Face to Face:

Teaching of theory consists of lectures in and laboratory practical. 

Laboratory exercises (in 2  student groups of students,2 instructors per group of 10 students) composing the students’ practical are complementary to the lectures and they aim to familiarize the student with the operation of simple laboratory instruments and the experimental procedures that are often used in diagnosis as well as to help the students comprehend concepts that are not easily presented theoretically (learning based on practical experience).

Attendance of lectures is not mandatory.  Attendance of Laboratory Practical Exercises is obligatory.

Information and Communication Technologies are used for the preparation of the lecture material, the online information and provision of supplementary learning material to students.

Specifically:

• Common software (e.g. MS powerpoint) is used to prepare lecture material and display slides and videos.
• The study guide (detailed supplementary material & additional bibliography), the theory and protocols of the laboratory exercises, the slides of each lecture as well as relevant videos and scientific articles made available electronically and online to students through the e-class system of our university.
• Information about the course, instructors, and their research interests and in general the Laboratory of Biology of the Faculty of Medicine are available online through the e-class system of our university.
• Common software (e.g. MS excel) is used to statistically process student assessment.

Announcements, information etc are available online via e-class. Communication is also done via e-mail and MS-Teams.

The language of assessment is Greek.

Evaluation methods.

A. For the laboratory practical: Laboratory Assignment Reports, Written Examination at the end of the semester with multiple choice questions and problem solving.

The participation of students in the laboratory exercises as well as the written report of the results of the exercises is mandatory. The report includes the results (presented in tables and diagrams, and the conclusions (e.g. if the results were expected, if not why, sources of possible errors in the experiments) as requested by each exercise. At the end of each exercise, the written report is checked by the instructors. At the end of the semester the students are examined in the content of the Laboratory practical exercises. The examined material consists of the theory, the methodology and the ways results are processed as included in the Guide of the Laboratory Practical or presented by the instructors during the exercises. Only the students that have successfully completed the laboratory exercises can participate in the written laboratory examination. Success in the laboratory examination is a prerequisite for participation in the course exams.

B. For the lecture material: The course exams are written, lasting 2 hours, and consist of critical or short answer questions as well as multiple choice questions. The material to be examined is lectures and tutorial material as described above. Only those students who have successfully passed the Laboratory exams have the right to participate in the course exams.

Final Grade:

The final grade of the course is calculated as the sum of 80% of the grade of the written course exams and 20% of the grade of the Laboratory Exercises written exams.

All of the above are presented in detail in the Course Guide which is distributed in print to all students and is posted electronically in e-class.

The general purpose of the course is to introduce students to the biology of the cell as the basic structural and functional unit of the phenomenon of life. In particular, the physiological properties of cells, their structure, their organelles, their interactions with each other and with the environment, as well as the way in which they provide the necessary energy, their life cycle, division and death are analysed. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of the structure of biological membranes and their role in the transport of molecules across them and in the communication between intracellular compartments. Signal transduction from the extracellular space to the cell’s response (movement, division/death or change in gene expression) as well as the modes of intercellular communication are also analysed in detail and the importance of signalling dysfunction in the aetiopathogenesis of human diseases is highlighted. Great importance is also given to the description of the process of cell division and death and to the analysis of the tight and multi-level regulation of these processes, in order to help the student to understand the importance of their dysregulation in the development of diseases such as cancer. Further, the course seeks to provide students with the basic elements to understand the impact of disturbances in cellular function on the homeostasis of the organism and the occurrence of human diseases, which the student will be called upon to recognize and treat in the future as a physician.

The specific objectives of the course are specified in the following intended learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course the student will:

– Have a basic understanding of cell biology and the differences between prokaryotic/eukaryotic organisms

– Have a basic understanding of the biology of supramolecular structures (viruses, prions)

– Can distinguish subcellular organelles and has knowledge of their functions

– Has an understanding of the structure and functional importance of membranes for the cell

– Has an understanding of how cells communicate with each other (signal transduction)

– Has an understanding of the life cycle of the cell (growth, mitosis/decline, cell death)

– Has basic knowledge of the organisation of cells in tissues/organs

– Has an understanding of the concept of cellular homeostasis and the basic consequences of its disruption as a basis for the development of disease

– Knowledge of basic techniques/instruments for the study of cells (microscopy, fractionation)

– Is able to distinguish between the different cell types of blood and can identify the blood group of an individual

– Has an understanding of the principles of a serological diagnostic method (ELISA), can understand the result and make a diagnosis

– Can recognise and distinguish the phases of the cell cycle/mitosis and calculate the mitotic index

Fluency in the use of the microscope and basic laboratory instruments (pipettes, centrifuges, etc.).

General Abilities

Research, analysis and synthesis of data and information

Using the necessary technologies

Autonomous work Teamwork

Work in an interdisciplinary environment

Production of new research ideas

Respect for diversity and multiculturalism

Respect for the natural environment

Demonstration of social, professional and moral responsibility and sensitivity in gender issues

Exercise criticism and self-criticism

Promoting free, creative and inductive thinking

Theory/Sections:

-Section 1: Introduction: The importance of cell biology in medicine

Cell biology and its tools in the service of modern medicine – The importance of the Human Cell Atlas – The next great challenge for life scientists (recording all cell types and subtypes in the human body, mapping cell types and their location within tissues, distinguishing between inactive, activated, differentiated cell, distinguishing healthy cell from pathological cell).

– Section 2: Biomolecules – The chemical composition of cells

The chemistry of life, Chemical bonds (covalent, ionic bonds), Biomolecules: sugars, fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, Macromolecules: polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids.

– Section 3: Protein structure and function

Amino acids, peptides, peptide bond, polypeptide chains, Shape determines the function of proteins, Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary structure, Protein families, How proteins work; Enzymes, structure and action; Antibodies, structure and action. Fundamentals of serological diagnostic method-ELISA, How to study proteins- Electrophoresis of proteins

– Section 4: Supramolecular structures (phages – viruses – prions)

Structure of viruses, Classification of viruses, Viruses and host range, DNA viruses (adenoviruses, Papillomavirus), RNA viruses (positive polarity, negative polarity); retroviruses, coronaviruses, etc, Bacterial viruses: phages – phages – phytic cycle – lysogenic cycle, Animal viruses: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Viroids, Prions – Mad Cow Disease, Creuztfeldt-Jakob Disease, Diagnosis of viral infections.

– Section 5: Methods of studying cells

Microscopy – electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, live cell microscopy, Cell separation and fractionation, Cell culture and cell lines, Cell banks

– Section 6: Energy-Catalysis-Biosynthesis

The utilization of energy by cells, Cells convert energy from one form to another, Oxidation of organic molecules, How enzymes find their substrates, Activated carriers and biosynthesis – ATP, Redox reactions (NADH, NADPH)

– Section 7: Cell membranes

The membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum , The nuclear membrane, Membranes of other organelles, Structure of the cytoplasmic membrane- The lipid bilayer and the fluid mosaic model, The role of cholesterol, Synthesis of new membranes in the endoplasmic reticulum, Membrane proteins membrane binding site, Membrane pores (a helices and b folds), The glycocalyx- The glycocalyx of neutrophils and its importance for the detection of an infection, The membrane cortex- Disorders of cortical proteins- Abnormalities of spectrin, Membrane domains-Diffusion barriers-Tight junctions-The importance of this structure in epithelial formation-The example of the intestinal epithelium

– Section 8: Transport across cell membranes

Principles of membrane transport, Specific carrier proteins: Protein carriers, Passive transport, Glucose carriers and abnormalities in glucose carriers, Active transport (coupled carriers, ATP driven pumps, light driven pumps), The ^Na+/K+ATPasepump and the maintenance of osmotic balance, Protein channels-Ionic channels and gating (voltage controlled, ligand controlled, gated by voltage and gating; voltage-gated, gated, gated, gated, gated, mechanically activated); ion channels and membrane potential; how membrane potential is generated; ion channels and signalling in nerve cells; energy potential, How energy potential is transferred from one cell to another – Conversion of electrical signal to chemical signal by neurotransmitters – The role of voltage-controlled ^Ca+2 channels and voltage-controlled ion channels of target cells, Ion channels controlled by neurotransmitters are the main targets of psychotropic drugs

– Section 9: Cellular organelles

Non-membrane organelles: ribosome, nucleus, centrosome; their basic functions

– Section 10: The Intracellular compartments.

Membrane organelles-Nucleus, Mitochondria, Peroxisomes (oxidation of toxic substances), Organelles involved in the secretory-endocytic pathway/endoplasmic reticulum (LED: lipid-specific protein synthesis/ADD: protein synthesis)/Golgi system (modification and sorting of macromolecules)/Endosomes (sorting of material after endocytosis)/Lysosomes (endocytic degradation), The origin of the nuclear membrane and mitochondria

– Section 11: Transport between intracellular compartments

Organization and maintenance of compartment proteins, Protein sorting and transport – How proteins synthesized in the cytoplasm reach the target organelle, How proteins synthesised in the cytoplasm cross the membrane of the target organelle, Signalling sequences (for the nucleus-NLS, mitochondria, ED), Transport through nuclear pores, Transport through transporter proteins (mitochondria), Transport across transporter proteins – peroxisomes; Zellweger disease; Transport across transporter proteins – ED; Transport from ED to membrane (and vice versa) and other compartments; Transport by vesicles; Endocytosis – basic mechanisms, Clathrin-coated vesicles, How the vesicle recognizes the target membrane, The vSNARES and tSNARES proteinsand the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the membrane of presynaptic neurons; vSNARES and tSNARES as targets of bacterial toxins -Allantion and tetanus, Exocytosis-Control of processing and modulation of proteins to be released, Glycosylation of proteins in ED- Mechanism, Energy-acceptable protein folding-Protein quality control in ED and Cystic Fibrosis, Constitutive exocytosis pathway, Regulated exocytosis pathway, Pinocytosis, Phagocytosis-Fagosome-Fusion with lysosome-Mycobacterium tuberculosis prevents fusion of phagosome with lysosome-Tuberculosis, Lysosomal aggregating diseases-Gaucher, Pompe, Fabry, MPS I-IV, Cholesterol receptors and its uptake – dysfunction of these receptors, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic plaque formation, Highly pathogenic organisms use the pathway of endocytosis via receptors to enter the cell – HIV and AIDS

– Section 12: Communication between cells-Signal transduction

General principles of cellular signalling-Signal transduction, Endocrine communication-Paracrine signalling-Contact (neuronal, contact-dependent), Small molecules that cross the membrane the example of NO and the action of nitroglycerin in the treatment of acute angina , The action of Viagra, The testosterone receptor and the papillary testicular syndrome-The questions of gender identity, Large molecules that cannot cross the membrane and their receptors; intracellular signaling sequences, Receptors linked to ion channels , Receptors linked to G-proteins – Cholera, Pertussis, G-proteins that activate membrane enzymes (adenylate cyclase – responsible for cAMP formation), phospholipase C, responsible for the formation of inositol triphosphate and diacylglycerol) – second messengers, The cyclic AMP pathway activates enzymes and genes, Enzyme-associated receptors – Tyrosine kinase-acting receptors and Ras protein, Tyrosine kinase-associated receptors JAKS, Threonine/serine kinase-acting receptors

– Section 13: Cells obtain energy from food

Degradation and utilization of sugars and lipids, Glycolysis, Regulation of metabolism, The feedback mechanism

– Section 14: Mitochondria and energy production

Cells acquire energy through a membrane-based mechanism, Mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation, Mitochondria change shape to respond to cell functions, Cellular respiration is highly efficient

– Section 15: Cytoskeleton

Cell Fibrils-Intermediate Fibrils, Keratin Fibrils-Mutations in the keratin gene that affect the formation of intermediate fibrils-Physeal epidermolysis, Microtubules-Microtubules sprout from centers of organization-the cytosomes-Centrioles and their role, The centriole as an organizer of the basal body of the flagellum-fringes; Meckel-Gruber syndrome (inability of proper migration of centrioles); The development of microtubules shows dynamic instability, Microtubule poisons and their applications (colchicine, taxol), Microtubules drive cell polarization, Motor proteins-Transport along microtubules, Actin filaments and microvilli (palpable gut margin)/small contraction bundles in the cytoplasm/paradigm (herpes fibroblast)/contraction ring (cytokinesis), Cell creep depends on cortical actin-Cell Movement, Integrins inflate actin filaments on the intracellular side

– Section 16: Cell cycle: Mitosis

Why do cells divide, The cell cycle of eukaryotic cells is divided into 4 phases, Mitosis is divided into 4 phases-Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, The cytoskeleton performs both mitosis and cytokinesis, Cytokinesis

– Section 17: Cell cycle regulation

Cell cycle checkpoint system – biochemical switches, Cycle cell checkpoints “molecular brakes”, Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases – activation and deactivation of critical kinases, The G1/S checkpoint, The G2/M checkpoint and the p53 protein and cancer, Cdk inhibitors (p16, p21), The centrosome cycle-chromosome cycle abnormalities, Numerous centrosomes in cancer, Chromosome segregation and the spindle assembly checkpoint (spindle assembly checkpoint-SAC)-Damage to SAC-merodomain chromosome connections, aneuploidy, late chromosomes, intercellular bridges, micronuclei, bicellular cells, chromothripsis

– Section 18: Cell cycle: reduction

Creation of haploid gametes-One round of DNA replication, two rounds of cell division, Mating of homologous chromosomes and epigenesis , Reduction is not infallible-Gametes with the wrong number of chromosomes-The example of trisomy 21, Mendel and the laws of inheritance, Dominant and recessive genes

– Section 19: Cell Death – Programmed Cell Death/Apoptosis

Why cell death is important-Development-Embryogenesis-Homoeostasis, Apoptosis disorders (neurodegenerative diseases, cancer), Types of cell death (Pyroptosis, open, mitotic destruction, necrosis, ferroptosis), Necrosis vs apoptosis, Cellular morphology of apoptosis, Role of caspases in programmed cell death, Internal pathway of apoptosis-Mitochondria, Cytochrome C, Apoptosome, Caspases, External pathway of apoptosis-Death mediators (FasL, TNF, TRAIL), Death receptors, Caspases, TNF-initiated signaling, The Bcl2 family (pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic family members), Removal of apoptotic cells-Fagocytosis- Expression of specific signals (eat-me signals) on the cell surface-Phosphatidylserine, Anoikis=Opening-loss of intercellular communication or communication with extracellular substance, Autophagy and autophagic cell death – Related diseases

– Section 20: Extracellular substance/Vessels-Instruments

Extracellular layer and connective tissues, Diversity of connective tissues, Collagen, Laminin, Genetic disorder in collagenase and abnormal skin extensibility, Epithelial sheets, Epithelial cells have polarized internal organization, Transcellular ligaments – Ligaments, adhesion ligaments, adhesion ligaments, desmosome, fasciculus, transmembrane cadherins, Adhesion ligaments, desmosome ligaments and the transmembrane cadherins

– Section 21: Disorder of cellular homeostasis; Stem cells; Cancer

Different tissues renew at different rates-Adult Stem Cells, The pattern of cellular renewal in the epidermis, The price of the ability to renew and repair lesions-Cancer, Cancer cells acquire properties that give them a competitive advantage

Laboratory Exercises

1. Centrifugation of peripheral blood

– A. Precipitation centrifugation

– Β. Density gradient centrifugation (use of ficol): isolation of mononuclei and viability testing with drill blue blocking dye

2. Blood cell microscopy

– Observation of different types of blood cells under a photon microscope

– Classification and identification of leucocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, basophils)

3. Determination of blood group

– Blood cell surface antigens: ABO system-Rhezus system

– Determination of blood group (ABO/Rhezus)

4. Mitosis-Mitotic index

– Observation of cells in different phases of the cycle

– Identification of the phases of mitosis

– Determination of mitotic index

5. Preparation of metaphase chromosomes

– Culture of peripheral blood in the presence of mitogen

– Preparation of metaphase chromosomes

Identification of metaphase chromosomes-karyotype analysis

• Course notes
• Fundamentals of Cell Biology, Alberts B.,Bray D.,Hopkin K.,Johnson A.,Lewis J.,Raff M.,Roberts K.,Walter P. [EUDOXΟΣ 102069992]:
• Molecular Cell Biology, Lodish et al. [EUDOXΟΣ 122091150]

Related journals: Cell, Journal of Cell Science, Nature Reviews, Molecular Cell Biology, Nature Cell Biology, Trends in Cell Biology, Cell Research