APPLIED BIOLOGY
cod. 08523

Academic year 2008/09
1° year of course - First semester
Professor responsible for the course unit
PALANZA Paola
integrated course unit
5 credits
hub:
course unit
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Course unit structured in the following modules:

Learning objectives

<br />The aim of this course is to give the student the ability to: <br />-         acquire the basic principles of biological sciences and methods.<br />-         learn and apply an evolutionary logic and perspective to interpreting the biological phenomena at different levels of organization (molecular, cellular, organismic)<br />-         understand the correlation between structure and function at the different organizational levels.<br />-         Acquire a biological perspective to environmental, medical and social problems<br />-         Appraise the implication of human evolution for the bio-medical research<br /> 

Prerequisites

basic knoledge of Chemistry and Physics

Course unit content

<br />1. The Nature of science and biology: methods and organizing concepts. Diversity and unity of Life on Earth, Emergent properties, correlation between Structure and Function, Proximate and Ultimate causes. The Scientific method. The unifying principle of biology: The Theory of Evolution. <br />2. The chemical context of life: water and the structure and function of macromolecules. <br />3. Origins and evolution of life on Earth.<br />4. Cell Biology. Procaryotic ed Eucaryotic cells. of cells. Membrane structure and function. Cell metbolism and energy trasformations. The reproduction of cells and cell cycle (binary scission and mitosis).<br />5. Sexual Riproduction. Meiosis and sexual life cycles. Oogenesis, Spermatogenesis and Hormonal Regolation of reproduction in mammals. Evolution, consequences and adaptive significance of sexual reproduction. <br />6. Genetics. - Mendel e the gene idea. Extension of mendelaian genetics: the complex relationship between genotype and phenotype (incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, pleiotropy, epistasis, poligenic inheritance, nature vs nurture). The chromosomal basis of inheritance: Morgan’s experiments and chromosome maps. The chromosomal basis of ses and X-linked disorders. Genomic Imprinting. Human genetics: alterations of chromosome number or structure; recessively and dominantly inherited disorders. – The molecular basis of inheritance: DNA structure and replication. From gene to protein: Transcription, Translation and the genetic code. Point mutations. Regulation of gene expression in Procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. The Genome project.<br />7. Evolution. The Darwinian theory. Evidence from many fields validates the evolution theory. Sexual selection. The modern evolutionary synthesis. The Hardy-Weinberg Theorem. Microevolution and its caueses. The origin of species. Macroevolution and Phylogeny. Darwinian Medicine.<br />8. Evolution of Vertebrates. Chordate characteristics and the vertebrate genealogy. Vertebrate diversity and phylogeny: an overview. A short story of jaws joint in vertebrate evolution. Mammalian characteristics and teeth as taxonomic clues. Diets and adaptations of the masticatory apparatus. Evolutionary trends in Primates.<br />9. Human evolution. Early Antyhropoids, Australopitecines and the genus Homo. The masticatory apparatus in Ominid evolution. 

Full programme

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Bibliography

<br /> <br />http://www.biol.unipr.it/%7epalanza/biologia-applicata<br /> <br />CD-Rom: Human Evolution (disponibile in aula informatica)<br /> <br />Textbooks<br />- Campbell N. Principi di Biologia. Zanichelli; or Purves et al., volumi vari, Zanichelli; or Solomon et al. Fondamenti di Biologia. Edises.<br /> <br />- Nesse RM, Williams G. Perchè ci ammaliamo. Einaudi<br /> 

Teaching methods

<br />classes and open discussion<br />Teaching assistance: <br />http://www.biol.unipr.it/%7epalanza/biologia-applicata

Assessment methods and criteria

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Other information

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