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.

Alberts, Hopkin, et al
L'ESSENZIALE DI BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE DELLA CELLULA
ed. Zanichelli

Ginelli, Malcovati
MOLECOLE, CELLULE E ORGANISMI.
ed. EdiSES

This course contributes to the training objectives of the morpho-functional scope of the degree courses in Biotechnology and Biological Sciences, providing knowledge and skills at the cellular and tissue level that are preparatory to all other biological teachings and that can be used in all professional fields of the graduates in Biotechnology (class L-2) or in Biological Sciences (class L-13), as well as for the continuation of studies in the master's degrees in medical, veterinary and pharmaceutical biotechnologies (LM-9 class) biology (CLM-06) or related master's degrees.

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 (PowerPoint) 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
o Optional material for further information
interruption via WIFI of the University.

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 disorders 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.

ONLINE MONITORING: the activities tracked take place on the Moodle platform and consist of watching videos, animations and other educational material, self-learning and verification quizzes, forums, workshops and other activities. The progress of each student's activities is automatically monitored.
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT: A mid-term assessment test is scheduled, on the program of the first module of the course (cell biology) and is recommended but not mandatory. The test allows students to acquire a mark that will average with the grades of the exams in which the student will participate in the June-July-September sessions. This is a written test, lasting 60 minutes, divided into two parts. The first part consists of 40 multiple choice quizzes (time 40 minutes), while the second part consists of two open questions (time 20 minutes) and constitutes a "bonus" to the score acquired in the first part. Sufficiency is obtained by correctly answering at least 60% of the questions.
METHOD OF CONDUCT OF THE EXAM The final exam is a written test, lasting 75 min for a total of 75 questions (25 biology, 30 histology, 20 human anatomy), and dealing with topics of the program.
The questions, which aim to verify the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, are of the multiple-choice type. Sufficiency is obtained by correctly answering at least 60% of the questions in each of the three modules. All tests will be carried out using the Moodle / DIR online teaching platforms, giving students the opportunity
to use a personal PC / tablet or a PC provided by the University
CALENDAR AND REGISTRATION: The calendar of the final exams is published on the University portal. The attention of the students is drawn to the fact that the registration for the exams closes within the pre-established date indicated on the portal and is subject to the completion of the evaluation questionnaire of the teaching activity.

• Structure and organization of the cell
• Definition of living organism and cell. The Eukaryotic cell and prokaryotic cell
• The chemistry of the cell: water and biological macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids)
• The cellular compartments
Biological membranes
Lipids of biological membranes: phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol; The double layer or micelle organization. The fluidity of the phospholipid double layer: the role of unsaturated fats. Membrane proteins (intrinsic and extrinsic). The theory of the Fluid Mosaic by Singer and Nicolson. The experiments of Fry and Edidin on the mobility of proteins on the cell surface
• Transport mechanisms through membranes
Permeability characteristics of the lipid bilayer. Simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion. Passive transport and active transport. Channel proteins and transporter proteins: kinetic characteristics of the two systems and mode of operation. Glucose transporter. Na + / K + ATPase pump: operating mode. Antiport and symport. Channels activated by ligand and voltage-activated channels. The membrane potential and the potential for action
• Mitochondria and the synthesis of ATP
General notions on the process of glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, Krebs cycle and electron transport chain. The structure of the mitochondria. The mitochondrial genome. Lynn Margulis and the evolutionary origin of the mitochondria. Protein transport in the mitochondria.
• The peroxisome
• The Rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi Apparatus.
• Synthesis of membrane and secretion proteins. Gunter Blobel and the signal hypothesis. Protein glycosylation and maturation in Golgi. Vesicular trafficking: formation of vesicles, vesicle movement, recognition of the target organelle
• Exocytosis
• Mechanisms of protein targeting in cellular compartments. Signal sequences and protein localization (entered in the nucleus, in the endoplasmic reticulum, in the mitochondria). Kalderon’s experiments
• Endocytosis: Pinocytosis, phagocytosis and receptor-mediated endocytosis
• Degradation of biological macromolecules in the cell: The lysosome
• The proteasome
• The cytoskeleton: Actin and myosin contractile microfilaments and cell movement. Intermediate filaments. Microtubules and the movement of organelles. Muscle contraction
• The cell cycle and mitosis. The cell cycle G1, S, G2 and M. The role of the cyclins and CDKs in the cell cycle progression. Tim Hunt and the discovery of cyclins
• Cell death and apoptosis. Hayflick’s experiments on cellular senescence. Necrosis. Apoptosis: the intrinsic pathway and the extrinsic pathway
• From cells to tissues.
The extracellular matrix
Collagens, laminins, fibronectins, proteoglycans. Structure and function of integrins and cadherins
• Cellular junctions: Adherent junctions, tight junctions, communicating junctions, desmosomes
• Cellular communication: Autocrine, paracrine and endocrine signaling
• Flow of genetic information: the definition of a gene in the ENCODE era
• DNA replication. The Meselson and Stahl’s experiment
• DNA transcription: RNA synthesis and their maturation. Sharp and Roberts’s experiment and the RNA splicing.
• The genetic code and the translation of proteins. Niremberg, Matthaei and Leder’s experiments. The ribosome. Marylin Kozak and the “linear scanning” hypothesis for the initiation of translation

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.