Teaching code

4S01837

Teacher

Cristina Bombieri

Credits

2

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

BIO/13 - EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY

Period

1 SEMESTRE PROFESSIONI SANITARIE dal Oct 3, 2022 al Dec 23, 2022.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

To show the organization of the course that includes this module, follow this link:  Course organization

Program

Characteristics of the living beings. Major themes and fundamental concepts of biology. Origin of life. Cell Theory. Biological kingdoms and domains. Evolution and Natural Selection.
Water: characteristics and biological importance.
Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell and viruses: common features and differences. Endosymbiotic theory and evolution from prokaryotes to eukaryotes to multicellular organisms. Structure, function and organization of the cell: main characteristics and functions of organelles and cytoskeleton. Role of internal compartmentalization.
Biological membrane: structure, properties and function. Movement of molecules across cell membranes: passive (osmosis, simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion) and active transport (primary and secondary; exocytosis and endocytosis).
Cell communication and signalling pathways: Definition of endocrine, juxtacrine, paracrine and autocrine signalling. Signal Reception: ligands and receptors. Signal Transduction: second messengers, signaling cascade and message amplification. Cellular responses. Examples of cell signaling pathways.
The human genome: Organisation of DNA in chromosomes. Structure and organisation of chromosomes. Nucleosomes and packed chromosome. Euchromatin and Heterochromatin.
Cell cycle: definition, significance of the phases. Checking and regulation of the cycle. Hints about cell death and staminal cells.
Cell division. Asexual reproduction and Mitosis. Sexual reproduction and meiosis. Crossing-over. Human gametogenesis.
Chromosomal bases of inheritance: Autosome and sexual chromosomes. Dosage compensation and X inactivation in Mammals. Normal and pathological human karyotype. Structural and numerical chromosomal abnormalities. Meiosis and aneuploidies.
Molecular bases of inheritance. DNA: structure, function, replication and its role in heredity. Watson-Crick DNA Model. Definition of gene. Informational pathway: transcription, RNA processing (splicing), genetic code, RNA translation and protein synthesis. Hints about regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes.
DNA mutation. Different classes of mutations. Spontanous mutations. Mutations induced by chemicals or physical agents. DNA repair mechanisms. Somatic mutations and cancer.
Mendelian genetics and Heredity. Definition of phenotype, genotype, locus, gene, allele, domin ant, rtecessive, homozygote and heterozygote. Mendel’s laws. Allele segregation and independent assortment of genes. Gene – chromosome relationship: independence and association; genetic recombiantion. Genetics of AB0 and Rh blood groups.
Modes of transmission of genetic information. Inheritance patterns: autosomal (dominant and recessive) and sex-linked (dominant and recessive) inheritance. Introduction to transmission of complex characters. Hereditary and genetic diseases. Examples. Exceptions to Mendelian inheritance: penetrance, expressivity, incomplete dominance and codominance, multiple alleles, epistasis, polygenic characters, mitochondrial inheritance, environmental influence.
Genomic in medicine. Pedigree drawing and analysis. Genetic risk. PCR and molecular diagnosis.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The course will be delivered through frontal lessons, exclusively in-person.
Attendance to lessons is mandatory, as specified on the teaching regulation. In case of difficulty in attending the lessons because of COVID situation or in situation of particular fragility, students are invited to personally contact the teacher to identify the most appropriate and effective mode of support or recovery of the lessons.
Students can use one of the recommended text-books, at their own choice. Further insights may be added to the webpage, dedicated to this teaching, on the university e-Learning platform, throughout the course.
During the whole Academic Year, students may request personal reception to the teachers, by e mail or phone.

Learning assessment procedures

The exam consists of four written tests, one for each module, based on the didactic content of the whole teaching, to be passed compulsorily in the same exam session.
In particular, the assessment of Applied Biology involves a written test, consisting of both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Students will be examined on the range of topics listed in the syllabus. In order to gain access to the biology test, students must have first discharged any training debts relating to the minimum biology knowledge.

Evaluation criteria

To pass the test, students shall demonstrate to possess the comprehension and the knowledge of the topics covered in the teaching, skills of reasoning and personal re-elaboration of notions, accuracy and ability to focus the argument posed by the open-ended questions responding synthetically, exposing their arguments accurately, with clarity, critical evaluation and using the appropriate scientific language. The test will be considered passed if the student gain a minimum score of 18/30.

Exam language

Italiano