65683 - Cell Biology

Learning outcomes

The student is expected to learn the following basic concepts:
-cellular theory: what it is, what are its bases
-prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure: what are the basic components, their size, the ways of studying it
-functions of the cell structures, with special emphasis on the structure-function relationships
-main cellular activities and the way they are regulated: gene regulation, protein synthesis, motility, communication and integration among cells in pluricellular organisms, differentiation, cell cycle and mitosis, cell death.
The student will learn also:
-to utilize text books, web pages suggested by the teacher and additional material supplied by the teacher to study (and to get a deeper insight on) the different topics of cell biology;
-to integrate the knowledge acquired in cell biology with those that will be acquired in the course of molecular biology;
-to study autonomously, in order to deepen the knowledge of some topics;
-to study critically, i.e. to compare the knowledge he/she will acquire within different frameworks, since for some sibjects more than a theory will be presented;
to have a quantitave approach, and to solve simple problems;
-to communicate his/her own knowledge with clarity.

Course contents

1- The genetic information and how it is utilized in the cell (generalities) 2- The eukaryotic cell: structure and function of cell organels. The nucleus. Modifications and sorting of proteins. Endoplasmic reticulm, the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes. Mithocondria and peroxisomes. The cytoskeleton and cell motility. The cell surface, membrane transportation, cell-to-cell interactions. Structure and function of some specialized cells: epithelial cells, nerve cells, muscle skeletal cells. 3- Cell regulation. Signals and their transduction. Signals in development and differentiation. Mitosis, cell cycle and its regulation. Apoptosis. Meiosis and fertilization (generalities). Concepts about cancer as a result of erroneus regulation of mitosis and apoptosis.

Readings/Bibliography

One of the following is reccomended: 1) Becker, Kleinsmith, Hardin, Bertone Il mondo della cellula ed PEARSON; 2) Lewin, Cassimeris, Lingappa, Plopper, Cellule, ed Zanichelli; Karp Biologia cellulare e molecolare ed EDISES; 3) Pollard, Earnshaw, Biologia Cellulare, ed. Elsevier, Masson; Cooper Hausmann La cellula: un approccio molecolare ed Piccin; 4) Alberts e altri L'essenziale (Biologia molecolare della cellula) ed Zanichelli 5) Karp, Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare. Ed. Edises.
Additional texts: 1) Alberts et al. Biologia Molecolare della cellula (last edition) ed Zanichelli; 2) Lodish et al.Biologia Molecolare della Cellula (II Ital.edition) ed Zanichelli; 3) Lewin Il gene VII ed. Zanichelli

Teaching methods

lessons

Assessment methods

oral exam
the laboratory final essay must be given to the teacher and must be approved BEFORE the oral esam
the student will be shown also electron microscopy images of eukaryoticv cells or their parts and is expected to recognize them

Teaching tools

Lessons are usually supported by images drawn from suggested text books; some movies and animations will be shown; a few easy scientific papers will be supplied, together with other didactic material
Exercitations will be carried out in a fully-equipped laboratory. All students will learn how to use simple tecqniques of cell biology.

Office hours

See the website of Marina Marini

See the website of Monica Forni