The course aims to give students the knowledge about cell organization at morphological and molecular level. The course also highlights the major themes and experiments of classical and modern genetics.

CELL BIOLOGY
- Chemistry of life: inorganic components, water, biological macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids.
- General principles of living matter organization: viruses, viroids, prions. Prokaryotic cell and eukaryotic cell.
- Gene expression: RNA transcription and RNA processing; translation and the genetic code.
- Cell membrane: structure and function. Membrane transit.
- Cytoplasm, cytosol, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes. Vacuolar compartimentation: exocytosis and endocytosis. Peroxysomes. Mitochondria and energy metabolism.
-Cytosckeleton: microfilaments, intermediate filaments, microtubules. Cilia and flagella of eukaryotes.
-Cell nucleus. Nuclear envelope. Nucleoplasm and nucleoskeleton. Gene and genome. Organization of chromatin: euchromatin and heterochromatin. Chromosomes. Nucleolus.
- Cell cycle. Mitosis. Meiosis.
- Cell differentiation control.

GENETICS
- The DNA. Genes: Genotype and Phenotype.
- The chromosomes and cell reproduction.
- Mendel's laws. Homozygote and heterozygote; autosomal recessive and dominant inheritance; family tree.
- Kariotype, autosomal and sex chromosomes; the chromosome theory of heredity; sex determination and sex-linked genes; dosage compensation of X-linked genes; Y-linked genes.
- Incomplete dominance; polyallelic inheritance; co-dominance; overdominance or heterozygous advantage; pleiotropy; interaction between genes; essential genes and lethality; penetrance and expressivity. Interactions between genes and the environment.
- Non Mendelian inheritance: mitochondrial inheritance; genomic imprinting.
- Association and genetic recombination.
- Variation in chromosome number and structure: cytogenetic techniques; polyploidy; aneuploidy; rearrangements of chromosome structure.
- Mutation: source of the genetic variability required for evolution; the molecular basis of mutation; DNA repair mechanisms.

The student should demonstrate possession of knowledge and understanding about cell organization and function and principles of classical and modern genetics.

The student must show applying knowledge and understanding to reason out, showing the ability to discuss and connect topics as well as solve problems. 

The student must show possession of communication skills with colleagues and superiors and learning skills to update knowledge.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lessons and seminars

Course books

J. Hardin, G.P. Bertoni, L.J. Kleinsmith - Becher: Il mondo della cellula - VIII edizione PEARSON

P.J Russel - GENETICA: un approccio molecolare, - IV edizione Pearson.

Assessment

Oral examination

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Lessons and seminars

Course books

J. Hardin, G.P. Bertoni, L.J. Kleinsmith - Becher: Il mondo della cellula - VIII edizione PEARSON

P.J Russel - GENETICA: un approccio molecolare, - IV edizione Pearson.

Assessment

Oral examination

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.