Chemistry, Biology and Genetics

The aim of the course is to provide the student with notions of cellular biology through the dissertation of cellular components at the structural, compositional and functional levels, as well as of the mechanisms of duplication, transmission and expression of the genetic information. The course will also provide the essential information for the study of the genetic and molecular basis of evolution and development of domestic animals. Finally, the course will provide the students with basic theoretical knowledge of evolution and biological systematics. The course will enable the student to acquire both a critical approach to the study of the diversity of living matter and the expression of genetic information in the transmission of hereditary traits, which are propaedeutic notions for the study of subsequent courses.
The Chemistry course is aimed to provide the knowledges of General, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry suitable to learn at the molecular level the topics of later courses. Besides basic concepts about quali- and quantitative composition of inorganic and organic compounds (including biological macromolecules), the course deals with fundamental aspects of stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium, thermodinamics, stereochemistry and structure-reactivity relationship, which are essential to deeply understand any biological process.

Knowledge and understanding
- Description of the morphology and function of the main components and its specializations of eukaryotic cells; the basic principles of how cells interact in the context of multicellular organisms;
- identification of the basic principles regulating cell cycle and the mechanisms of cell division (mitosis and meiosis); gametogenesis and the basic principles of the early stages of embryonic development;
- identification of the basic principles of the origin of life, evolution and natural selection; basic notions on systematics and classification of living organisms; classification and main characteristics of invertebrate and vertebrate species studied during the course.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic genetics; hereditary diseases control in breeding programs
- Identification of the hereditary transmission mechanisms
- Control of the morphological characters that are useful in breeding
- Rating of the different coupling systems
- Inorganic and organic nomenclature
- The structure and the function of the most relevant substances in biological systems, including macromolecules
- The behaviour of solutes in aqueous solutions
- The stereochemistry of asymmetric organic compounds.
Applying knowledge and understanding
- During the observation of histological preparations, the student will be able to describe the structure and function of the main cellular components in a tissue context; they will be able to recognize diploid and haploid cells in the context of male and female gonads
The student will be able to read results of parentage tests. Manage genetic evaluation information
- The student will be able to answer basic questions on animal evolution, systematics and diversity of the animal kingdom
- The student will be able to use of chemical formula to represent the structure of inorganic and organic compounds of biological relevance (including macromolecules) and to deduce their function;
- The student will be able to perform stoichiometric calculations;
- The student will be able to predict the pH value from the composition of aqueous solutions;
- The student will be able to establish stereochemistry of asymmetric organic compounds and recognize functional groups in organic compounds
Communication skills
- Self-study of the aspects related to the scientific field to which the student will focus in his own future
- Proper use of technical-scientific terminology