Content (Syllabus outline)
Structural and functional characteristics of animal cells.
Unicellular organsims: cell structure and function; interactions between cells and environment.
Multicellular organisms: mechanisms of cell communication and signaling, extracellular matrix, biological membranes, biosynthesis, biodegradation and transport.
Cell reproduction, differentiation and organization of tissues.
Microscopy and cell imaging: histochemical techniques, localization of cell constituents by bright field and fluorescence microscopy, ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy, safety in the laboratory (laboratory work and seminars).
General principles and specializations of cell ultrastructure: bacteria, cell nucleus and cell cycle, cell membrane, membranous organelles, cytoskeleton, cell junctions, extracellular matrix, cell inclusions.
Animal cell physiology
Membrane potential, pumps, exchangers: diffusion and permeability, sodium pump, osmosis and regulation of cell volume, intracellular pH regulation.
Membrane excitability and ion channels: propagation of action potentials, electrogenesis of membrane excitability, patch-clamp technique, voltage-gated ion channels.
Ligand-gated ion channels, synaptic transmission, excitation-secretion coupling, mechanosensitive ion channels, gustatory and olfactory sensory transduction.
Structural and functional characteristics of plant cells; Plant cell physiology
Structural components of a plant cell. Biogenesis and composition of extracellular matrix (wall), its permeability, mechanical properties and consequences for plant tissue formation and functions. Structure and permeability of the plasmodesmata and their significance for transport in plant cells. Plant plasma membrane transporters and their significance for cellular detoxification processes. Biogenesis, composition and functions of plant vacuoles, proteolysis and recycling. Examples of plant cell secretory system. Chloroplast structure and function. The interrelationship of photosynthesis and photorespiration. Peroxisomes/Glioxisomes. Mitochondria and the specificities of plant cell respiration. Plant cell signalling, senescence and cell death.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for inclusion in the work:
· enrolment in the appropriate academic year
knowledge of basic Cell biology course of 6 ECTS on the first level of the study and basic knowledge of Physiology.