HU Credits: 6

Degree/Cycle: 1st degree (Bachelor)

Responsible Department: medicine

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Ein Karem

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Oded Behar

Coordinator Email: odedb@ekmd.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Upon appointment , by email

Teaching Staff:
Dr.
Dr. Rachel Katz-Brull
Prof Asaf Hellman
Dr. Zvika Granot
Prof Ehud Cohen
Prof Itamar Simon
Dr. Eitan Shaulian
Prof Ittai Ben-Porath
Ms. Reches Adi
Ms.
Mr.
Ms. Adi Amar
Ms.
Ms.

Course/Module description:
A comprehensive course in cell biology. The course emphasizes the relationship between structure and function , and demonstrate the clinical implications

Course/Module aims:
The course provides basic concepts in cell biology and genetics principles

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
To know the structure of the eukaryotic cell
To understand intracellular processes
To understand the connection between cell structure and function
To understand the basic principles of Genetics
Apply basic principles in solving simple problems

Attendance requirements(%):
addended required at workshops

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Lecture and workshop

Course/Module Content:
Introduction to the Cell:
The Evolution of the Cell: From Molecules to the First Cell; From Prokaryotes to Eukaryotes; From Single Cells to Multicellular Organisms
Small Molecules, Energy, and Biosynthesis: The Chemical Components of a Cell; Biological Order and Energy
Macromolecules- Structure, Shape, and Information: Molecular Recognition Processes; Nucleic Acids; Protein Structure; Proteins as Catalysts
Cell Membrane Structure: The Lipid Bilayer; Membrane Proteins Membrane Transport of Small Molecules and the Ionic Basis of Membrane Excitability: Principles of Membrane Transport; Carrier Proteins and Active Membrane Transport; Ion Channels and Electrical Properties of Membranes
Organelles:
Internal Organization of the Cell
The Compartmentalization of Higher Cells
Mitochondria; Peroxisomes; The Endoplasmic Reticulum; Golgi Apparatus; Lysosomes; Ribosomes
The Cytoskeleton
The Nature of the Cytoskeleton; Intermediate Filaments; Microtubules; Cilia and Centrioles; Actin Filaments; Actin-binding Proteins
The Cell Nucleus
Structure of the nucleus and its envelope; traficcking of proteins in and out of the nucleus; what is a gene; structure of the RNA; Chromosomal DNA and Its Packaging; The Global Structure of Chromosomes; Chromosome Replication; RNA Synthesis and RNA Processing; The Organization and Evolution of the Nuclear Genome; DNA Repair; DNA Replication; Genetic Recombination
Cell Cycle
The General Strategy of the Cell Cycle; The Early Embryonic Cell Cycle and the Role of MPF; Molecular Genetics of Cell-Cycle Control; Mitosis; Cytokinesis
Proteins: structure & production
From RNA to a protein; ribosomes and translation; RNA splicing
Endocytosis & Excocytosis
Transport from the ER through the Golgi Apparatus; Transport from the Trans Golgi Network to Lysosomes; Transport from the Plasma Membrane via Endosomes: Endocytosis; Transport from the Trans Golgi Network to the Cell Surface: Exocytosis; The Molecular Mechanisms of Vesicular Transport and the Maintenance of Compartmental Diversity
Cell Junctions
Cell Junctions; Cell-Cell Adhesion and their function in the multicellular organism
Cell Membrane Structure: The Lipid Bilayer; Membrane Proteins Membrane Transport of Small Molecules and the Ionic Basis of Membrane Excitability: Principles of Membrane Transport; Carrier Proteins and Active Membrane Transport; Ion Channels and Electrical Properties of Membranes
Signal Transduction pathways
Signaling via G-Protein-linked Cell-Surface Receptors; Signaling via Enzyme-linked Cell-Surface Receptors

Cell death
Apoptosis and programmed cell death
Molecular basis of Cancer
Cancer as a Microevolutionary Process; The Molecular Genetics of Cancer including Oncogenes and Tumor suppressor genes; Cancer is caused by numerous chmages in genes; novel theraputics- gene targeted therapy
Genetics
Basic principles of genetics
DNA and RNA the molecules of heredity & flow of genetic information:
DNA Structure: Structural characteristics of DNA; nucleotides; the double helix and its characteristics.
DNA Replication: Semi-conservative; bi-directionality; origin of replication; DNA polymerases; replication fork; helicases and gyrases; primers and primase; ligase; termination of replication.
Transcription: Types of RNA molecules; promoters; RNA polymerase; initiation of transcription; transcriptional elongation; termination of transcription.
The Genetic Code: codon table; tRNA structure; tRNA activation.
Translation: Structure of the ribosome and its subunits; rRNA; the initiation complex; elongation of protein synthesis; termination of translation.
Gene Regulation: Prokaryotes
Sigma factors: function, mode of action, alternative sigma factors and transcriptional regulation.
Bacterial promoters: conservation, consensus.
Concepts of positive/negative control.
Lac operon: repressor; inducer; cis versus trans; mutants and their molecular basis; catabolite repression; CRP mode of action.
Trp operon: repression.
Arabinose operon: Autogenous control, regulation at a distance.
Secondary structure of RNA as a regulatory tool in gene expression: transcriptional termination and attenuation.
Stringent response: how bacteria adjust growth to nutrient availability.
Tet operon and its application in biotechnology.
Gene Regulation: Eukaryotes
Cis-acting DNA elements: promoters and enhancers.
Trans-acting transcriptional regulators: main features of transcription factors.
Functional protein domains: DNA-binding, activation, repression and dimerization.
The RNA Polymerase II initiation complex.
The basal transcriptional machinery of the cell.
Post-transcriptional regulation.
siRNA and microRNA.
Gene Regulation: Epigenetics
Histones, the nucleosome and chromatin structure.
Covalent modifications of histones (the histone code): acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation and ubiquitination.
DNA methylation.
Chromatin remodeling complexes.
Concepts underlying basic experimental methodologies in molecular biology:
Gel electrophoresis.
Southern, Northern and Western blotting.
S1 mapping.
Primer extension.
PCR and RT-PCR.
Utilization of reporter genes.
Gel retardation (EMSA).
DNA footprinting.
Transfection of DNA into cultured cells

Required Reading:
Alberts et al, Essential Cell Biology, 3nd edition, 2009
articles

Additional Reading Material:

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 100 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information: