MEDICAL BIOLOGY
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Department of Medical Biology
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Head of the Department: prof. dr hab. Gerard Drewa
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Faculty of Medicine, first year
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Programme Tutor: dr hab. Rafał Czajkowski
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Lectures and tutorials
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Examination, 7 ECTS points
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Subject Hours: lectures 20h, exercises 55, total 75h, 7 ECTS points
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Aims of the Subject:
“Medical Biology” programme is realized in the first semester. The course is divided into 5 basic parts: general and molecular genetics, human genetics and cytogenetics, biology of human parasites, pathogenesis of parasitic diseases and diagnostic methods in parasitology.
The main aim of the „Medical Biology” course is to make the students ready to learn clinical subjects as well as to prophylaxis, diagnostics and therapeutics.
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The course contents:
1.
GENERAL AND MOLECULAR GENETICS
Genealogy of modern genetics. Chemical composition and structure of nucleic acids. Types and functions of DNA and RNA. Replication. The genetic code. Transcription and translation.
The effect of drugs on the replication, transcription and translation. Some of diseases caused by disorders in metabolism of purine and pyrimidine bases. The regulation of genes expression. Chromosomes structure. Modification and recombination variability. Gene and chromosome mutations. Mutagenic and carcinogenic factors and mechanisms of their actions.
Role of oncogenes and oncogenic viruses in carcinogenesis. Role of mutations in human evolution. Mechanisms of DNA repair. Environmental influence on human genome.
Civilization and genetic disorders. Genetic basis of oncogenesis. Genetic predispositions for cancer disease. Behavioral genetics. Genetic elements in some addictions and psychical disorders. Immunogenetics. The cells of immune system. Inherited immunodeficiency.
Mendelian laws. Genes cooperation. Complementation. Variable expressivity and penetrance.
Sex determination in humans and Drosophila melanogaster . Gene linkage. Crossing-over.
Chromosome mapping. The elements of genetic engineering. Cloning. Methods of PCR and
RFLP. Transgenic organisms.

2. HUMAN GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS.
Genetics of blood groups: AB0, Rh, MNSs. Codominance. Multiple allelism. Antigenes of major histocompatibility complex. Monogenic and multifactorial inheritance modes.
Heritability. Population genetics. Mendelian population and Hardy-Weinberg law. Genetic basis of genders evolution. Human karyotype. Methods of karyotype analysis. Rules of karyotypes writing. A pedigree analysis. Lymphocyte culture. Examples of structural and numeric aberrations of autosomes and heterochromosomes in humans. Causes of chromosome aberrations.
3. BIOLOGY OF HUMAN PARASITES.
Parasitism as an ecological phenomenon. Evolution of parasite-host system. Origin of complex life cycles of parasites. Medical significance of human parasites. Life cycles of certain protozoa, platyhelmints, nematodes and arthropoda. Methods of parasites differentiation.
4. PATHOGENESIS OF PARASITIC DISEASES.
Parasites invasion and invasion diseases. Diagnosis and differentiation of parasitic diseases.
Etiology, pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of invasion diseases. Epidemiology and control of parasitic diseases. Therapy of parasitic diseases. Allergenic and toxic significance of parasites. Parasites antigens. Immunopathology of parasitic diseases.
5. DIAGNOSTIC METHODS IN PARASITOLOGY.
Taking and collection of material for parasitological examinations. Stool examinations. Direct methods (preparations in physiologic saline, in iodine solution, thin smear, permanent stained preparations). Condensation methods (flotation and sedimentation methods). Blood examination. Thick and thin blood films. Examinations of cerebrospinal fluid, sputum, bile, duodenal content, urine and secretion of urogenital system. Using material from puncture and biopsy for diagnosis of parasitic diseases. Immunological methods (serological, agglutination, immunofluorescent, precipitation and skin tests).

X. Bibliography:
1) Study Guide. To Accompany Practical Medical Parasitology and to Inquire into
Biology of Human Parasites. 4 th
Edition. Kasprzak W., Majewska A.C., Dział
Wydawnictw Uczelnianych AM Poznan, 2000.
2) Guide to Medical Parasitology. (New compendium for medical students). Chomicz L.,
Medical University of Warsaw, 2006.
3) Essential Medical Genetics. Connor M., Ferguson-Smith M. A., Blackwell Science
Ltd, latest edition.
4) Genetics. Friedman J.M., Dill F.J., Hayden M.R., McGillivray B.C., Williams &
Wilkins, latest edition.