BIOLOGIA VEGETALE E BIOLOGIA ANIMALE - BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE A - L

Learning Objectives

• Plant and animal biology

  Knowledge and understanding: the course provides the tools to describe the fundamental biological structures and processes of the cell and living organisms using appropriate scientific terminology;

  Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student acquires the skills necessary to understand the importance of variability so that we can distinguish and motivate the difference between living organisms;

  Learning skills: the student becomes able to use the knowledge on the basic mechanisms that regulate living matter and living organisms (animals and plants) as a substrate for the study of Molecular Biology and of other biological subjects in their Degree Course;

  Making judgments: the student develops his critical ability to evaluate the implications and results of innovative discoveries in the field of cell biology and living organisms. The student is encouraged to follow innovative discoveries in cell biology and living organisms by consulting the scientific literature.

• Molecular Biology

  Theoretical skills of the main biological processes at the basis of the maintenance of the genetic information e its expression in microorganisms and animals.
  Theoretical knowledge of the bio-molecular basic methods supporting the experimental approaches.

Course Structure

• Plant and animal biology

  The course will be structured in frontal teaching with power point projection and/or short films. During the course there will be exercises and problem based learning.

• Molecular Biology

  Frontal lectures.

Detailed Course Content

• Plant and animal biology

  Principles of classification of living organisms.

  Autotrophy and heterotrophy organisms.

  Virus: organization, morphology, main features and the relationship with the ecosystem.

  DNA virus and RNA virus. Virus-virus interactions.

  Organization of the plant body.

  Classification of plants.

  Morphology of the animal and plant cells: prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.

  Structure and function of the cell: cell wall, cell membrane structure and function, cell permeability, transport, exocytosis and endocytosis.

  Growth of the cell wall. Changes in the cell wall: lignification, mineralization, gelation, pigmentation.

  Intracellular structures

  Chloroplasts, chromoplasts, leucoplasts: structure and functions. Pigments. Biochemical mechanism of photosynthetic light reactions, photorespiration.

  Vacuolar system: origin, development and functions.

  Composition of the vacuolar constituents of pharmaceutical interest.

  Metabolism: primary metabolites, intermediate metabolites and secondary metabolites.

  Characters tissue. Systems of tissues and their classification.

  Meristematic tissues or cells.

  Adult tissues or definitive: system parenchyma, tegument system, conducting system, segregators system and mechanical system.

  Form and structure of the leaf; transpiration, guttation, abscission. Modifications of the leaves.
  Form and structure of the flower. Form and structure of the stem. transport function: Xylem and phloem. Form and structure of the root. Secondary growth.

  Cell cycle. DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis, mutations in the DNA.

  Eterozygous, homozygous and hemizygous, dominant and recessive characters, genotype, phenotype and karyotype, Mendel's laws.

  Genetic code, transcription, translation.

  Part 1: 1 CFU - 7h

  The chemical composition of the cell: water, minerals, cellular macromolecules: amino acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates. Principles of classification of living organisms: virus, prokaryotes, eukaryotes and their relationship.

  Autotrophy and heterotrophy organisms.

  Part 2: 2 CFU - 14h

  Difference between eukaryotic cell and prokaryotic cell, Structure and transport in the biological membrane. Organelles: endoplasmic reticulum; Golgi apparatus, mitochondria; Lysosomes, Peroxisomes; Ribosomes, Cytoskeleton; Core, Chromatin and chromosome

  Part 3: 2 CFU - 14h

  Difference between plant cell and animal cell: Plastids. Overview of Photosynthesis; photorespiration; C3 plants and C4 plants; vacuoles. Primary metabolites, intermediate metabolites and secondary metabolites. Cell wall. Growth of the cell wall. Modifications of the cell wall: lignification, cutinization, suberification, mineralization, gelification, pigmentation. Vegetable tissues: meristematic tissues; Parenchymal tissues and tegumental tissues; conducting tissues; secretory tissues and mechanical tissues.

  Part 4: 1 CFU - 7h

  Cell division: cell growth, cell cycle and mitosis.Reproduction: asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction and meiosis, gametogenesis, ontogenetic cycles, metagenetic cycle. Overview of genetics: Heterozygous, homozygous and hemizygous, dominant and recessive characters, genotype, phenotype and karyotype, Mendel's laws. Cell cycle. DNA replication, mutations in the DNA. Genetic code, transcription, translation.

  Part 5: 1 CFU - 7h

  Vegetable organography: Shape and structure of the leaf; stomata, transpiration, guttation, abscission. Modifications of the leaves.
  Shape and structure of the flower. Shape and structure of the stem. Transport function: Xilema and Floema. Shape and structure of the root. Secondary growth.

• Molecular Biology

  STRUCTURE AND STUDY OF MACROMOLECULES

  The Structure of DNA

  The Structure of RNA

   

  MAINTENANCE OF THE GENOME

  Genome Structure, Chromatin and the Nucleosome

  The Replication of DNA

  The Mutability and Repair of DNA

   

  EXPRESSION OF THE GENOME

  Mechanisms of Transcription

  RNA Splicing

  Translation

  The Genetic Code

   

  REGULATION

  Transcriptional Regulation in Prokaryotes

  Transcriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes

   

  TECHNIQUES OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Textbook Information

• Plant and animal biology
  1. Solomon, Berg, Martin -Biologia- Ed. Edises
  2. D. Sadava, D.V. Hillis, H.C. Heller, M.R. Berenbaum-Biologia-Ed.Zainichelli
  3. N.L. Campbell. -Biologia- Ed. Zanichelli
  4. Solomon, Berg, Martin -Struttura e processi vitali nelle piante- Ed. Edises
  5. Poli F. - Biologia Farmaceutica - II Ed. - Pearson 2019
• Molecular Biology

  1) "Fondamenti di biologia molecolare", Lizabeth A. Allison, Zanichelli editore;; 2) "Genomi 4", T.A. Brown, ed. Edises.