General E Cellular Biology

The course aims to provide the student with the basic knowledge of fundamental characteristics of living organisms, from biological molecules, subcellular organelles, cells and tissues, as well as their functioning, in order to address any subsequent teaching of the biological area.
The teaching aims to provide students with a general understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control replication, transcription, translation,protein maturation and cellular metabolism, as well as deepening specific cellular behaviours such as proliferation, motility, survival and/or death.
Moreover, the course will give to the students an in-depth look at the mechanisms of cell cycle control, signalling pathways and transformation of cancer cells.
The frontal class teaching activity will be supplemented with laboratory practical activities concerning methods of cytology and microscopy.
The educational objective of the course is to develop knowledge related to the general and cellular biology of animal and plant organisms.

The student should demonstrate to have acquired and understood a general knowledge about the main inorganic and organic components of living organisms, nucleic acid and protein synthesis and related basic regulation, the main functions of nucleic acids and proteins, and transmission of information from DNA to proteins, both in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Moreover, the student should gain knowledge of the molecular organization and functions of subcellular organelles and membrane systems in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells as well as cell division processes of eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, students should gain a basic understanding of the structure of viruses and bacteria.
Upon completing the course, the student should also demonstrate to have acquired the biological terminology in order to communicate the most relevant and recent topics in the field of general and cellular biology of the cells.