Animal Physiology

The study of life, biology, has been transformed in recent decades by powerful new ways of asking fundamental questions about how living organisms work. In particular, molecular and microscopy approaches are revealing the incredible complexity of cells. With additional principles drawn from chemistry, physics and information science, we are beginning to understand this complexity and how it transcends multiple scales to organize molecular networks and cellular systems into fully functional organisms.

The Department of Cell and Systems Biology brings together biologists who study life at the level of molecules to functioning individual organisms. Our research laboratories conduct cutting edge research of fundamental processes using a diverse range of model systems (bacteria, yeast, plants, nematodes, insects, fish, frogs, mice, mammalian cell culture and others). Our undergraduate programs reflect this diversity and research strength. Since cells are the basic units of life, it is important to understand how molecular mechanisms control cells and how cells organize the development and physiology of whole organisms. These relationships encompass molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics and physiology. These relationships are also complex, requiring studies of dynamic molecular and cellular networks: systems biology. One core component of systems biology is the integration of large datasets arising from the genomics revolution. In addition, computer modeling and bioinformatics are integrated with biochemical, structural, molecular and microscopy studies to understand genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes and metabolomes of the cell and organism.

The Department of Cell and Systems Biology offers two core programs: Animal Physiology (Major) and Cell & Molecular Biology (Major and Specialist). Cell & Molecular Biology Major and Specialist students also have the option of pursuing one Disciplinary Focus in either Molecular Networks of the Cell, Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, or Stem Cells and Developmental Biology.

We also contribute to multi-department programs (Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Biology, and Genome Biology). We administer Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (Specialist) and Genome Biology (Major).

Student Counselling and Enquiries:

Visit the departmental website: https://csb.utoronto.ca/undergraduate-studies/ or contact the Undergraduate Office, Room 424 in the Ramsay Wright Laboratories (416-978-3477; [email protected]).

Use the University of Toronto International Application if you:

• currently reside outside of Canada, AND 
• are not currently studying, and have not previously studied in Canada, AND
• are not applying to any other Ontario university

Prospective international applicants who wish to apply to other Ontario universities in addition to the University of Toronto should use the OUAC 105 Application (see below).

If you have already applied with the OUAC 105 Application, you do not need to apply to the University of Toronto with the International Application. (If you submit both applications, your second application will be cancelled with no possibility of a refund.)

Note that you will need to pay a non-refundable fee of $180.

University of Toronto has contracted with the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) to provide application processing services. When you begin the application process, you will be transferred to the OUAC website where you will complete and submit your application. You will be required to create an OUAC Account (if you do not already have one). You may have only one OUAC Account. Direct any application process questions to the OUAC.