Biology

The course is designed to provide students with the basic knowledge of animal Biology. The course will then be specifically focused on eukaryotic cells. Students will acquire knowledge on: structure and function of the cell, biological membranes, subcellular organelles, cell metabolism, the flow of the genetic information into the cell (gene, eukaryotic genome, DNA replication, transcription, translation, control of gene expression). Additional objectives of the course will be to provide students with the knowledge of the mechanisms of cell proliferation and cell cycle checkpoints, cell death, cell-to-cell communication, mitosis, meiosis and the principles of heredity (Mendelian heredity). This course will provide students with the basic scientific knowledge necessary to face the courses of the following years.

At the end of the Course, students should prove that they have acquired and understood the knowledge of the main biological features of animal cells (eukaryotic cells). Specifically, they should have acquired and understood the basic knowledge on the structure and biological features of animal cells: cell membrane, cytoplasmic organelles, metabolism, flow of the genetic information, cell life/death programs, cell-cell interactions, asexual/sexual reproduction, transmission and expression of hereditary traits (Mendelian law of inheritance).
At the end of the Course students should have acquired an accurate and specific biological language allowing them to communicate the specific knowledge.