Cell Biology

Objectives of the course (preferably expressed in terms of learning outcomes and competences): Cell biology of animal cells

Course contents: Eukaryotic Cells: evolution. Biological Membranes: lipid bilayer, fluidity and asymmetry of the bilayer, membrane proteins, membrane transport, carrier proteins, ion channels. Mitochondrion: membranes, functional specialization of internal compartments, oxidation, chemiosmotic process, the respiratory chain and ATP-synthase, the genome of mitochondria. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): Rough ER, Smooth ER, direction of signal peptides to the Rough ER, topology of multipass transmembrane proteins, soluble proteins in the ER, N-linked glycosylation in ER. Golgi Apparatus: ER - Golgi - communication, O-linked glycosylation in Golgi, oligosaccharide chains processing in Golgi, secretory vesicles, synaptic vesicles. Lysosomes: Transport from trans Golgi to lysosomes, transport of lysosomal enzymes. Peroxisomes: Oxidative reactions, import of proteins into peroxisomes. Endocytosis / Vesicular Transport: Endosomes, pinocytic vesicles, Clathrin-coated pits, receptor mediated endocytosis, coatomer-coated vesicles, GTP-binding proteins in vesicular transport. Cell Nucleus: Membranes of the nuclear envelope, nuclear pore, transport of macromolecules, chromosomal DNA and its packaging, the global structure of chromosomes, nucleolus. Cytoskeleton: The nature and function of cytoskeleton, intermediate filaments, microtubules (microtubule-associated proteins, motor proteins and movements, centrioles and basal bodies), actin filaments (actin binding proteins, motor proteins, microvilli, migration of animal cells, muscle contraction). Extracellular Space: Cell junctions, cell-cell adhesion, the extracellular matrix. Cell-Division Cycle: The general strategy  and phases of the cell cycle, the cell-cycle control system, cell-division controls in multicellular animals, growth factors, mitosis, cytokinesis. Meiosis. Laboratory Practicals: Light and Electron Microscopy.