Learning objectives
Theaim of the course is to give the student the opportunity to learnthebasic principle ofbiology and genetic in orfer to understand thatthebiological research is the foundation of biomedical sciences.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledges of chemistry and physiscs
Course unit content
<br />Organization and evolution of living matter<br />The chemistryoflifeand the principle of emergent properties.Structure andfunctionsofbiological macromolecules: carbohydrates,lipids, proteinsandnucleicacids.<br />Level of biological organization, and the relationships between structure and function <br />Diversityandunityof life: the levels of organization and the cell asthe basicuniyoflife. The cellular theory: prokaryotic andeukaryoticcells,unicellularand multicellular organisms. The conceptofspecies. Evolutionarythinking: Darwin and theevolutionarytheory. Proof ofevolution:importance of taxonomy(classification of organisms),comparative anatomyanddevelopmentalbiology (comparative embriology)for the understandingofevolution.The concepts of analogy, omology,ontogenesis andphylogenesis.<br /><br /><br />Origin of life: <br />early earthoxygenlessatmosphere and abioticsynthesis ofbiomolecules. Evolutionof prokaryoticcell: autotroph andheterotrophcells. Evolution ofeukaryotic cell:endosymbiontic originofmitochondria and chloroplastsorganelles. Theorigin ofautotrophmetabolism and its consequence onthe evolution oflife onearth.<br /><br />Evolution and biology of the cell (with particolar emphasis on the relationships between structure and function)<br />Membranestructureandfunction. Membrane receptors. Theendoplasmicreticulum. TheGolgiapparatus. Lysosomes. Ribosomes.Mitochondria andchloroplasts.Nucleus:genetic materials, cromosomes.Cell reproduction:the eukaryoticcellcycle: Mitosis andmeiosis.<br /><br />Evolutionary Biology <br />Thetheoryof evolution: genetic variabilityand natural selection asthecoremechanisms of evolution. Sexualselection. Mechanisms ofevolutionandproof of evolution. Populationgenetic, the Hrdy-Weinbergequilibrium andthe synthetic modern theoryofevolution(neodarwinism).Natural selectionand mutation asprincipalmechanisms of evolution,genetic driftandmicroevolutionaryprocessess. Molecularevolution.Macroevolution:speciation (or theorigin of species).Phylogenesis ofVertebrates.Evolution of man.<br /><br />Animal Biology( with particular emphasis to vertebrates)<br />Asexualandsexualreproduction. Evolution and adaptive significanceofsexuality.Meiosisand sexual life cycles. Gameteformation:spermatogenesis andoogenesis.Fertilisation and embryonicand fetaldevelopment (see conceptof omology,ontogenesis andphylogenesis ).Evoltion ofneuroendocrinesystem:endocrineglands, hormones asmessenger, steroidand peptidehormonemechanisms of action.Relationship betweenhypotalamus, pituitaryandbody target cell and regulation of hormoneproduction andrelease.Hormonal regulationof reproductive activity ofvertebrateswithparticular attention toPrimates and hence human species.<br /><br />Behavioral biology<br />Instinct,learningand memory. Neuroendocrine control ofbehavior. Geneticand evolution ofbehavior.Social behavior:aggression, sexual selectionandreproductivestrategies. Relationshipbetween cultural andbiologicalevolution.<br /><br />Genetics: the study of mechanism of heredity of characters <br />Mendel’sexperimentalapproach:the discovery of the first(segregation)andsecond(independentassortment)law of heredity and the developmentofthe theory ofheredity. Thetest-cross. The concept of gene,allele,genotype andphenotype. Dominant,recessive alleles,incompletedominance andcodominant alleles. Multiplealleles.Pleiotropy.Epistasis. Polygenicinheritance. Sex linked genesandchromosomaldetermination of sex. Thechromosomal theory ofinheritance.Geneticsignificance of mitosis andmeiosis.<br />The molecular basis of inheritance: the chemical nature of the gene.<br />ExperimentalevidencethatDNA is the genetic material. The discoveryof themolecularstructure ofDNA or the Watson and Crick doublehelix.DNAreplication in prokaryoticand eukaryotic organisms.<br />How genes work: from gene to protein<br />ThemRNAandthe genetic code. Transcription and translationofgeneticinstrction.Ribosomes and tRNA. Protein synthesisinProkaryoticand eukaryoticorganisms. Exons and introns and splicingofRNA. Thecontrol of genesexpression in prokaryotes: the operon.Eukaryoticgene expression. <br /><br />Mutations<br />Pointmutations:substitution, insertions and deletionof base pair.Pointmutation asorigin of new alleles and geneticvariabilità ofpopulations(seeevolutionary biology and microevolution).Chromosomemutations.<br /> <br />
Bibliography
<br />Solomon et al. - 'Fondamenti di biologia' - Edises<br />oppure Campbell ' Lineamenti di Biologia' Zanichelli<br />Palanza P. e Parmigiani S. - 'Biologia e genetica del comportamento' - Libreria Santa Croce (Parma)<br />Palanza P. e Parmigiani S. Percorso didattico di Biologia- Libreria Santa Croce (Parma)
Teaching methods
Oral lesson open to debate<br />For the student examination: Multiple cjoice test followed in case of positive result by an oral examination<br />
