Molecular Biology A
Objectives
The main objective of the course of Molecular Biology A is to present the macromolecules that are essential to life processes with focus on the processes of replication, transcription and translation.
Students will be exposed to a generalist introduction of the different macromolecules that ensure viability of a cell (bacterium or eukaryotic cell) with a special attention to the molecular processes that allow the transmission and interpretation of hereditary information. The different processes will be detailed so that students are able to identify several components that perform different functions in each molecular process.
After attending this course students should be able to:
1. Identify the different components that are found in different cell types.
2. Describe how the DNA molecule was identified as a determinant for hereditary information.
3. Identify the chemical composition of the DNA molecule, its structure and its organization within a cell.
4. Describe the DNA replication process, the mechanisms that ensure the reliability of this process and how the different elements can be used in the laboratory.
5. Describe the process by which the information encoded in the DNA molecule is converted into mRNA (transcription) and protein (translation).
6. Identify mechanisms that ensure the regulation of gene expression.
General characterization
Code
10654
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Sérgio Joaquim Raposo Filipe
Hours
Weekly - 3
Total - 39
Teaching language
Português
Prerequisites
Available soon
Bibliography
Molecular Biology of the Cell; Alberts et al.; 6th edition (2015). Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group, New York.
Slides and documents presented in the theoretical classes and in the theoretical-practical classes that will be provided by the lecturers.
Access to web pages of associations with the American Society for Microbiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, with content associated with topics taught in class.
Additional Bibliography
Biologia Celular e Molecular; C. Azevedo, C. E.; 5th edition (2012). Lidel, Porto.
Molecular Cell Biology; Lodish et al.; 8th edition (2016). W. H. Freeman
Molecular Biology of Assemblies and Machines; Steven et al.; 1ª edição (2016) Garland Science
Teaching method
Theoretical classes with slides for presentation of contents of the curricular unit.
Theoretical-practical classes with slides for solving and/or discussing problems.
Access to contents in the Moodle page with exercises and presentations about the contents that are taught.
Evaluation method
The evaluation will have two components:
- a theoretical-practical evaluation with two written tests with questions about the contents taught in the theoretical classes and practical classes (80% of the final classification) and calculated to one decimal place.
- a summative assessment component (20% of the final grade), with a classification rounded to one decimal place, and carried out through a presentation proposed works in the theoretical-practical classes.
Subject matter
The course program includes the following topics:
1. Molecular components of cells and their functions.
2. Experiments that demonstrated how DNA is responsible for heredity.
3. Structure and chemical composition of different nucleic acids found within a cell.
4. Characterization of the DNA present in a cell (composition, organization and packaging).
5. Mechanisms used for the high-fidelity propagation of DNA (replication).
6. DNA modification and mutagenesis processes.
7. Mechanisms of recombination and repair of the DNA molecule.
8. Processes that allow cells to read information encoded their genome: (1) from DNA to RNA (transcription); (2) RNA for protein (translation).
9. Control of gene expression.
In the theoretical-practical classes, problems associated with the topics taught in the same or previous week will be solved.