Biology and Medical Genetics

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:4.00

Study Course Accepted:26.01.2023 12:07:26

Study Course Information
Course Code:		LF_401		LQF level:		Level 5
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Clinical Medicine; Health Care		Target Audience:		Nursing Science; Medicine
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Līga Ēriksone
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		RSU Liepāja Branch
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Liepāja, Riņķu Street 24/26, lfrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 63442118, +371 63442119, +371 63484632
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		10	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		20
Total Contact Hours								32
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
In general biology according to the secondary school curriculum.
Objective:
To acquire knowledge of the human being as a system; the role of genetic processes in the maintenance of health and the development of metabolic diseases; the effects of teratogenic external environmental factors in embryogenesis; the role of parasites in the development of disease; and the necessary skills to apply this knowledge.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	The subject of human biology. Diversity of life forms. Cell structure of living organisms. Cell theory. Prokaryotes, eukaryotes. Viruses, bacteria – symptoms and clinics of the pathology caused. Biological membranes. The structure and function of the plasma membrane. Transport of substances through the membrane. Cell communication. Membrane defects as a cause of human disease.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Interactive tasks. Microscope. Structure of the optical microscope, work with it. Diversity of living organisms. Prokaryotes. Eukaryotes.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
3	Cell cycle, regulation thereof. Types of cell division. Mitosis. Disorders of cell division, and pathology of the human body. Meiosis. Gametogenesis. Conception. Cell death.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Human genetics. Genetic methods. The main regularities of trait inheritance. Mendelian traits. The main regularities of trait inheritance. Types of gene interaction, importance thereof in human genetics. Gene linkage.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	Cell division – mitosis, meiosis in microarrays. Germ cells in microarrays. Colloquium.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
6	Cytoplasm, its components. Hyaloplasm. Inclusions. Organoids, their structure and functions. Organoid structure and function disorders – the cause of pathologies in the body. Cell nucleus, its components. Chromatin. Types of chromatin. Chromosomes. Human karyotype.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
7	The main types of trait inheritance. Analysis of different types of inheritance. Monogenic types of inheritance. Human traits, examples of congenital anomalies. Multifactorial type of inheritance. Mitochondrial type of inheritance. Importance of genetic pathology in clinical practice.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	Structure, components of a eukaryotic cell. Plasma membrane, its functions, transport function. Organoids, structure, function, pathology. Cell nucleus, structure thereof. Laboratory work: osmotic properties of a cell. Interactive tasks.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
9	Chromosomes. Human karyotype. Chromatin. Types of cell division. Mitosis. Mitotic cycle. Meiosis. Gametogenesis. Errors during cell division. Cell death. Interactive tasks.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
10	Inheritance of traits. Inheritance of traits in mono-, di-, and polyhybrid crosses. Inheritance types of monogenic traits. Analysis of family tree preparation. Multifactorial type of inheritance. Mitochondrial type of inheritance.			Classes		2.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
During the study course, students independently perform laboratory work, according to the protocol – preparation of simple microarrays, for example, hair, onion preparation, osmosis in plant and animal cells, as well as DNA isolation from plant cells.
Assessment Criteria:
Students’ participation in classes and adherence to methodology in laboratory work are assessed; weekly test of theoretical knowledge, ability to explain the results of practical work, draw conclusions according to the obtained results. Student knowledge and skills are assessed in 2 seminars: 1. – cell biology 2. – medical genetics Final examination of the study course – multiple-choice questions, if the student has an average assessment of more than 8 points in the colloquia during the course, the results of the colloquia are equivalent to the exam.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Students analyse the relevance of the cell structure of various eukaryotes to their functions; substantiates the role of the relationship between cell structure and abnormal functions in human pathology; compares the processes occurring in mitosis and meiosis; knows the main regularities of genetics; evaluates the significance of Mendel’s experiments in the development of genetics; compares the results of monohybrid, dihybrid, polyhybrid and analytic crosses; explains DNA replication, transcription, translation; knows chromosomal pathologies, the reasons for occurrence thereof, classifies the inheritance types of genetic traits and pathologies; justifies one’s opinion by analysing specific situations regarding the inheritance of human traits; explains the morphology, possible infestation, life cycle, pathogenicity and symptoms of parasites commonly found in Latvia, localisation in the human body, method of diagnosis and recommends prevention; uses the biological concepts and terms discussed in the lecture and class.
Skills:		Students use an optical microscope, prepare simple microarrays, identify the most common parasites; identify different eukaryotic cells; different types of metaphase chromosomes; polytene chromosomes; explain the relationship between structure and function; graphically represent the phases of mitosis and meiosis and explain the processes involved; draw diagrams of oogenesis and spermatogenesis; compile and analyse family trees of different types of inheritance; isolate DNA from plant cells; classify types of variation and mutation; discuss mechanisms of gene, chromosome, genome mutations; solve simple tasks related to genetics and molecular biology.
Competencies:		Students analyse situations in medical parasitology, genetics. Evaluate the importance of organoids in the functioning of tissues, organs and the body.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Lekciju materiāls
2	Nagle E. Bioloģija vidusskolai – 2008. (akceptējams izdevums)
3	Krūmiņa A. Eikariotu šūnu bioloģija : citoloģiskie, molekulāri bioloģiskie un ģenētiskie aspekti, 2015
4	Balodis V. un citi Rokasgrāmata bioloģijā - 2015
5	L.Zinčenko un citi Medicīniskā parazitoloģija - 2015.
6	Pollard T. D., Earnshaw W. C. Cell Biology. – Elsevier Science (USA), 2017. – 789 p.
7	Turnpenny P. D., Ellard S. Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics and Genomics. 16th Edition Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone, 2022.
Additional Reading
1	Selga Tūrs. Šūnu bioloģija. LU akadēmiskais apgāds. 2008.- 342 lpp.
2	Zalcmane V., Groma V. Šūnas ultrastruktūra. RSU, 2004
Other Information Sources
1	www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2	http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/book/parasit-sta.htm