From the moment that Galileo dropped two cannonballs of different sizes and weights from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa mankind has been fascinated by the impact of gravity. This Unit looks at gravity, its impact on objects and how the energy involved in the movement of objects is dispersed or stored.

Some of Britain's most dramatic scenery is to be found in the Scottish Highlands. The sight of mighty Ben Nevis, the desolate plateau of the Cairngorms, or the imposing landscapes of Glen Coe can unleash the call of the wild in all of us. Although these landforms were largely carved by glacial activity that ended some 10,000 years ago, the rocks themselves tell of a much older history. The Highlands are merely eroded stumps of a much higher range of ancient mountains. This unit is an account of the origin and demise of that ancient mountain range, based on the geological evidence laid before us in rock exposures.

Encryption of files and firewalls are just some of the security measures that can be used in security. This unit, which assumes you have a substantial knowledge of computing, helps to explain the intricacies of the continually changing area of network security by studying the main issues involved in achieving a reasonable degree of resilience against attacks.

This unit helps you understand the properties of nucleotides and how they contribute to secondary and tertiary structures of nucleic acids at the molecular level. You will learn about the different composition and roles of nucleic acids in the cell, their interactions with each other and the use of ribozymes, aptamers, antisense and hybridization as tools in molecular research. The unit covers the function of DNA packaging within the cell, the interactions between the DNA double helix and the nucleosome and it helps you understand the various chromatin states within the interphase nucleus.

Number systems and the rules for combining numbers can be daunting. This unit will help you to understand the detail of rational and real numbers, complex numbers and integers. You will also be introduced to modular arithmetic and the concept of a relation between elements of a set.

Do fractions and decimals make you apprehensive about maths? Do you lack confidence in dealing with numbers? If so, then this unit is for you. The unit will explain the basics of working with positive and negative numbers and how to multiply and divide with fractions and decimals.

This Unit studies 'proteins'. Starting with a simple analysis of the molecular make up, the Unit moves on to look at the importance of protein and how they are digested and absorbed

Both vitamins and minerals are essential in the diet in small quantities. The term 'vitamin' was not coined until early in the 20th century, to describe those chemicals in food without which a pattern of deficiency symptoms (often called a deficiency syndrome) occurs. Minerals, also called mineral elements, are those elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen that are found in the body. This unit looks at the two main groups of vitamins: the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and the water-soluble vitamins, those of the B group and vitamin C. It also examines the major mineral elements, and the importance of fluid balance in the body.

This course provides an understanding of the complex and challenging public health issue of food security and in a world where one billion people are under-nourished while another billion are overweight. Explores the connections among diet, the current food production system, the environment and public health, considering factors such as economics, population and equity. Case studies are used to examine these complex relationships and as well as alternative approaches to achieving both local and global food security and the important role public health can play. Guest lecturers include experts from a variety of disciplines and experiences.

The incidence of obesity is on the increase in affluent societies, and the phenomenon commands increasing attention from health professionals, legislators and the media. This unit looks at the science behind obesity, examining the dietary, physiological and genetic aspects of the topic.

The management of processes or operations is the very essence of any kind of business enterprise, and it is critically important that they are designed and managed well. This course taster uses case studies and models to illustrate the importance of effective operations management and outlines the steps to preparing your own operations proposal.

What causes pain and how do we stop it? This unit looks at how the human body responds to the release of certain chemicals and as a result feels pain. Pain can be reduced by inhibiting the formation of such chemicals and you will learn how the molecular structure of aspirin has been formulated to help in this process.

Public health workers need to understand and implement basic concepts of personal preparedness planning so that they can function effectively as public health emergency responders in a post-9/11 world. These basic preparedness strategies can be applied to meet a broad range of public health emergency response challenges, including - but not limited to - acts of terrorism. Personal Preparedness Planning provides a practical introduction to these concepts that is tailored to the needs of public health responders and their families.

Students will be guided to analyze problems and develop strategies based on real world drug management issues including regulations, manufacture, procurement, distribution, safety, policy, financing and the unique aspects of international pharmaceutical trade, the role of the World Trade Organization - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS), government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals/programs in the selection and use of pharmaceutical products. Course materials are drawn from both developed and developing countries so that the student will be knowledgeable about the role of Essential Medicines and the formation of a National Drug Policy. The course will use a multidisciplinary approach to provide students with an operational understanding of factors influencing access to and use of pharmaceuticals and other health commodities. Collectively, these materials and approaches are intended to stimulate critical thinking on how to improve access to and the use of pharmaceutical products.

Besides being simple mementos family photographs can offer insights into the past. This unit looks at some of the ways photographs can reveal, and sometimes conceal, important information about the past. It teaches the skills and provides some of the knowledge needed to interpret such pictorial sources.

Gantt charts, critical path analysis, SMART objectives and estimation skills are just some of the topics covered in this unit to help you understand how to plan for a project. You will gain an appreciation of the range of planning techniques available and the situations in which it is appropriate to use them.

Plate tectonics is an earth sciences topic that attracts a good deal of interest, given that it a topic very often featured in popular science programmes on TV and radio. It is a subject that have strong visual appeal. The coverage is S279 is self-contained, up to date and is written in a way that will be accessible to those with interest and motivation, all the more so for those who have some pre-existing scientific understanding.

This course introduces the basic elements of population studies, including: population size, composition, and distribution, and the causes and consequences of changes in these characteristics. An overview of demographic processes and measures used to assess them is presented. The course also focuses on reproductive health issues important in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. The impact of population policies and programs on population change will be analyzed for different countries. Current issues and problems in program design, implementation, and evaluation will be outlined with the help of several case studies.

Are you about to undertake a PhD in science, technology or mathematics? If so, this unit will help you to examine your work processes. You will consider and develop the nature of postgraduate work and look at the planning of work needed at doctoral level.

Without it we are dead! Water is essential, but what processes must it go through to become fit for human consumption? This unit will guide you through the continuous cycling of water between land, open water surfaces and the sea before moving on to an overview of the water treatment and supply process.