MORPHOLOGY, EMBRYOLOGY AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
Academic year and teacher
If you can't find the course description that you're looking for in the above list,
please see the following instructions >>
- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2019/2020
- Teacher
- ANNALAURA MANCIA
- Credits
- 6
- Curriculum
- BIOTECNOLOGIE PER LA SALUTE
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- BIO/06
Training objectives
- The course will provide students:
- essential knowledge in cytology, histology and embryology needed to perform studies and research on animal models;
- basics to understand and recognize animal morphology at different levels of biological organization (cell, tissue, organ, system);
- familiarity with the main methods, techniques and instruments used in morphological study.
Knowledge – the student will recognize:
- Instruments and techniques for morphological studies
- Structure and ultrastructure of animal cells
- Cell morphological diversity and cell specializations
- Histological organization: classification, morphology and functions of animal tissues
- General structure of organs in Vertebrates
- Reproduction, gametes and fertilization
- Phases and mechanisms of animal development
- Development of the main animal models in Embryology
Ability – the student will be capable to:
- use the proper terminology of cytology, histology, anatomy and embryology
- recognize the different types of animal cell, tissue and organ
- evaluate similarities and differences in reproduction and development between animals
- choose the instruments and techniques needed to do a specific morphological study
- select the most useful animal model for a specific study in morphology or embryology. Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of biology: structure and function of nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell, cell membranes and organelles; chromatin and chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, inheritance; general characteristics and classification of living organisms, with special reference to the Animal Kingdom.
Course programme
- Part I: Introduction to the course and methods for morphological studies (about 10 hours)
Definitions, aims and applications of Morphology, Embryology and Cell Biology.
The relationship between structure and function.
Main instruments and techniques for morphological studies. Light and electron microscopes. Tissue preparation: dissection, fixation, embedding, cut (microtome and cut planes), histological staining, observation of slide sections. Cito-histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.
Part II: Morphology and Cell Biology (about 22 hours)
Cell morphological diversity. Cell polarity. Cell specializations: microvilli, glycocalyx, stereocilia, cilia, flagella, cell junctions. Cytoplasmic inclusions. Cytoskeleton. Ultrastructure mitochondria. Endosomes, Lysosomes, Vesicles, secretion and transport within cell. Histological homeostasis: proliferation (stem cells), repair, cell death. General features and classification of animal tissues and organs. Morphology, composition and functions of the following tissue types:
- epithelial tissues: covering and lining epithelia and glandular epithelia
- connective tissues: loose, dense, elastic, adipose, cartilage, bone, blood (with short notions on hemostasis, hematopoiesis, immune response)
- muscle tissues: skeletal, cardiac, smooth; myofibrils and muscle contraction
- nervous tissue: neurons, synapses, neuroglial cells; nerve structure
Short notions on the main organ systems in Vertebrates.
Part III: Embryology (about 16 hours)
Methods of animal reproduction and overview of animal development.
Male and female gametes and their formation (spermatogenesis and oogenesis). Egg types (a-, oligo-, meso-, macro- lecithal). Amniote egg and membranes (yolk sac, amnion, chorion, and allantois). Oviparity, ovoviviparity, viviparity. Fertilization. First phases of embryonic development: from zygote to gastrula. Cleavage (holoblastic and meroblastic) and types of blastula. Gastrulation. Germ layers. Coelom formation and blastopore. Organogenesis: neurulation, derivatives of ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm in Vertebrates, metamerism, structure of vertebrate embryo. Cell differentiation, morphogens, embryonic induction, signals during development. Main animal models in embryology and basic knowledge on their development: Caenorhabditis elegans, Sea urchin, Drosophila melanogaster, Xenopus laevis, Zebrafish, chicken. Overview of mammal development. Twins. Placenta. Didactic methods
- The course forecasts 48 hours of frontal lectures. Topics will be discussed using references texts integrated with most recent published work. Lessons are provided on a weekly basis by taking advantage of power-point slides. Topics from text books will be integrated with latest and most relevant published data.
Learning assessment procedures
- A written test will verify the knowledge of the topics of the course. The test comprises 31 multiple-choice questions (6 questions on part I, 15 questions on part II, 10 questions on part III). The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths. Each correct answer has a value of 1. To pass the test, the student needs to answer correctly at least 18 questions (minimum score 18/30). To obtain the maximum score (30 cum laude) the student needs to answer correctly to all the 31 questions. The student will have 45 minutes to complete the test.
For DSA students, the procedure and the duration of the test will be evaluated individually. Reference texts
- Book title: Citologia, Istologia e Anatomia microscopica
Authors: Zaccheo e Pestarino
Edited by Pearson
Book title: Biologia dello sviluppo
Authors: Giudice, Augusti-Tocco, Campanella
Edited by Piccin
