Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
2501230 Biomedical Sciences | OT | 4 | 0 |
Knowledge required:
1. Understand the basics of the subjects: "Cell Biology and Histology" and "Genetics".
2. Understand specific aspects of these subjects: Mendelian principles, chromosome theory of inheritance, the flow of genetic information, cell cycle principles and mechanisms of cell division.
3. Read correctly in English.
4. Use at the user level, basic computer tools (Internet, PowerPoint and Word Processor)
Cytogenetics is a hybrid discipline that draws on concepts of Cell Biology and Genetics. The convergence of issues from these areas has contributed to the development of a modern and dynamic science that has as a main objective the study of the chromosome.
The progress of this discipline has been characterized by the combination of conventional and modern techniques, as well as a continuous exchange between the development of new methods and the formulation of new hypotheses. This has significantly improve the understanding of the chromosome, providing a dynamic conception of this cell structure and developing to the limits the structure-function binomial.
In recent years, the consolidation of Cytogenetics has resulted in an alive discipline, approaching the borders to other disciplines with significant repercussions and applications in human health, agriculture and evolution.
In this context the objectives of the subject are:
1. To offer a comprehensive view into the structure and behavior of chromosomes to guarantee the preservation of genetic information, its transmission from parents to children and gene expression.
2. To study chromosomes variations, from the mechanisms that originate them to the genetic consequences for the offspring.
3. To perforn a comprehensive analysis about the cytogenetics applications in human health, agricultural genomics and speciation studies.
PART I: ORGANIZATION OF HEREDITARY MATERIAL IN HIGHER EUCARYOTES
Chapter 1. General introduction
Chapter 2. The eukaryotic chromosome
PART II: CHROMOSOMES AND CELL DIVISION
Chapter 3. Mitotic cell division
Chapter 4. Meiotic cell division
PART III: SPECIALIZED CHROMOSOMES
Chapter 5. Adaptational forms of normal chromosomes
Chapter 6. Permanently specialized chromosomes
PART IV: TECHNIQUES FOR CHROMOSOME IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS
Chapter 7. Generalities of the cytogenetic analysis protocols
Chapter 8. Chromosome identification techniques
PART V: GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC ANOMALIES
Chapter 9. Alterations of the karyotype
Chapter 10. Chromosome structural anomalies
Chapter 11. Chromosome numerical anomalies
Chapter 12. Epigenetic anomalies
PART VI: CYTOGENETICS APPLICATIONS
Chapter 13. Applications in speciation studies
Chapter 14. Applications in human health
Chapter 15. Applications in plant breeding
*Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents.
Theoretical classes: The content of the theoretical program will be explained by the teacher in the form of master classes, with the appropriate audio-visual support and encouraging the active participation of students through reciprocal questions. This teaching methodology will be applied in 35 sessions of 50 minutes.
The tables, figures and graphics used in class will be available in *pdf format on the Virtual Campus. Students may also consult on this platform the videos, animations and websites used in class.
The study of the theory program implies that students regularly consult the books and review articles selected by the teacher in order to consolidate the contents explained in class (see Bibliography section). The articles will be available on the Virtual Campus in *pdf format.
Problem-solving classes: This learning methodology has the following objectives:
There are 5 sessions of 50 minutes of duration programmed during the course. Within each group, students will be organized in groups of four people. The methodology applied to the classroom will consist on the following phases:
The qualification obtained in Problem-solving activities will be the same for all the members of the group and will contribute to the final qualification of the subject.
Laboratory practices: Practices will be carried out in groups of two people. The students will have a guideline document (Virtual Campus of the subject) to address practical sessions. To facilitate the understanding of the contents and a good development of the classes it is advisable that the student read the practice guideline before each session. During the elaboration of the practices students will have to solve face-to-face exercises facilitated by the teacher. These exercises must be delivered at the end of each session.
In order to carry out the practical classes, the student must justify having passed the biosafety and security tests (Virtual Campus) and be knowledgeable and accept the operating regulations of the Bioscience's laboratories.
*The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Classroom practical classes (solved problems exposition) | 5 | 0.2 | 17, 18, 5, 7, 6, 8, 16, 15, 14, 12, 13, 10, 9, 11, 19, 3 |
Laboratory practices | 12 | 0.48 | 1, 2, 4, 6, 16, 15, 14, 13, 10, 19, 3 |
Theoretical classes | 35 | 1.4 | 17, 18, 4, 5, 7, 8, 16, 15, 14, 10, 9, 11, 3 |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Individual study | 60 | 2.4 | 18, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 16, 15, 14, 12, 10, 9, 11, 3 |
Solve problems | 33 | 1.32 | 17, 18, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 15, 14, 12, 13, 10, 9, 11, 19, 3 |
To pass the subject it will be essential to obtain a final grade equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10 based on the contributions of the different evaluation activities. Students who preform less than 50% of the evaluation activities described above will be considered as not evaluated.
1. Written exam (individual evaluation):
During the semester, two written tests (see course program) will be carried out on the theoretical contents of the subject.The objective is to evaluate the mastery of the concepts and the knowledge exposed in class, verifying the hability of applying and relating them.
Each test will have a value of 35% on the final qualification of the subject. Students must obtain a minimum score of 4 points of the mean of the two written exams.
2. Problem solving (group evaluation)
The qualifitacion of this part will be obtained by the arithmetic mean of the sum of the qualification obtained by each group of students throughout the course (dossier and oral resolutions). The teacher will ensure that during the course each group has made at least one exhibition. A problem not delivered or not solved in class will be scored with a zero in the calculation of the average grade of the group.
The assessment of the problems will be performed taking into account the correction in the response, the approach and the interpretation of the results. The final grade will be shared by all the members of each group and will have a weight of 15% in the final mark of the subject.
3. Laboratory practices (group evaluation)
The laboratory practical mark will be obtained by the arithmetic mean of the marks achieved in the exercises performed during the laboratory sessions. The assessment of the exercises will be performed taking into account the correction in the response, the approach and the interpretation of the results. The practical mark will be shared by all the members of each group and will be equivalent to 15% of the final mark.
Taking into account that practical sessions attendance is mandatory, an unjustified absence implies a penalty in the mark applying the following criteria:
- To miss one day implies a reduction of 30% in the laboratory practices mark.
- To miss two or more days implies a zero in the practical note.
Students who can not attend to their group session due to a justified cause are exempt from this penalty. Justified cause is understood to be health problems (the corresponding medical certificate must be brought to the coordinator of the practices) or serious personal problems. In this case the practice will be recovered whenever possible.
*Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Delivery and presentation of solved problems | 15 | 0.5 | 0.02 | 17, 18, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 16, 15, 14, 12, 13, 10, 9, 11, 19, 3 |
Delivery of exercises of the laboratory practices | 15 | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 18, 2, 4, 6, 15, 14, 12, 13, 10, 19, 3 |
Written examination I (individual assessment) | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | 18, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 16, 15, 14, 10, 9, 11, 3 |
Written examination II (individual assessment) | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | 18, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 16, 15, 14, 10, 9, 11, 3 |
Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K and Walter P (2008)* Molecular Biology of the Cell, 5th Edition. Garland Publishing, New York.
Andreeff M and Pinkel D (1999) Fluorescence in situ hybridization: Principles and clinical apllication. Wiley-Liss. New York.
Bickmore W (1999)* Chromosome Structural Analysis; A Practical Approach. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Bickmore W and Craig J (1997)* Chromosome bands: Patterns in the genome. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, New York.
Gardner RJM and Sutherland GR (2004)* Chromosome Abnormalities and Genetic Counseling, 3rd edition. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
Holmquist GP and Motara MA (1987) The magic of cytogenetic technology. In Cyogenetics. Obe G and Basler A Editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
King M (1993)* Species evolution. The role of chromosome change. Cambridge University Press.
Lacadena JR (1996)* Citogenética. Editorial Complutense SA, Madrid.
Lodish H, Scott MP, Matsudaira P, Darnell J, Zipursky L, Kaiser CA, Berk A and Krieger M (2003)* Molecular Cell Biology. WH Freeman Publishers, New York.
Lynch M (2007)* The Origins of Genome Architecture. Sinauer Associates Inc.
Rooney DE (2002)* Human Cytogenetics: Constitutional Analysis. 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
Singh RJ (2002) Plant cytogenetics. CRC Press.
Solari AJ. (2004)* Genética Humana. Fundamentos y Aplicaciones en Medicina. 3ª edición. Médica Panamericana. Buenos Aires.
Sumner AT (2003)* Chromosomes: Organization and Function. Blackwell Publishing.
Sybenga J (1975)* General Cytogenetics. North-Holland Publishing Company. Amsterdam.
Sybenga J (1975)* Meiotic Configurations. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. New York.
Tost J (2007) Epigenetics. Caister Academic Press.
Turner J (2007)* Meiosis. Chromosome research 15. Special issue (5). Springer.
Vogelstein B and Kinzler KW (2002) The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer. 2nd Edition. Graw-Hill Professional. New York.
Warshawsky D and Landolph JR. (2006). Molecular Carcinogenesis and the Molecular Biology.