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

Learning outcomes

The course purposes are to give basic knowledge about living organism characteristic (procariots, eucariots, viruses), through the acquisition of the fundamental concepts of a) biology and of the structural, functional and molecular principles of cellular processes and of b) human genetics (mode of transmission of hereditary characters and molecular basis of genetic diseases).

Program

- Characteristics of the living beings. Organization levels of living organisms.
- Chemistry of living organisms and biological molecules.
- Structure, function, replication of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell. Role of the cell compartmentalisation.
- Biological membrane: structure, properties and function. Passage of materials across cell membranes.
- Cell communication.
- Cell cycle and its regulation, mitosis, meiosis. Sexual and asexual reproduction.
- DNA: structure, function, replication. DNA and its role in heredity. Gene definition.
- DNA mutation and repair.
- The human genome. Organisation of DNA in chromosome. Chromatin structure and composition.
- Informational pathway: transcription, translation. Regulation of gene expression, general aspects.
- Hereditary character transmission and Mendel’s laws.
- Hereditary and genetic diseases. Somatic mutations and cancer.

Examination Methods

Written test (multiple choice quiz and open questions) based on the educational content of the course.

Teaching materials

•   programma dettagliato   (pdf, it, 146 KB, 01/10/14)