GENERAL BIOLOGY

Degree course: 
Corso di Long single cycle degree (6 years) in MEDICINE AND SURGERY
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2019/2020
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2019/2020
Course type: 
Basic compulsory subjects
Credits: 
2
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
24
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (20 hours), Seminar (4 hours)
Assessment: 
Voto Finale

1. The appearance of life on earth and the evolution of living organism; prokaryotes and eukaryotes; asexuate and sexuate reproduction; the cell as structural and functional unit of living organisms.
2. Methods in formal general genetics: the Mendelian inheritance; fenotypic interaction among genes and modifications of Mendelian ratios; the quantitative characters.
3. Methods in general cytogenetics: the chromosomes; the behaviour of chromosomes in mitosis and in meiosis; the cell cycle; the gametogenesis; the sex determination.
4. Chromosomes and hereditary traits: the chromosomal theory of inheritance; the sex-linked inheritance; the complete and incomplete linkage; the recombination and the crossing-over.
5. Methods in molecular genetics: structure and function of DNA; DNA duplication; DNA repair; the gene expression; transcription and translation; the genetic code; The regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; the chromatin; the constitutive and facultative heterochromatin.
6. Methods in genetics of bacteria and viruses: bacteriophages cycles; DNA technologies (restriction enzymes, cloning vectors, cDNA, identification of specific sequences); the structure of the gene.
7. The gene mutation: patterns and methods of study; the chromosome mutation: methods of study and mechanisms of origin of numerical and structural anomalies; the meiotic segregation of balanced structural anomalies.

1. The appearance of life on earth and the evolution of living organism; prokaryotes and eukaryotes; asexuate and sexuate reproduction; the cell as structural and functional unit of living organisms.
2. Methods in formal general genetics: the Mendelian inheritance; fenotypic interaction among genes and modifications of Mendelian ratios; the quantitative characters.
3. Methods in general cytogenetics: the chromosomes; the behaviour of chromosomes in mitosis and in meiosis; the cell cycle; the gametogenesis; the sex determination.
4. Chromosomes and hereditary traits: the chromosomal theory of inheritance; the sex-linked inheritance; the complete and incomplete linkage; the recombination and the crossing-over.
5. Methods in molecular genetics: structure and function of DNA; DNA duplication; DNA repair; the gene expression; transcription and translation; the genetic code; The regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; the chromatin; the constitutive and facultative heterochromatin.
6. Methods in genetics of bacteria and viruses: bacteriophages cycles; DNA technologies (restriction enzymes, cloning vectors, cDNA, identification of specific sequences); the structure of the gene.
7. The gene mutation: patterns and methods of study; the chromosome mutation: methods of study and mechanisms of origin of numerical and structural anomalies; the meiotic segregation of balanced structural anomalies.

No specific text. The following list of possible reference books is given the students during the Course:
- Tiepolo, Laudani: Le basi biologiche dell’ereditarietà. 3a ed., Ed. La Goliardica Pavese s.r.l., 1995
- Watson, Baker, Bell, Levine, Losick: Biologia molecolare del gene. 7a ed., Ed. Zanichelli, 2015
- De Robertis, De Robertis: Biologia della cellula e molecolare. 5a ed., Ed. Zanichelli, 1990
- Barigozzi, Ghidoni: Cromosomi e meccanismi ereditari.
Ed. UTET, 1976 (out of print)
- Vogel, Motulski: Human Genetics. 4a ed., Ed. Springer, 2010
- Curtoni, Dallapiccola, De Marchi, Mattiuz, Momigliano Richiardi, Piazza: Manuale di Genetica. 2a ed., Ed. UTET, 1997
- Thompson, Thompson: Genetica in medicina. Ed. Idelson-Gnocchi, 2005
- Gelehrter, Collins, Ginsburg: Principles of medical genetics. 2a ed. Ed. Williams & Wilkins, 1998
- Gelehrter, Collins, Ginsburg: Genetica Medica. 2a ed. Ed. Masson, 1999 (out of print)
- Dallapiccola, Novelli: Genetica Medica essenziale. 3° ed. Ed. Il Minotauro, 2012
- Strachan, Read: Human molecular genetics. 4a ed. Ed. Garland Science, 2011
- Strachan, Read: Genetica umana molecolare. (based on the 4th original ed.) Ed. Zanichelli, 2012
- Neri, Genuardi: Genetica umana e medica. 3° ed. Ed. Elsevier-Masson, 2014
- Strachan, Goodship, Chinnery: Genetica e Genomica nelle Scienze Mediche. Ed. Zanichelli, 2016
- Harper: Practical genetic counselling. 7a ed. Ed. Taylor & Francis Group, 2010

Further study material: slides are available on the University e-learning site.

Lectures, laboratory practice.

The students may get in touch with the teacher after every lecture or by rendez-vous fixed by mail at the address francesco.pasquali@uninsubria.it

Professors

PASQUALI FRANCESCO

Parent course