501965 - DEVELOPMENTAL AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY

The main objective of the course is to provide an in-depth knowledge of the methods of sexual reproduction, in particular of mammals, and of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the mammalian embryo from fertilization to implantation in the maternal uterus, of the progressive restriction of cellular stemness during differentiation processes and of how, in adult tissues, stem cells are regulated in their niches. The expected learning outcomes are the following: 1. knowledge of the development and differentiation methods of male and female gonads and gametes; 2. knowledge of the mechanisms of fertilization and peri-implantation embryonic development; 3. knowledge of the derivation of stem cells from mammalian embryos; 4. knowledge of the cellular and molecular characteristics that characterize the different types of stem cells; 5. knowledge of the principles of stem cell niches' organization; 6. knowledge of the specific language for the description of the cellular and molecular events underlying the reproduction and development events addressed during the course; 7. ability to communicate the scientific information acquired during the course and to process it through classroom discussions and written in the final exam