral exam on the respective examination day.

If a student fails or wishes to improve their grade, it is recommended to schedule such exams towards the end of the exam period, to avoid unnecessary complications with rescheduling.

 

Moodle Exam Evaluation

Maximum score achieved (%)	Grade
0 – 49 %	1
50 – 60 %	2
61 – 73 %	3
74 – 84 %	4
85 – 100 %	5

 

List of coursebooks, textbooks, study aids and literature

• Bruce A., Bray D., Hopkin K., Johnson A., Lewis J., Raff M., Roberts K., Walter P.: Essential Cell Biology (4th–5th Edition)
• Some chapters of the Practical Notebook
• Practice and lecture PowerPoint presentations (pdf versions)
  (Note: The listed resources do not cover the entire material. Personal lecture and practice notes are essential for successful exam preparation. Please remember that the study material includes not only the textbook and lectures, but also the figures and diagrams. Do not only read the textbook but also take notes, make sketches, and draw flowcharts while studying.)
• Bruce, A.; Heald, R., Johnson, A., Morgan, D.; Raff, M.; Roberts, Keith.; Walter, P. Molecular Biology of the Cell (not required, only recommended)

 

General information related to teaching, as well as the contact details of the instructors, can be found on the Institute’s website.

Teaching materials for the current academic year, the topics covered in the midterms and the semifinal exam, as well as presentations and videos related to the lectures and practical sessions, are available on Moodle.

 

Contacts:

• Administrator: Andrea Kovács
• Course coordinator: Dr. Eszter Lajkó
• Tutor and lecturer of the course: Prof. Edit Buzás

 

Topics of EM Cell Science lectures and practicals for the first semester of the 2026/27 Academic year

	Lecture (45 min) Monday 12:45- 13:30, NET Brown Lecture Hall		Practice (90 min)  NET L13-16 (90 min)
Week 1 (7 Sept)	Cell membrane	Week 1 (7-11 Sept)	The light microscope
Week 2 (14 Sept)	Structure and function of nucleus I	Week 2 (14-18 Sept)	The general cell structure. Light microscopic microtechnique
Week 3 (21 Sept)	Structure and function of nucleus II	Week 3 (21-25 Sept)	The electron microscope. Cell membrane
Week 4 (28 Sept)	Endoplasmic reticulum	Week 4 (28 Sept – 2 Oct)	The interphase nucleus. Cyto(histo)chemistry
Week 5 (5 Oct)	Golgi complex, vesicular transport and secretion	Week 5 (5-9 Oct)	Immunohistochemistry. Fluorescence microscopy
Week 6 (12 Oct)	Endocytosis and intracellular digestion. Autophagy	Week 6 (12-16 Oct)	Midterm 1 – moodle test (25 p) Endoplasmic reticulum
Week 7 (19 Oct)	Mitochondria and peroxisomes	Week 7 (19-23 Oct) Friday holiday	Golgi complex and Secretion
Week 8 (26 Oct)	Cytoskeleton and Cellular movement	Week 8 (26-30 Oct)	Endocytosis and lysosomes
Week 9 (2 Nov)	Cell adhesion and cell junctions	Week 9 (2-6 Nov)	Cell and tissue culture and artificial tissues
Week 10 (9 Nov)	Cell communication. Extracellular vesicles	Week 10 (9-13 Nov)	Store and supply of energy. Mitochondria. Peroxisome
Week 11 (16 Nov)	Cell cycle and cell division (mitosis)	Week 11 (16-20 Nov)	Cell surface differentiation, enzyme-histochemistry
Week 12 (23 Nov)	Cellular aging and cell death	Week 12 (23-27 Nov)	Mitosis
Week 13 (30 Nov)	Stem cells and differentiation	Week 13 (30 Nov – 4 Dec)	Cell death (necrosis and apoptosis)
Week 14 (7 Dec)	Tumor cell biology	Week 14 (7-11 Dec)	Midterm 2 – moodle test (35 p)