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Cytology and histology 3

Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: ANNA MARIA PAPPALARDO

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of the biological and chemical characteristics of living matter and its levels of organization. Acquisition of basic knowledge of the structural organization of the eukaryotic cell, functional significance and relationships between different cell organelles. Acquisition of knowledge of the morphological and functional organization of animal tissues such that students have sufficient ability to critically analyze and interpret optical and electron microscopy preparations.

Required Prerequisites

Knowledge of the elementary organization of living matter: virus, prokaryotic cell, eukaryotic cell; general principles of Physics with special reference to: gas diffusion and optical phenomena; general and inorganic and organic chemistry, with special reference to: chemical bonds, ions, acids, bases, salts, true solutions and colloidal solutions, main classes of organic molecules

Detailed Course Content

A) CYTOLOGY (CFU 6) Biological characteristics of living matter. The molecules of life: water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids. Notes on the levels of organization of living matter. Viruses, viroids and prions. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell (plant and animal cell).

The plasma membrane and passive and active transport mechanisms. The cytoskeleton and its constituents: microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments. Specializations of the plasma membrane: microvilli, cilia and flagella. Cell-cell interactions: the junctions.

Energy metabolism and mitochondria. The plastids: chromoplasts, leukoplasts and chloroplasts.

The nucleus and its constituents: the nuclear wall; nucleoplasm and nucleoskeleton; organization and functions of chromatin; chromosomes and chromosome kit; nucleolus. DNA replication. Transcription and translation. Ribosomes. Protein sorting. RER and REL. Golgi apparatus. Lysosomes and peroxisomes.

The cell cycle and its phases. Cell division: mitosis and meiosis.

B) METHODS AND TOOLS OF INVESTIGATION (CFU 1) Direct observation of living cells and tissues; vital and supravital staining.

Procedures for setting up permanent preparations. Major histological stains. General principles of cytochemistry and histochemistry. Optical and electron microscopes: principles of operation and their use in biology.

C) HISTOLOGY (CFU 1 + 1) Animal tissues: classification and recognition. Epithelial lining tissues: general characteristics and classification. Glandular epithelia: origin and classification of glands; characteristics of secreting cells and various types of secretion. Connective tissues: characteristics of intercellular substance: amorphous part or fundamental substance and connective fibers; connective cells. Connective tissues proper. Supporting connectives: cartilage tissue, chordoid and chondroid tissue, bone tissue; ossification processes. Adipose tissue. Blood: plasma and figured elements.

Endothelium and blood vessels. Lymph. Muscle tissue: smooth muscle tissue, skeletal striatum and cardiac striatum. Nervous tissue: the neuron or nerve cell, morphology and structure. Envelopes of neurons. Nerve fibers. Synapses and nerve endings. Neuroglia.

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