Corso di laurea in Scienze e Tecniche Psicologiche

The course intends to introduce students to the uniqueness of the processes and mechanisms that operate in living organisms by laying the foundations necessary for understanding the in-depth information they will receive in subsequent biological courses.

• The knowledge that the student will acquire concern the basic concepts related to:
  • The biological organization of life
  • Structure and vital processes in man
• The skills that the student will begin to acquire concern:
  • the use of appropriate scientific terminology
  • the capacity for synthesis and independent judgement

Knowledge and understanding
Male and female students are expected to learn the structure and biological functioning mechanisms of the cell, as well as to connect the different topics covered, in order to understand the neuroscientific basis of specific biological functions of man.
Autonomy of judgment
It is expected that male and female students will be able to analyze and compare the functioning mechanisms of cells and how the typical functions of the nervous system can be developed from these processes.
Communication skills
At the end of the course, male and female students should have acquired the appropriate vocabulary to illustrate the structure and functioning mechanisms of neurons and be able to formulate these concepts clearly.

The topics of the program covered in this module will be:

• The molecules of life
• The basics of cellular organization: lipids, membranes and cellular compartments
• Nucleic acids and transcriptiones
• The translation and structure of proteins
• Cell signalling
• The architecture of cells and tissues: cytoskeleton, cell junctions and extracellular matrix
• Cell division
• Neuronal signals

The course is organized in frontal lessons whose contents are presented in ppt with the aid of images, diagrams and videos.

**Cohort 2023-2024.** The Biology and Neuroscience course, composed of two distinct modules, will consist of a non-verbalizing written test and an oral exam evaluating the understanding of the content presented during the lectures.

Each module comprises a written test consisting of a series of multiple-choice questions (15 questions, 4 alternatives, only one correct). The allotted time is 20 minutes. The correction awards 2 points for a correct answer, 0 points for a wrong or unanswered question. Following the same day, upon passing the written test (minimum 18 points), the oral exam is undertaken. The duration and complexity of the oral exam will be proportional to the score achieved in the written test. It is possible to take the two modules, Biology and Neuroscience, at two separate times during the academic year. The final grade will be the average of the scores obtained in the two modules. The grade for each module will be recorded and kept for the entire academic year. It is important to note that the grade for a single module will be recorded only after taking the corresponding oral exam. Furthermore, once the oral exam for a module has been taken, it will be considered, regardless of the outcome, one of the three opportunities to take the course in the current academic year. According to university rules, an exam can be attempted up to 3 times during the academic year.

**Previous cohorts** can take a single module (Neuroscience) that includes the program of the last year's course. Please specify at the time of registration for the exam whether you choose one or two modules.