Learning objectives
At the end of this course:
1. Students should have a knowledge and understanding of biological facts, terms, principles, concepts, relationships and experimental techniques and of the correlation between structure and function at the different organizational levels.
2. Students should be able to apply an evolutionary perspective to interpreting the biological phenomena at different levels of organization (molecular, cellular, organismic) and to apply, where possible, their knowledge and understanding of biology and evolution in in medical research and practice.
3. Students will appraise the implication of human evolution for understanding human physiological and pathological responses.
4. Students will understand meaning, techniques and methods of experimental scientific investigation and its applications in medicine.
Prerequisites
basic knowledge of chemistry and physics
Course unit content
The purpose of this course is to give a comprehensive overview of biological concepts and genetic principles and to gain an appreciation of the importance that Biology plays in medicine.
Full programme
BIOLOGY
1.The foundation and core of biological sciences: the theory of evolution.
2. Chemistry of life. Biological macromolecules and their functions. Energy and metabolism. Origin and evolution of life on Earth. Prokaryotic cell and the endosymbiontic theory of eukaryotic cell evolution. Cell Biology with particular emphasis on Eukaryotic cell. Cell cycle and Mytosis.
3. Sexual reproduction and Meiosis. Cost and benefit of sexual reproduction. Gamete formation and hormonal control in mammals. 4. Meiosis and Mendel experiments. Chromosomal bases of inheritance: Morgan experiments. Molecular bases of inheritance and gene expression.
5. Mechanisms of evolution. Darwinian theory and the modern synthesis. Hardy-Weinberg principle and microevolutionary processess. Macroevolution.
6- Evolution of vertebrates. Mammals, Primates and the origin of Hominins. The genus Homo. Darwinian Medicine.
7. The study of genetic, environmental and social determinants of Health: an experimental approach.
Bibliography
Campbell N., Reece et al. BIOLOGY. Pearson ed.;
In alternative:
Solomon et al. BIOLOGY. Cengage Learning ed. 2018.
Readings:
Nesse RM, Williams G. Why we get sick.
Ridley M. Genome. Collins
Teaching methods
The course will be held through lectures to Students in the classroom (“in presenza”) Lectures will be supported by slide presentations, videos and scientific papers which will be available to students on the Elly web platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
Exam consists of a written test composed by multiple choice, short answer and free-answer questions.
Students with SLD / BSE must first contact Le Eli-che: support for students with disabilities, D.S.A., B.E.S. (https://sea.unipr.it/it/servizi/le-eli-che-supporto-studenti-con-disabilita-dsa-bes
The final score is calculated on the basis of the test results.
Other information
All information available on: https://elly2021.medicina.unipr.it/
