Ateneo - UPO

This course focuses on the biology of the eukaryotic cell: structure, function and biosynthesis of cell membranes and organelles; the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Chromatin structure, the synthesis of RNA and proteins and the flow of genetic information.

- Pierantoni, Cobellis, Meccariello, Chianese. Fondamenti di Biologia e Genetica. (Ed. EdiSES)
- Sadava , Hillis, Heller, Hacker. Elementi di Biologia e Genetica (Ed. Zanichelli)
- Raven, Johnson, Mason. Elementi di Biologia e Genetica (Ed. Piccin)

The course offers an integration of the concepts of cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology that will provide the student with the tools necessary to get to know and describe in an organic way the structure of eukaryotic cells and their functions.

The student must be in possession of basic concepts of chemistry, biology and genetics, such as those offered at the high school.

Teaching methods include: lectures, active learning in the classroom and at distance.
Classroom activities :
o Lectures supported by presentations (ppt) with graphic illustrations, mind maps, optical and electronic microscopy photographs, animation films of cellular processes
o Classroom activities with active student participation (representation of cellular processes, instant polls, termination of exercises).
• Activities and online material (moodle):
o Educational material presented in class.
o Video recordings replacing the lectures
o Quiz, forums and workshops for learning and self-assessment

Support activity
(Tutoring-students with disabilities-working students)
• Students can ask questions and find study support through the moodle teaching forum
• Examples of exam tests are provided in online activities on moodle.
• Students with disabilities that can affect learning (for example, color-blind, visually impaired, hearing-impaired, dyslexic or physically disabled students) are invited to contact the lecturer in order to adapt the teaching material, face-to-face and online activities and the their method of verification.
• Working students or non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher to determine how to achieve the expected skills.

The exam consists of a written test with multiple choice quizzes (25 questions for the Biology part). The student will have to demonstrate to have acquired the basic notions of cellular and molecular biology, learned during the lessons, in an adequate manner to deal effectively with subsequent courses. Sufficiency is obtained by correctly answering at least 60% of the questions in each module.
CALENDAR AND REGISTRATION: The calendar of the exam sessions is published on the University portal. The attention of the students is drawn to the fact that the registration for the appeals closes within the established date indicated on the portal and is subject to the completion of the evaluation questionnaire of the teaching activity.

• The cell as the fundamental unit of life. Definition of prokaryote and eukaryote.
• Introduction to the eukaryotic cell.
• Cell chemistry. Water, salts, and biological macromolecules.
Carbohydrates. Formula and general structure. Monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
• Lipids. Fatty acids: structure. Phospholipids and triglycerides. Lipid aggregates, monolayers, micelles, and liposomes.
• Amino acids and proteins: basic structure, peptide bond, amino acid families. (acids, basic, nonpolar, not polar loads). The structure of proteins.
• Nucleic acids: sugar components, phosphate, nitrogen bases. Nucleotide structure.
• The flow of genetic information.
• DNA. The nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine). Double helix structure. Histones and chromosomal structures.
• DNA duplication. Semi-conservative model, DNA polymerase, continuous and discontinuous replication. Loyalty of duplication. Mutagenesis and mutation repair mechanisms.
• The transcription and maturation of messenger RNA.
• The mechanism of translation: characteristics of the genetic code; ribosome structure and function.
• Structures of biological membranes. The lipid bilayer, membrane proteins, membrane carbohydrates.
• Transport across the membrane: small molecules and particles. Simple diffusion, passive and active transport.
• Cellular organelles, structure and function.
• The compartmentalization of the eukaryotic cell.
• The nucleus.
• The mitochondria.
• The endoplasmic reticulum.
• The Golgi apparatus.
• Lysosomes.
• The transport of proteins in the various cellular compartments. Endocytosis and exocytosis.
• The cytoskeleton and cell interactions. Microtubules, actin filaments, intermediate filaments.
Cell junctions.
• The extracellular matrix.

D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY. At the end of the course, the student must demonstrate adequate knowledge of: differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; connection between chemical composition and function of biological macromolecules; cell structures of animal cells, function of organelles and components and functions of endomembrane and cytoskeletal systems; the Central Dogma and the relationship between genes and proteins; DNA replication processes, transcription and translation in eukaryotes
D2 - CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. The student will have to show the ability to use acquired knowledge and concepts to reason critically, showing the ability to make connections between different topics and to apply the acquired knowledge to analyze biology experiments.
D3 - JUDGMENT AUTONOMY. The student must demonstrate that he / she is able to critically examine the information acquired and to be able to independently discuss applications and application problems.Furthermore, he/she must be able to constructively judge the teaching provided.
D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS. The student will have to demonstrate possession of the ability to communicate the knowledge acquired to their colleagues and teachers using the terminology of cell biology.
D5- LEARNING SKILLS. The student must show possession of the learning ability useful for the continuous updating of knowledge in this discipline.