CHIRURGIA GENERALE E SPECIALITÀ MEDICO-CHIRURGICHEMedicine and SurgeryAnno accademico 2023/2024

9797238 - THE CELL: MOLECULES AND PROCESSES
Modulo Applied biology II

Docente: MARCO RAGUSA

Risultati di apprendimento attesi

The course aims to provide information to understand the general and advanced principles on which life is based. The main educational purposes of the course are the following:

·         knowledge of cell functions

·         knowledge of the basic mechanisms of transmission of signals among cells

·         understanding of the principles of differentiation, replication and death of the cells

·         knowledge of epigenetic bases, especially the role of non-coding RNAs

understanding of the principles of cellular and molecular bases of cancers

Modalità di svolgimento dell'insegnamento

The teaching will primarily be conducted through in-person lectures with a blend of theory and practical exercises. In the event that teaching is delivered in a blended or remote mode, necessary adjustments may be introduced compared to what has been previously stated, in order to adhere to the planned program as outlined in the Syllabus.

Prerequisiti richiesti

Basic notions of Biology and Genetics

Frequenza lezioni

Mandatory attendance.

Contenuti del corso

·         Cellular Movement: Motility and Contractility

·         Microtubule-based movement inside the cells: kinesins and dyneins

·         Microtubule-based cell motility: Cilia and flagella

·         Microfilament-based movement inside the cells:Myosin

·         Microfilament-based motility: muscle cells

·         Microfilament-based motility in nonmuscle cells

·         Extracellular Structures, Cell Adhesion, and Cell Junctions

·         Cell – cell junctions

·         The extracellular matrix of the animal cells

·         Epigenetics

·         Chromatin modification

·         DNA methylation

·         Non-coding RNAs and gene expression regulation

·         Signal Transduction Mechanisms

·         Chemical signals and cellular receptors

·         G-protein coupled receptors

·         Enzyme-coupled receptors

·         Synaptic transmission

·         Hormones and other long-range signals

·         The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

·         Nuclear and cell division

·         Regulation of cell cycle

·         Growth factors and cell proliferation

·         Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis

·         Apoptosis

·         Death signals and survival factors

·         Apoptotic pathways

·         Stem cells

·         Cancer cells

·         How cancers arise

·         How cancers spread

·         What causes cancers

Oncogenes and Tumor suppressor genes

Testi di riferimento

Becker's World of the Cell, Global Edition, Hardin and Lodolce, tenth edition. Pearson.

Any additional educational material (slides, videos, handouts, etc.) will be distributed or indicated during the lessons.

Verifica dell'apprendimento

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

Verification of learning will take place with an oral exam at the end of the course.

Verification of learning can also be carried out remotely, if the conditions should require it.

For the assignment of the final grade, the following parameters will be taken into account: Grade 29-30 laude: the student has an in-depth knowledge of Applied biology, can promptly and correctly integrate and critically analyze the situations presented, independently solving problems even of high complexity; has excellent communication skills and masters scientific language. Grade 26-28: the student has a good knowledge of Applied biology, manages to integrate and analyze in a critical and linear way the situations presented, manages to solve complex problems quite autonomously and exposes the topics clearly using an appropriate scientific language; Grade 22-25: the student has a good knowledge of Applied biology, although limited to the main topics; manages to integrate and analyze in a critical but not always linear way the situations presented and exposes the arguments in a fairly clear way with a discrete language property; Grade 18-21: the student has the minimum knowledge of Applied biology, has a modest ability to integrate and critically analyze the situations presented and exposes the topics in a sufficiently clear way although the property of language is poorly developed; Exam not passed: the student does not have the minimum required knowledge of the main contents of the course. The ability to use the specific language is very little or nothing and is not able to independently apply the acquired knowledge.

Esempi di domande e/o esercizi frequenti

·         Biological meaning of apoptosis

·         The role of non-coding RNAs in post-transcriptional regulation

·         The role of G-protein coupled receptors

·         Control of cell cycle

·        Molecular bases of cancer development           
English version