Molecular Cell Dynamics

Code:

MI126

Acronym:

DMC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Departamento de Biomedicina
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	384	Plano Oficial 2021	1	-	6	57	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

To endow medical students with theoretical knowledge on:

Structure and integrative functioning of cell organelles, the mechanisms that promote their interaction and the reasons that, arising from their structural anomaly or dysfunction, lead to the appearance of clinical entities.

Metabolic and information flows between organelles, necessary for cell maintenance and economy.

To promote hands-on learning by carrying out:

Hands-on laboratory procedures, source of biomedical knowledge.

Observation of specimens

Elaboration of small projects

A presentation to their peers of the work-out of a scientific problem based on a paper and related to the unit Program.

Learning outcomes and competences

Goals: Acquisition of factual or conceptual or procedural knowledge, within a frame of six cognitive dimensions

 

Identification and characterization of entities

- organelles and cellular compartments

- metabolic processes specific to organelles and resulting from their interaction

- cytoskeleton, motor proteins and cell surface specializations

- agents for uptake and initial processing of extracellular signals

- technical procedures used as instruments of biomedical investigation.

 

Understanding of processes and mechanisms:

- intracellular trafficking of proteins and their direction to the outside of cells

- flow of agents and products of metabolism between the various compartments

- detection and transduction of signals to their effect (genomic and others)

- endocytosis, phagocytosis and autophagocytosis

 

Application of biomedical research methods to solve a problem

- implementation of methodological protocols in classroom and interpretation of successive steps

- determination of enzymatic activity

- performance of western blot and immunocytochemistry

 

Specimen analysis

- examination of histological preparations, electron microscopy photographs and fluorescence photographs

- systematic collection of identifying elements and establishment of comparisons between them

- iconographic organization of data collected in the research methods applications made in classroom and their critical exam

 

Evaluation

- integration of data collected in practical activities and performance of data evaluative judgment

- revision of initial hypotheses

- recognition of strengths and limitations

 

Creation and innovation

- interpretation of the obtained results

- design of new hypotheses based on the results

- elaboration of written reports of the practical activities, using the formal principles of scientific work

- carrying out an integrative exercise to solve a specific problem, within the scope of program themes and their oral presentation.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Cell compartments.

Methods of Cellular and molecular biology for the study of intracellular dynamics.

Cytoskeleton and motor proteins.

Specializations on the cell surface.

The endoplasmic reticulum: structure and biogenesis. Golgi apparatus and vesicular transport.

Traffic from membranes to the cell surface and from there to intracellular compartments. Endosomes and lysosomes.

Metabolic flows in the secretion pathway.

Checking the quality of the secretion pathway. Reticulum stress and the Unfolded Protein Response.

Anomalies in post-translational processing with implications for clinical entities.

The peroxisome: structure, biogenesis and metabolism.

Mitochondria: structure, biogenesis and metabolism.

Intracellular mobility and contact points between organelles. Mechanotransduction.

Intra and intercellular signalling. Signal detection and transduction mechanisms.

The extracellular matrix: a product of cellular secretion.

Mandatory literature

Lodish, Berk, Kaiser, Krieger, Scott, Bretscher, Ploegh, et al; Molecular Cell Biology, , W. H. Freeman, 2021. ISBN: 978-1319208523
Berg JM, Tymoczko JL, Stryer L; Biochemistry, W.H. Freeman and Company

Complementary Bibliography

Bruce Alberts, Rebecca Heald, Alexander Johnson, David Morgan et al., ; Molecular Cell Biology, W. W. Norton & Company, 2022. ISBN: 9780393884821
Nelson DL, Cox MM; Lehningher, Principles of Biochemistry, W.H. Freeman and Company
Thomas D. Pollard, William C. Earnshaw et al.; Cell Biology, Elsevier, 2023. ISBN: 978-0323758000 (4th Edition)

Teaching methods and learning activities

The theoretical program will be covered in 23 sessions lasting 1 hour each.



Practical, tutored teaching, in 2.5-hour sessions, will include:

- 5 sessions in laboratory environment. Groups of 3-4 students in each class will carry out hands on activities following a provided script, and from them, students will elaborate 2 written reports/assignments (WR).
- 4 sessions of specimen analysis and 2 sessions of solving cellular and molecular biology problems of unit topics.

- 3 sessions of presentation/discussion of scientific themes integrated in theoretical subjects (or problem-based learning, PBL), in a classroom environment, organized in the form of an oral communication to their peers, followed by discussion.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	12,50
Exame	75,00
Trabalho laboratorial	12,50
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	7,50
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	1,50
Estudo autónomo	106,00
Frequência das aulas	25,50
Trabalho de investigação	12,50
Trabalho laboratorial	10,00
Total:	163,00

Eligibility for exams

Minimum presence in 75% of sessions.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final evaluation of the Unit includes a written exam (WE), with a weight of 75%, and distributed evaluation (DE) with a weight of 25%.


The WE (0-15 points) comprises: a diversified test that includes questions with multiple answers, true/false answering, statements to be completed, problems to be solved and essays to write.

DE comprises: 2 written reports/assignments of practical sessions (≤ 1.5 points for the first; ≤ 1.0 points for the second); one presentation/discussion of scientific topics (≤ 2.5 points).

Examinations or Special Assignments

Eventually, other activities, adapted to specific situations, to be announced in Sigarra in due course.