- Docente: Marco Passamonti
- Credits: 4
- SSD: BIO/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Rimini
- Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Pharmacy (cod. 9223)
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. Lethal alleles. Penetrance. Expressivity. Point mutations. Chromosome mutations. Genomic mutations. Human aneuploidies. Evidences of Evolution. Darwin. Natural selection. Modern synthesis. Non-adaptative evolution. Gradualism in evolution. Speciation.
BIODIVERSITY
Protists. Ciliata, Sarcodina, Flagellata, Apicomplexa. Characteristics and life cycles of selected pathogen protozoans. Overview on the main animal phyla. Characteristics and life cycles of selected pathogen metazoans.
Readings/Bibliography
Solomon, Berg, Martin - Fondamenti di Biologia, VII Ed. EdiSES*
* with personalized eBook (available only with the 7th Edition)
Teaching methods
Public lectures.
Assessment methods
The examination at the end of the course aims to assess the achievement of the following learning objectives:
- knowledge and understanding of the theoretical basis of modern biology;
- knowledge of the eukaryotic cell, its structure and metabolism;
- knowledge and understanding of the basics of Genetics;
- knowledge and understanding of the Theory of Evolution;
- knowledge of protozoa and pluricellular animals, with particular attention to parasites.
Teaching tools
Lectures, with powerpoint presentations. Powerpoint presentations used during the lessons will be available to students.
Office hours
See the website of Marco Passamonti