CURRICULUM
BIOLOGY
The science of Biology. Properties of life. Levels of organization of living things.
Human beings in the system of nature. Biology in Medicine.
CELL BIOLOGY.
The cell - the basic unit of life. The cell theory. The diversity of cells. Prokaryotic
and Eukaryotic cells. The cell cycle. The structure of Eukaryotic chromosomes.
Hetero- and euchromatin. Characteristics of normal human karyotype. Phases of
the cell cycle ( G1, S, G2, M ). Mitosis - the key phase of the cell cycle. Stages of
mitosis. The role of mitosis. Cell cycle control.
REPRODUCTION.
Types of reproduction Asexual reproduction (fission, spore formation, budding,
fragmentation). Parthenogenesis. Sexual reproduction. Evolutionary development
of gametes. The spermatozoon. The egg cell. Evolution of reproductive
methods. Sexual reproduction in mammals. Gametogenesis. Meiosis. The role of
meiosis. The essential principles underlying meiosis. The importance of meiosis
in variation. Chiasmata. The unique features of meiosis. Fertilization and
development. External and internal fertilization. Strategies of embryonic
development in vertebrates ( oviparity, ovoviviparity, viviparity). Biological
aspects of human reproduction.
HEREDITY
Mendel and the laws of Heredity. Mehdel’s experimental approach. The
monohybrid cross. Conclusions from the monohybrid cross. Dominance,
recessiveness, segregation. Modern genetic terminology: genes, phenotype,
genotype, alleles, homozygous, heterozygous. Genes and their transmission.
Mehdel’s analytical approach. Probability. The role of chance. Mendel`s first
law. Breeding true. Test cross. Monohybrid inheritance in humans. Dihybrid
inheritance. Mendel`s second law. Trihybrid cross. Unit factors, genes and
homologous chromosomes. Explanation of Mendel`s second law. Relationship
between genotype and phenotype . Trihybrid cross.
Modification of Mendelian ratios. Gene interaction. Incomplete dominance.
Codominance.Complementary gene action. Epistasis. Polymery. Multiple alleles.
The ABO blood groups. Penetrance and expresivity.
Chromosomes and genes.
Linkage. Linkage groups and chromosomes. Linkage versus independent
assortment. The linkage ratio. Incomplete linkage. Crossing Over. Explanation of
crossing Over. Locating genes on chromosomes. Chromosome mapping.
Multiple alleles. Degrees of dominance. Lethal alleles.
Sex determination. Sex linkage. Sex linkage and the chromosome.
Human genetics. Methods of human genetics: pedigree construction, tween-study
method, cytogenetical method, biochemical method, genetical screening.
Genetic variation. Types of variation. Origins of variation.
THE NATURE OF GENE
Nucleic acids. Types of nucleic acids.Role of DNA. Role of RNA.
DNA primary structure. Nucleotide structure. Linkage of nucleotides. DNA
secondary structure. Double helical ( B-form) DNA. Complementary base pairing.
Alternate structural forms of DNA ( A-formDNA, Z-form DNA). Higher order (
tertiary) sructure of DNA ( Superoils. Chromatin. Nucleosomes. 30-nm fiber.
Heterochromatin. Euchromatin). Organization of eukaryotic genomic DNA. Major
classes of DNA ( Nonrepetitive sequences. Middle repeitive squences. Highly
repetitive sequences). Further classification of repetitive DNA ( Tandemly
repeated genes. Noncoding repetitive DNA). RNA structure. Role of RNA. Major
classes of RNA.
Storage and expression of genetic information.
DNA replication. Prokaryotic replication. Basic requirements for DNA synthesis (
substrates, template, primer, ensyme). Replication forks. Leading strand synthesis.
Lagging strand synthesis. Okazaki fragments. Direction of synthesis. Joining of
Okazaki fragments. Eukaryotic DNA replication.
An overview of the genetic code. Coding dictionary. Properties of the genetic code.
Expression of the genetic information. Transcription. Initiation of transcription.
Promoter sequences. Posttranscriptional RNA processing. Heterogenous nuclear
RNA. 5’ caps. Polyadenilation. Splicing. Exons. Introns.
Translation of mRNA: Protein synthesis.Components necessary for protein
synthesis. Ribosomal structure.Charging t-RNA. Activation of amino acids:
formation of aminoacyl – transfer RNA. Codon – anticodon recognition.
Translation: The general process. Initiation steps. Elongation steps. Termination
steps. Polyribosomes.Translation in Eukaryotes. Posttranslational modification.
Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes.
Gene mutation. Classification of mutations. Spontaneous versus induced
mutations. Gametic versus somatic mutations. Base substitution. Missence,
nonsence and silent mutation. Frameshift mutation. Other categories of mutations.
Molecular basis of mutations. Repair of DNA. Excision repair, direct repair,
recombination repair. Gene technology.
BIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT
Types of development. Ontogenesis. Periods of ontogenesis. Embryonic and post
embryonic periods. Stages of development. Fertilization - the initial event in
development. Penetration. Activation. Fusion. Cell cleavage patterns. The blastula.
The process of gastrulation. Neurulation. Elaboration of the nervous system.
Embryonic development and vertebrate evolution. The biogenic law.
Extraembryonic membranes. Human embryonic development. Postnatal
development. Cellular mechanisms of development. Genetic control of
development. The importance of the nucleus. The role of the cytoplasm. The fate
of cells in the blastula. Speman and Manghold’s experiment. Organizers. The
chemical nature of organizers. The role of DNA in development. The role of the
environment.Aging as developmental process. Theories of aging. Accumulated
mutation hypothesis. Telomere depletion hypothesis.Immunologicalexhaustion
hypothesis. Gene clock hypothesis. Regeneration. Mechanisms of regeneration.
THE PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOSTASIS.
The meaning of internal environment. The formation of intercellular fluid.
The importance of constant internal environment to the well being of cells.
Cybernetical principles of homeostasis (self - adjusting mechanism, negative and
positive feedback).
MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY
Parasite and host relations. Adaptations to parasitism. Effect of parasite on the
host. Effect of host on the paraste. Life cycle of a parasite. Important groups of
human parasites.
Kingdom Protista. Classification. Characteristic features of Protista. Medical
importance. Kingdom Protista. Phylum Sarcodina: Entamoeba histolitica.
Phylum Zooflagellata: Trypanosoma gambiense, Trichomonas vaginalis, T.
hominis, Lamblia intestinalis, Leishmania tropica, L. donovani. Phylum Ciliata:
Balantidium coli. Classification. Morphology. Life cycle. Laboratory diagnosis.
Prevention.
Phylum Sporozoa: Plasmodium vivax. Morphology. Life cycle. Laboratory
diagnosis Prevention of malaria. Toxoplasma gondii. Life cycle.Ways of infection.
Laboratory diagnosis. Prevention.
Kingdom Animalia. Phylum Platyhelminthes. Class Trematoda: Fasciola
hepatica,Opisthorhis felineus, Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Schistosoma (blood
flukes). Classification. Morphology. Routes of infection Laboratory diagnosis,
prevention.
Kingdom Animalia. Phylum Platyhelminthes.Class Cestoda: Taenia solium,
Taenia saginata, Hymenolepis nana, Echinococcus granulosus. Classification.
Morphology. Routes of infection. Laboratory diagnosis, prevention.
Phylum Nematoda: Ascaris lumbricoides, Enterobius vermicularis,
Trichocephalus trichiurus, Strongiloides sterboralis,Ancylostoma duodenale,
Dracunculus medinensis,Wuchereria bankrofti, Brugia malayi, Onchocerca
volvulus, Loa loa. Classification. Morphology. Routes of infection Laboratory
diagnosis, prevention.
Phylum Arthropoda. Subphylum. Arachnoidea. Order Ticks. Characteristic
features. Medical importance.
Phylum Insecta. Mosguitos. Flies. Lice. Classification.Characteristic features.
Medical importance. Theory of natural foci of transmissive diseases.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ORGANISMS
Interspecific and intraspecific associations.Types of Interspecific
association. Parasitism.Commensalism. Mutualism. Adjustment between parasite
and host. Parasitic adaptations. Parasites and humans.
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE
Theories about the origin of life. The origin of cells. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells. Multicellularity. The kingdoms of life.
EVOLUTION IN EVIDENCE.
Darvin and theory of evolution. The main areas, which give evidence of
evolution: comparative anatomy, embryology, cell biology and palaentology.
Comparative anatomy. Homologous organs. Examples of homology: the
pentadactyl limb. Divergent evolution. Reconstructing an evolutionary pathway:
the vertebrate heart and arterial arhes. Convergent evolution. Analogons organs.
Taxonomy - the classification. Classification of chordates. Embriology. Ernst
Haeckel law. Cell biology.
THE MECHANISM OF EVOLUTION
The summary of Darvin's theory.Lamark's theory.The Darvinian and
Lamarcian theories compared.Variation.The causes of genetic variation.
Reshuffling of genes. The role of reshuffling of genes in evolution. Mutations.
Mutants. Mutation freguency. Mutagenic
adents.The spread of mutations through a population. The struggle for existence.
Populations and evolution.
Natural selection.
The action of natural selection on genes. Natural selection as an agent of
constancy as well as change. Natural selection in action. Polymorphism. Natural
selection and population genetics.Hardy-Weinberg`s law. The effect of isolation on
gene frequency. Application of the Hardy-Weinberg principle. The origin of
species.The importance of isolation. Isolating mechanisms. Ecological isolation.
Reproductive isolation. The emergence of new species.
Human populations. Genes within human populations. Human variation. Human
blood groups and geography. Isolated populations and genetic drift. Reconstructing
the history of human populations. Natural selection in human populations.
HUMAN EVOLUTION
The earliest primates. The evolution of prosimians. Origin of the anthropoids.
Early hominids. Comparing apes to hominids. The origin of bipedalism. The
evolutionary tree of hominids.
THE ORGANISM AND ITS ENVIRONMENT
Biosphere. Biogeographical regions. Biomes. Habitats. Ecological niche.
Physical and biotic environment. Physical environment. The main physical
factors. The biotic environment. Examples of relationships between organisms.
The conсept of the ecosystem. Estimating of populations. Population growth.
Environmental resistance. Factors which limit population grows.
Maintenance of populations. Sudden changes of populations. Control of Human
population. The effect of humans on ecosystems. Pollution. Biodegradable and
non-biodegradable pollutants and their effect on ecosystems. Acid precipitation.
Sewage. Chemical pollutants. Mercury. Lead. Smoke. Radiation. Greenhouse
effect. The ozone hole. Destruction of tropical forests. Solving environmental
problems.