13520 - Animal Biology

Learning outcomes

The course will provide basic knowledge of biology, with particular emphasis on structure, function, reproduction and evolution of the eukaryotic cell, as well as on structure and evolution of selected animal phyla.

Course contents

CHEMISTRY OF LIFE
Ions and molecules of biological interest. Aminoacids and protein structures, nucleotides, nucleic acids. DNA, RNA, ATP. Glucides and lipids.

STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE CELL.
Prokaryotes: structure. The Eukaryotic cell. Cell membrane. Active, passive, mediated transport, etc. Exocytosis, endocytosis, phagocytosis, pinocytosis. Golgi apparatus, peroxisomes. Mitochondrion. Glycolysis, cellular respiration. Krebs cycle, electron transport chain, oxidative phosphorylation. Cytoskeleton, microfilaments, microtubules, intermediate filaments. Actine, Tubuline. Structure of cilia and flagella. Nucleus. Structure of the nuclear membrane. Chromatine structure. Nucleosomes. Ribosomal DNA organization. Nucleolus. Genome. Genome size. Gene duplications. Repetitive sequences. Transcription. Translation. Messenger RNA. Transfer RNA. Ribosomal RNA. Ribosomes. Protein synthesis. Genetic code.
Cell cycle. Mitosis, Meiosis. Somatic and germ line. Asexual reproductions. Sexual reproduction. Gametogenesis. Fecundation. Parthenogenesis, Gynogenesis, Hybridogenesis.

HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION

Mendel. Codominace, incomplete dominance. Recombination. Gene maps. Sex linked heredity. Gene interactions. Pleiotrophy, Quantitative heredity. Point mutations. Chromosome mutations. Genomic mutations. Human aneuploidies. Evidences of Evolution. Darwin. Natural selection. Modern synthesis. Non-adaptative evolution. Gradualism in evolution. Speciation. Systematic and classification of animals.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
Origin of life. Prebiotic synthesis of organic molecules. Miller. Summary of the evolutionary history of the Life on Earth.

Readings/Bibliography

D.E.Sadava. D. M. Hillis
 H. C. Heller.
 M. R. Berenbaum
ELEMENTI DI BIOLOGIA E GENETICA
Ed. Zanichelli

Hillis-Sadava-Heller-Price
FONDAMENTI DI BIOLOGIA
Ed. Zanichelli

Campbell - Reece et al.
PRINCIPI DI BIOLOGIA
Ed. Pearson

Russel-Wolfe-Hertz-Starr & McMillian
BIOLOGIA
Ed. Edises

Solomon P. S. - Berg L. R. - Martin D. W.
FONDAMENTI DI BIOLOGIA
Ed. Pearson

Solomon P. S. - Berg L. R. - Martin D. W.
BIOLOGIA
Ed. Edises

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Multi choice test on paper

Teaching tools

Power Point presentations

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Bonfitto