- Docente: Marco Passamonti
- Credits: 4
- SSD: BIO/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Long cycle 2nd degree programme in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies (cod. 0038)
Learning outcomes
he course will provide basic knowledge of biology, with particular emphasis on structure, function, reproduction and evolution of the eukaryotic cell.
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.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
Origin of life. Prebiotic synthesis of organic molecules. Miller.
Life history on Earth.
Readings/Bibliography
Campbell (Zanichelli): Principi di Biologia.
Solomon, Berg, Martin (EdiSES): Fondamenti di Biologia.
Campbell, Reece, Simon (Pearson): L'essenziale di Biologia.
Brooker, Widmaier, Graham, Stiling: Biologia generale
(McGraw-Hill)
Teaching methods
Public lectures.
Assessment methods
The exam consists in a written test and an oral talk.
Office hours
See the website of Marco Passamonti