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William Madison Randall Library

Class Guide: BIO 204 - Cell Biology


Objective: Despite perceived ubiquitous access to information via Google and other popular search engines, access to trustworthy and/or peer-reviewed scholarly/scientific literature remains problematic. And with multiple systems for accessing information, knowing where to begin can be a difficult and overwhelming task; particularly if one is not an expert or familiar with a specific area of study. Thus, the objective of this workshop and guide is to introduce you to resources available in Randall Library and on the Web that will assist you in developing your assignments for this class.

Using the library, databases, or other sources to find information can be complex and frustrating. If you need help at any time, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you.

Peter Fritzler
Randall Library, #2074
(2nd floor, NE corner of building)
Phone: 910–962–7807
Email: fritzlerp@uncw.edu
Instant Messager (AIM): peterfritzler1

Contents of this Guide

I. Encyclopedias and Overview Literature
The list of books below provide syntheses, definitions, topic overviews, and bibliographies on a variety of subjects relating to molecular and cell biology. The library maintains many more sources than those listed here, so it is important to browse the shelves around the titles listed below to locate other relevant resources. The Reference Collection is located on the first floor of the library to the right of the library's entrance.

Books (Available in Library's Reference Collection)

  1. Blanchard, Stacey L., ed. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders.
    Call Number: RB155.5 .G35 2002 (2 volumes)

  2. Creighton, Thomas E., ed. Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology.
    Call Number: QH506 .C74 1999 (4 volumes)

  3. Glick, David M. Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    Call Number: QP512 .G55 1997

  4. Singleton, Paul. Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology. 3rd ed.
    Call Number: QR9 .S56 2001

Books (Available in Library's General Collection)

  1. Alberts, Bruce, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th ed.
    Call Number: QH581.2 .M64 2002

  2. Harold, Franklin M. The Way of the Cell: Molecules, Organisms, and the Order of Life.
    Call Number: QH582.4 .H37 2003

  3. Harris, John. On Cloning.
    Call Number: QH442.2 .H37 2004

  4. Humber, James M., and Robert F. Almeder, eds. Stem Cell Research
    Call Number: QH587 .S7226 2004

  5. Lodish, Harvey, et al. Molecular Cell Biology, 4th ed.
    Call Number: QH581.2 .M655 2000

  6. Minelli, Alessandro. The Development of Animal Form: Ontogeny, Morphology, and Evolution.
    Call Number: QH491 .M559 2003

  7. Sperelakis, Nicholas, ed. Cell Physiology Sourcebook: a Molecular Approach. 3rd. ed.
    Call Number: QH631 .C458 2001

  8. Yeagle, Philip L., ed. The Structure of Biological Membranes
    Call Number: QH601 .S777 2005

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Selected Websites

  1. Cell and Molecular Biology Online - an extensive collection of cell and molecular biology sites, coordinated by researchers at MIT and Brown University.
    Access: http://www.cellbio.com/

  2. Cells Alive! – an interactive animated website providing an easy-to-read overview of cell and microbiology. Access: http://www.cellsalive.com

  3. Inside the Cell - available from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this online publication describes the cellular organelles within and between which some of the most critical functions take place. Includes images and definitions of key terms. Access: http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethecell/

  4. Introduction to Genetics - available from the National Biological Information Infrastructure at the U.S. Geological Survey, this site provides an introduction with images on the formation of living organisms, genetics analysis and diversity, DNA, mitosis, meosis, and other basic molecular biology information. Access: http://genetics.nbii.gov/

  5. MIT Biology Hypertextbook - website containing basic molecular biology information that is the basis of MIT's core Biology course, "Introductory Biology."
    Access: http://web.mit.edu/esgbio/www/chapters.html

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II. Reviews and Important Journals in Molecular and Cell Biology

  1. Advances in Molecular & Cell Biology
  2. Annual Review of Cell & Developmental Biology
  3. Biochemistry & Cell Biology
  4. Cell
  5. Cell Growth & Differentiation
  6. Current Opinion in Cell Biology
  7. DNA and Cell Biology
  8. Eukaryotic Cell
  9. European Journal of Cell Biology
  10. Experimental Cell Research
  11. International Review of Cytology
  12. Journal of the American Medical Association
  1. Journal of Cell Biology
  2. Journal of Cell Science
  3. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry
  4. Molecular and Cellular Biology
  5. Molecular Biology of the Cell
  6. Molecular Cell
  7. Nature Cell Biology
  8. Nature Reviews Cell Biology
  9. Plant Cell
  10. Plant, Cell & Environment
  11. Science
  12. Trends in Cell Biology

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III. Finding Articles
The following databases (i.e. indexes) will be helpful for finding scientific articles relating to human diseases. A particularly useful database to begin with is PubMed. PubMed is produced by the National Library of Medicine and is considered the most comprehensive index to biomedical literature.

  1. Biological Abstracts - both the electronic (1969-present) and print editions (1926-1996) are available through Randall Library. Biological Abstracts (BA) is the most comprehensive index for worldwide journal literature in the life sciences and is one of the most important index to biologists. Please see the Biological Abstracts Fact Sheet for more information on using this database.

    Please Note : If accessing this database from off-campus, you will need to login in with your library username and PIN.
  2. PubMed - A free resource (1950s-present) developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), PubMed is the most comprehensive biomedical research database, and a key resource used by scientists. Please see the PubMed tutorial or PubMed Help Sheet for additional information on using this database.

The PubMed and Biological Abstracts databases are both stand alone resources. This means that if you enter a search, they will only tell you what has been published on the term(s) that you entered. You will then need to search the library's catalog to see if the library subscribes to the journal referencing your article. By searching the library's catalog, you will be able to determine if the library has print and/or electronic access to the journal referencing your article.

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IV. Interlibary Loan (ILLiad)
What if the Library doesn't own the journal in which your article was published? Use Randall Library's Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery service, and the library will order articles you need from another library. This is a FREE service for students, faculty, and staff at UNCW. You do not need to know which library owns the journal that you need. Simply login into your ILLiad account and provide us with the citation, and we'll obtain the article for you. It generally takes 3-4 days for the library to process your request and obtain the article, so don't wait until the last minute for materials that you need!

To access this service, please see Randall Library's homepage ( http://library.uncw.edu ) and under the Library Services section click on the following: Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

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Last Update: 3 May, 2006 17:35