Class Biologia Molecular e Celular

Being the cell, the fundamental unit of life, knowledge about cell structure and function, the expression of genetic information and the organization of genomes constitutes a pillar on which the study of medical sciences is based.

In the last decades, Molecular and Cellular Biology has been the engine of great scientific progress. This area studies the molecular, structural and functional complexity of the cell and the mechanisms involved in these processes to ensure the correct functioning of cells and the survival of multicellular organisms.

The knowledge generated by research in this area allowed scientists to understand the functioning of organisms and, the mechanisms that cause disease, to develop new diagnostic methods, to discover new drugs and to evolve towards a personalized medicine.

The contents are presented in the context of Veterinary Medicine, in its various aspects, namely, animal health, pathology, public health, epidemiology, conservation, animal breeding and research.

1. Cell concept. Origin and Evolution. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
2. Internal organization of the animal cell. Structure and function.
3. Cells in their social context.
4. Cell cycle and its regulation: Meiosis and Mitosis.
5. Reproductive cells - the Biology of Reproduction in Veterinary Medicine.
6. Stem cells and applications in Veterinary Medicine and biomedical research.
7. Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes: genetic and epigenetic mechanisms.
8. Genetic mutations: types of mutations, causes, effects and repair mechanisms.
9. Organization of eukaryotic genomes and sources of genetic diversity
10. Nucleic acid analysis and manipulation techniques and its applications in Veterinary Medicine

During classes, some active learning methodologies will be used, such as measuring knowledge acquired in previous classes through interactive questionnaires (mentimeter), carrying out continuous assessment through quizzes carried out in Moodle or Socrative at the end of the class. In practical classes, an assessment of the knowledge acquired will be made as aTrivial Pursuit game.

- Lodish, H., Berk, A., Kaiser, C.A., Krieger, M. & Bretscher, A. (2021). Molecular Cell Biology (9ª ed.). New York: W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1319365493

- Alberts, B., Bray, D., Hopkin, K., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K. & Walter, P. (2017). Fundamentos da Biologia Celular. (4ª ed.) Porto Alegre: Artmed. ISBN: 9788582714058

- Azevedo, C.; Sunkel, C.E.. (2012). Biologia Celular e Molecular (5ª ed.). Lisboa: Lidel. ISBN: 9789727576920

- Inácio J.; Cunha, M.V.. (2014). Abordagens Moleculares em Veterinária - Como desvendar a etiologia e a epidemiologia da infeção (1ª ed.). Lisboa: Lidel. ISBN: 9789897520341

- Griffiths, A.J.F., Doebley, J., Peichel, C. & Wassarman, D.A. (2020). Introduction to Genetic Analysis. (12ª ed.). New York: W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd. ISBN-10 : 1319114784 / ISBN-13 : 978-1319114787