Preclinical Biomedical Sciences and Humanities

1. The impact of evolution on the structural and functional organization of the bacterial and eukaryotic cell; the endosymbiotic origin of the mitochondria; a mention of viruses
2. The life cycles of organisms, and the cell division cycles of mammals: mitosis, meiosis and gametogenesis
3. Chemical composition of cells; role of water and weak interactions
4. Informational molecules: structure, localization and function of proteins
5. Informational molecules: DNA as the genetic material
6. Structure of nucleotides and double helix
7. Organization of the bacterial and eukaryotic genome
8. DNA replication in bacteria and eukaryotes
9. Classes of RNA; messenger RNAs
10. Transcription in prokaryotes and its regulation
11. Transcription in eukaryotes, its regulation; post-transcriptional processing of eukaryotic mRNAs
12. Translation into bacteria and eukaryotes: genetic code, tRNA, rRNA and ribosomes, biosynthesis and protein sorting
13. Mutations: causes, and genetic and evolutionary consequences

Water. Structure and property; Electrolytes; Acids and bases; Buffer power.
Carbon and its bonds. Main classes of organic compounds. Amino acids and peptide bond.
Proteins. Structure and organization. Hemoglobin and other paradigmatic proteins.
Enzymes. Structure and mechanism of action; Mechanisms for regulating enzyme activity; Survey of chemical and enzyme kinetics.
Biological membranes. Components and major transmembrane transport systems.
Metabolism. General features; catabolic and anabolic routes. Energy Metabolism. Energy compounds, ATP cycle, ATP synthesis mechanisms; Krebs cycle; respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation.
Metabolism of carbohydrates. Digestion; origin and metabolic destinies of glucose; mechanisms to regulate carbohydrate metabolism.
Metabolism of lipids. Digestion; origin and metabolic fates of fatty acids; mechanisms to regulate lipid metabolism.
Metabolism of amino acids. Digestion; origin and metabolic destinies of amino acids; mechanisms to regulate amino acid metabolism.

Mendel and his experimental method:
- Mendel's first law, the segregation of alleles
- monohybrids and test cross
- Mendel's second law, the independent assortment
- hybrids and polyhybrids
- genotypic and phenotypic relationships in mendelian crosses: examples and applications
· Interaction between alleles and phenotypic effect: complete and incomplete dominance, codominance. Interactions between different genes. Pleiotropism. Multiple allele systems in humans: blood groups.
· Independent and associated genes.
· Chromosome theory of inheritance:
- human chromosomes as a vehicle of inheritance
- the human karyotype
- chromosomal abnormalities in number and structure and clinical implications
- concept of chromosomal mosaicism
- molecular cytogenetics: Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH), definition, features and applications
· X chromosome inactivation, relevance of the phenomenon in X-linked genetic diseases.
· Genetic sex determination, examples of diseases with altered sex differentiation (adrenogenital syndrome, androgen insensitivity, SRY gene defects).
· Mendelian traits in humans:
- Mendelian and non-mendelian traits
- classification of genetic diseases.
- monogenic inheritance and multifactorial inheritance
· Genetic analysis in humans:
- pedigree construction: symbolism and criteria for the collection of family history
- the main types of pedigrees
- apparent exceptions to Mendel's laws: incomplete and age-dependent penetrance, variable expressivity, neomutations, genetic mosaicism
- allelic, of locus and clinical genetic heterogeneity in most mendelian diseases
· Multifactorial inheritance: quantitative and threshold characters and empirical risks.
· Epigenetics: how genes and environment interact

GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

Introduction to general Psychology
Perception
Attention
Memory
Learning
Emotion

During the course, the following topics will be covered:
- the evolution of medical models: from the disease-centered model to the patient-centered model
- the concept of patent's illness experience
- communication techniques in a patient-centered consultation
- motivational interviewing: how to motivate patients to change behavior
- communication of bad news and the SPIKES protocol
- the process of grief according to E Kubler-Ross

- The key concepts in general pedagogy (theory and methods of the educational process; lifelong learning; social aspects of education; etc.)
- The education-related aspects within an interpersonal care relationship (therapeutic education as a part of the care and rehabilitation process; relational and communication issues; engagement of the person cared for as well as of the social and professional network)
- Communication skills that enable effective activation of a therapeutic alliance (empathy; capability to listen; verbal and nonverbal languages)
- Narrative medicine

Definition of human development
- Piaget's theory of cognitive development
- Bowlby's attachment theory
- Erikson's model of psychosocial development
- the family life cycle stages.
- the impact of the disease on the development tasks and the family life cycle.