| Unit | Credits | Academic sector | Period | Academic staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: I | 6 | BIO/04-PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | I sem. |
Massimo Crimi
|
| BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: II | 6 | BIO/04-PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | See the unit page | See the unit page |
MM: BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: I
MM: BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: II
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The cell biology course (I and II) focuses on the main features of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell, on structure and function of sub-cellular compartments, on cell division and cytological techniques. The origin of life on Earth and the origin of the cells will also be considered in this course. The laboratory will support the understanding of the theory and will enable the students to use optical microscope and prepare simple experiments.
Part I: Origin of life, evolution of the cell. The macromolecules of life: lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides. The cell structure: General organization. The membrane: structure and function. The cellular compartments: structure and function of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and peroxysomes. Bioenergetics of the cell: structure and function of mitochondria and chloroplasts. Cell motility and shape: Microfilaments, Microtubules and Intermediate Filaments. The nucleus, structure of the nuclear envelope and DNA organization. Specific plant cell compartments, plastids, vacuole and glioxysomes; structure of the cell wall.
Part II: The flow of information: Transcription and translation. The protein synthesis. Targeting to different compartments and vescicles. Cellular signalling mechanisms. The cell cycle. Mitosis and meiosis. Cell death and apoptosis. Cancer cells. Viruses.
Laboratory: microscopy techniques with fresh plant material, staining of subcellular structures. Purification of cellular subfractions with differential centrifugation, spectrophotometric analysis of the obtained fractions to identify mitochondria.
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MM: BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: I
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Multiple choice test plus oral examination.
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MM: BIOLOGIA GENERALE E CELLULARE: II
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Preparation of a scientific report (lab experience). Multiple choice test plus oral examination
| Author | Title | Publisher | Year | ISBN | Note |
| Gerard Karp | Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare - Concetti ed Esperimenti (Edizione 5) | EdiSES | 2015 | 9788879598637 | |
| Becker W.M. et al. | Il mondo della cellula (Edizione 8) | Pearson Ed | 2018 | 9788865182376 | |
| Cooper G.M. - Hausman R.E. | La Cellula - Un Approccio Molecolare (Edizione 2) | Piccin | 2009 | 9788829920037 |
