The aim of the course is to provide students with the skills and the knowledge required to become professionals in the basics of human biology and health, focusing on cellular homeostasis. During the course, it will be described the structural organization of the muscle cells and the integration of the various compartments and organelles. Particular attention will be paid to cellular energy metabolism and to the recent evidence on mitochondria. It will be also examined the cell cycle, the molecular basis for biological inheritance and flow of information. The course will be in presented Italian and some lessons will be presented in English.

Issues and objectives of the lessons presented in English:

The lessons in English will focus on the skeletal muscle cell organization and plasticity skeletal muscle in response to stimuli such as contractile activity (endurance exercise and resistance training). Particular attention will be point out on the new evidence on mitochondrial organization in skeletal muscle cell.

1.     CYTOLOGY
1.1. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, virus and prions.
1.2. Inorganic constituents (water and ions) and organic (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids) of human cells.
1.3. Structure and functions of biological membranes, membrane potential and transport mechanism.
1.4. Nucleus and nucleolus: chromatin organization.
1.4. Cytoplasm: endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion, Golgi complex, lysosomes, peroxisomes.
1.5. Cytoskeleton and cellular motility.
1.6. Skeletal muscle cells.
1.7. New evidence on muscle plasticity and mitochondria in muscle cells".

2. MOLECULAR BASIS FOR BIOLOGICAL INHERITANCE AND FLOW OF INFORMATION.

2.1. Human Project: organization of human genome.
2.2. DNA Identification. Chromosomes.
2.3. Cellular cycle: mitosis and meiosis.
2.3. Cellular differentiation and reproduction.
2.4. Apoptosis.
2.5. BIOLOGICAL INHERITANCE: (exercise based on Mendel principles).
2.6. Multifactorial INHERITANCE.
2.7. Mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA).
2.8. Replication of DNA.
2.9. Flow of information and protein synthesis.

No prerequisites are requests, however we recommend to follow and prepare the course of Chemistry before following the course in Human Biology.

Students should be able to apply the knowledge and skills they learn related to: 

1) Molecular structure of macromolecules: glucose, fructose, ribose, deoxyribose, glycerol, amino acids, ATP, DNA-RNA, fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids.

2) Cytology: structure and function of cytoplasmic organelles and main differences between a eukaryotic cell, prokaryotic and viruses; prion; the biological membranes; the cytoskeleton and cell junctions. 

3) Cellular metabolism: differences between the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, general equation of cellular respiration, a general description of the main stages of cellular respiration (eg. Glycolysis, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain, oxidative phosphorylation) and energy yield from from one molecule of glucose. 

4) Genetics I: Mendel I and II law (exercises); number and organization of autosomal and sex chromosomes; cell cycle; the segregation pattern of the chromosomes in the gametes through meiosis and in somatic cells through mitosis. 

5) Genetics II: definition and organization of a gene; differences prokaryotic genes and eukaryotic genes; description of the genetic code; description of the genome project, the number of genes and anatomy of the human genome. 

6) Molecular Biology: DNA replication, RNA transcription, post-transcriptional modifications, protein synthesis and fate of proteins.

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

Video will be used as teaching support. During the couse it will be carried out specific test. In addition to the lectures are planned exercises, support seminars held by the professors in expert in Human Biology (Dr. Emanuela Polidori will hold a seminar on the physiology of the biological membrane and Dr. Giosuè Annibalini will hold a seminar on Mendelian inheritance and genetic exercises).

The teaching material will be made ??available to students through the Blended Learning Platform Uniurb

Teaching

Frontal lessons

Attendance

not requested

Course books

BOOK : Essential Cell Biology

by Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray

The Third Edition is thoroughly updated scientifically, yet maintains the academic level and size of the previous edition. The book is accompanied by a Media DVD-ROM with over 130 animations and videos, all the figures from the book, and a new self-test quizzing feature for students.

ARTICLE: Mitochondrial Fusion and Division, By: Karen G. Hales, Ph.D. (Dept. of Biology, Davidson College) © 2010 Nature Education , Citation: Hales, K. G. (2010) Mitochondrial Fusion and Division. Nature Education 3(9):12

Assessment

Oral examination preceded by a written test (test to mixed responses : multiple, open-ended questions) and performance of in-course tests ( multiple choice test).

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

It is suggested to contact the teacher. Texts and assessment methods are the same as attending students .

Course books

BOOK : Essential Cell Biology

by Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray

The Third Edition is thoroughly updated scientifically, yet maintains the academic level and size of the previous edition. The book is accompanied by a Media DVD-ROM with over 130 animations and videos, all the figures from the book, and a new self-test quizzing feature for students.

ARTICLE: Mitochondrial Fusion and Division, By: Karen G. Hales, Ph.D. (Dept. of Biology, Davidson College) © 2010 Nature Education , Citation: Hales, K. G. (2010) Mitochondrial Fusion and Division. Nature Education 3(9):12

The subject areas indicated in English will be taught in the afore-mentioned language