B027326 - CITOLOGY AND ISTOLOGY AND LABORATORY

Italian

Italian

Origins of life on earth. Characteristics of eukaryotic cells and methods of study. Membranes, cytoplasm, organelles and nucleus. Mitosis and myosis. Gametogenesis and fertilization. The fabrics, their structure and characteristics.

Cell membrane, cytoplasm, organelles: cytoskeleton, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, mitochondria, peroxisomes, nucleus. Chromosomes, cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, gametogenesis, fertilization, morphological events up to the fourth week of development.
Classification and structure of tissues: epithelial tissues, connective tissues (proper, cartilage, bone, blood and haemopoiesis), muscle tissues, nervous tissue (cells, fibers, synapses, peripheral endings).

Dalle Donne e coll. Citologia e istologia
Colombo e coll. Biologia. Cellula e tessuti.

Bacci e coll. Cellula e tessuti edi-ermes.
Dini e coll. Citologia & Istologia, Idelson-Gnocchi, Napoli
Paroli G, Puliti E, Bacci S. L'atlante di istologia per scienze biologiche. Master Books
Puliti E, Paroli G, Bacci S. Preparati microscopici dei fondamenti di embriologia per scienze biologiche. Master Books

Learning of the structural and functional founding principles of eukaryotic cells and animal tissues.

At the end of the course, the student must be able to describe the morphological organization of the cell and animal tissues, in relation to their functions, and the initial events that trigger the formation of a new organism. The knowledge of these aspects turns out to be fundamental for the professional activity of the future biologist both in public and private environments. The course present in the first year is considered essentially basic for the future knowledge of the biologist and aims to develop in the Learner autonomy of judgment and communication skills that will accompany him in a greater learning capacity along the university path.

Fundamental knowledge of biology, chemistry, and biochemistry

Lectures and laboratory. The course also uses online materials and resources.

Contact hours for: Lessons (hours): 64
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 12

The course partly uses online materials and resources

Student reception: tuesday 15.00-17.00 (Sesto Fiorentino). Please confirm appointment by email.

Days and hours of reception: by appointment

Oral exam

The exam consists of an oral test. This consists of the recognition of a histological slide and various questions relating to the rudiments of embryology and the knowledge of cytology and histology assimilated during the course.

Introduction to cytology and histology. Introduction to the structure of nucleic acids. Information flow: the central dogma and the role of DNA, RNA and proteins in living organisms. Origin of life on earth: Miller experiment, the main characteristics of water, hydrophobic molecules and the first membranes. Hypothesis on the appearance of nucleic acids and of the first RNA molecules capable of self-replication. The RNA world and the beginning of evolutionary processes on a molecular scale. The protocell. Evolution of biochemical complexity. Hypothesis on the emergence of intracellular compartments: evolution of the eukaryotic cell and multicellular organisms. Importance of the surface / volume ratio.
Eukaryotic cells: typical shape and size.
The resolving power of the human eye and the need to use the microscope to study the cell.
The optical microscope: resolution, magnification, contrast. Operating principles of the darkfield, phase contrast and fluorescence microscope. Fluorescence stains (DAPI, phalloidin, organelle markers, fluorescent proteins, Fluorescence in situ hybridization, Immunohistochemistry).
Stages of the preparation of histological samples. Inclusion in paraffin. Microtome, cryostat and freezer microtome. Histological stains: basic and acid dyes. Hematoxylin-eosin and trichrome stains. The coloring of lipids.
Silver impregnation. PAS reaction and Feulgen staining of DNA. Autoradiography.
Transmission and scanning electron microscope.
The plasma membrane. Membrane lipids: phosphoglycerides, sphingolipids and cholesterol. Amphipathic molecules and their organization in between
Aqueous: micelles, liposomes and double layers. Role of phospholipids on the curvature of the bilayer. Fluidity of the double layer: role of the saturation / unsaturation of the phospholipid tails and the effect of cholesterol.
Mobility of membrane lipids: lateral diffusion and flip-flops. Lipid asymmetry, bilayer thickness modulation, cholesterol / sphingolipid clusters, lipid rafts.
Membrane proteins: intrinsic and extrinsic proteins. Method of anchoring extrinsic proteins to the membrane. Freeze-fracture technique. Interactions of membrane proteins with the cytoskeleton, the membrane of red blood cells. Membrane carbohydrates and glycocalyx.
Selective permeability, osmosis, transporters, pumps and membrane channels. The membrane potential. Receptor-mediated signaling.
The cytoplasm. The cytoskeleton. Filaments of the cytoskeleton. Actin: monomer, ATP hydrolysis and polymerization dynamics. Polarity of the polymer: pin and pointed ends.
Treadmilling. Actin associated proteins. The dynamics of polymerization in locomotion: pseudopods, filopods, lamellopods. Myosin motors and motility on actin filaments. Processive and non-processive engines. Mechanics of molecular motors.
Microtubules: tubulin, polymerization, nucleotide hydrolysis and dynamic instability. Centers of organization of microtubules: centrosome and centrioles, structure and function. The motors of microtubules: kinesin and dynein. Axonal transport.
Cell locomotion: mechanisms and speed. Cilia and flagella: axoneme, structure and functioning. Intermediate filaments, associated proteins, mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton, tensegrity.
EPITHELIAL TISSUE
Epithelial tissue: characteristics and classifications. Characteristics of epithelial cells. Specializations: microvilli, occluding, adherent, communicating junctions, desmosomes and hemidesmosomes. Coating epithelia. Mesothelia; endothelium (continuous, fenestrated and sinusoids). Simple pavement epithelia: pulmonary alveoli, renal glomerulus and outline of the nephron structure. Simple cubic and cylindrical epithelia. Pseudostratified and transitional epithelia. Stratified epithelia. Epidermis and keratinization process. Accessory cells of the epidermis: melanocytes, Langerhans cells and Merkel cells. Sensory epithelia: olfactory, gustatory, auditory and vestibular epithelium. Functioning of the sensory cells of hearing (organ of Corti) and balance (macules and ampullae of the vestibule).
Transformed epithelia: enamel, crystalline, hairs. Glandular epithelia. Exocrine glands: morphological classification, secretion modes and types of secretion. Goblet mucus cells. Multicellular exocrine glands: intestinal crypts, sweat glands, alveolar glands of amphibians, tubular glands of the gastric mucosa, sebaceous glands, mammary glands. Salivary glands, exocrine pancreas.
The endocrine glands: general characteristics; hormones and their mechanism of action. Characteristics of steroid and protein secretion cells. Hypothalamus and pituitary. Neurohypositive and adenohypophysis hormones. Hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Epiphysis. Thyroid and parathyroid glands; regulation of blood calcium. Adrenal: cortical, medulla and their hormones. Gonads: Leydig cells, testosterone, ovarian follicle and its hormones. Endocrine pancreas: Langerhans islets and blood glucose regulation.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Connective tissue: functions, types and classification. Fundamental substance. Collagen fibers: structure and types of collagen. Reticular fibers. Elastic fibers. The basement membrane. Connective cells: fibroblasts and collagen synthesis, mast cells and degranulation, macrophages, plasma cells. Connective tissues proper: loose, dense, elastic, reticular and adipose (white and brown). Pigmented connective tissue and chromatophores.
Cartilage tissue: hyaline, elastic and fibrous cartilage. Articular cartilage to metaphyseal cartilage. Bone tissue. Lamellar to lamellar bone. General characters of bone anatomy. Periosteum. Osteon and Havers system. Ostoblasts and osteocytes. Osteoclasts and bone remodeling. Regulation of the activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The tooth: dentin and cement. Direct and indirect ossification.
Blood: general characteristics and functions. The smear technique. Erythrocytes: general characteristics and gas exchanges.
Erythrocytes: blood groups and erythropoiesis. Platelets: morphology and functions. Coagulation. Thrombocytopoiesis. Neutrophil, basophil and eosinophil granulocytes: morphology and functions. Monocytes and macrophages. Lymphocytes: types and functions. Diapedesis. General characteristics of the immune response: innate and acquired immunity; humoral and cell-mediated response.
MUSCLE TISSUE
Striated skeletal muscle: properties and structure. The sarcomere and myofilaments. Mechanism of muscle contraction. Sarcoplasmic reticulum, T tubules and triads: excitation-contraction coupling. The neuromuscular junction. Fast and slow muscles. Satellite cells and muscle tissue regeneration. Myocardium: intercalary discs and properties of cardiomyocytes. Diadi. Pacemaker system and conduction tissue. Smooth muscle: localization and characteristics. Smooth muscle contraction mechanism.
NERVOUS TISSUE
Nervous tissue. Nerve tissue staining methods: classical histology, fluorescent proteins. General morphological and cytological characteristics of the neuron: organelles e
cytoskeleton. Types of neurons. Axonal transport. Viruses that use axon transport and their experimental use to trace neuronal circuits. Characteristics and functions of glia cells: ependymal cells, astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells and satellite cells. Role of astrocytes in synapses. Myelin sheath and saltatory conduction. Unmyelinated fibers.
General characteristics of synapses: electrical and chemical synapses. Morphology and types of chemical synapses. Neurotransmitter release mechanism. The most common neurotransmitters. Nerve endings. Spinal reflex. Examples of innovative methodologies for the morpho-functional study of nervous tissue.

The living substance: general, structural, functional and molecular characteristics.
Techniques and principles of light and electron microscopes.
General characteristics of the eukaryotic cell.
The plasma membrane: molecular organization, structure and functions.
Ribosomes, an outline of protein synthesis.
Membranous organelles of secretory pathways: rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus; exocytosis.
Endocytotic pathway: lysosomes, processes and mechanisms of endocytosis
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
Peroxisomes: structure and functions.
Mitochondria: morphology, functions and origin, an outline of cell respiration.
Cytoskeleton: microtubules, microfilaments, intemediate filaments: cellular movements, centrioles.
Nucleus: nuclear envelope, nucleolus, nucleoplasm, chromatin (condensed and extended). Chromosomes, Cellular cycle. Mitosis and Meiosis.
Gametes, gametogenesis, menstrual cycle, fertilization. Morphological events from first to fourth week of development. Derivatives of ectoderm, entoderm, mesoderm. Cellular populations, stem cells. Apoptosis, necrosis.
Surface epithelial tissue: histogenesis, classification and main characteristics. Differentiation of cellular surface: microvilli, cilia, intercellular and cell-matrix junctions.
Transformed epithelia (including hard keratin appendages).
Connective tissue proper: cells, intercellular substance, basement membrane, classification.

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