HAV213T + HAV214T Selection

The course “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell 1” is a continuation of the first-semester course “From Molecules to Cells,” which laid the structural foundations of living organisms. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of biochemistry, replication, transcription, translation, intracellular movements, and bioenergetics.

This course unit will be supplemented by course unit HAV204V for L1 SVSE students.

It will be followed by the L1 TEE and L1 Chemistry programs.

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This required course is intended for all students in the SV Bachelor’s program. It introduces the main tools of discrete probability that are useful to biologists for understanding random phenomena, particularly those involving counting variables. The course is designed at a level accessible to students whose only prerequisite is a basic understanding of probability theory covered in the 10th grade of high school. The course uses concrete examples as a starting point to move toward modeling. 

• An introductory section covers the concept of sets, operations on sets, and the simple formalization of propositions.
• Part Two introduces probability terminology and reviews basic probability calculations (tables, trees) and conditional probabilities. The examples focus on real-world situations: calculating probabilities in a population stratified by age and gender, and diagnostic tests (sensitivity/specificity).
• Part 3 is devoted to a presentation of the main discrete probability models—the binomial, geometric, and Poisson models—and their applications. The concept of independent variables is introduced in a heuristic manner, with the goal of providing tools for calculating the expected value and variance of the sum of random variables.
• A few numerical simulations may be presented to illustrate the concept of fluctuation in a random variable or the convergence of the binomial distribution to the normal or Poisson distribution.

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In the lectures for this course unit, we describe each stage of the life cycle, beginning with embryonic development (including organ formation, cell differentiation, and growth processes), moving on to the acquisition of reproductive capacity (including the stages associated with meiosis and gametogenesis), and concluding with fertilization. This life cycle is discussed in detail in metazoans and angiosperms, and helps you consolidate your knowledge of the transmission of genetic information. This will enable us to solve problems in Mendelian genetics—including those involving sex-linked effects or epistasis—during the tutorials for this course unit.

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Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and synthesis of natural or synthetic organic compounds, which, by definition, contain carbon. This course unit serves as an introduction to organic chemistry and lays the foundation for the basic concepts needed by students pursuing studies in the sciences, particularly in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and health sciences.

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Origin and Evolution of the Planet;

Geological Time Scale and Geochronology;

Past geographies, topographies, and environments;

Interactions Between the Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Geosphere,

Human Evolution and Anthropization;

Natural Resources (Water, Energy, Mineral Resources) and Human Impact 

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This course, which is required for all first-year students, will introduce the fundamentals of epistemology and the scientific method, as well as the tools needed to analyze controversies surrounding science and approaches presented as alternatives. The course will address the scientific investigation of phenomena considered paranormal, pseudosciences, pseudo-medicines, psychological abuses, cult-related alienation, and so on, in order to make students aware of our cognitive biases and the rhetorical manipulations that can exploit them to convince or deceive. The ultimate goal of this course is to ensure that everyone can make informed choices, knows how to research and evaluate information, and can protect themselves from techniques of influence and manipulation.

This course will be based on lectures and viewing various resources available online. Students will be required to complete the entire course on Moodle, which will then be assessed through a multiple-choice quiz.

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The course unit “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell 2” complements the course unit “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell 1,” which will be held concurrently. In this course unit, students will apply and expand upon the theoretical knowledge acquired in “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Cell 1.”

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Throughout this course unit, we will cover several disciplines to provide a review and/or foundational knowledge regarding: the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, as well as—and most importantly—their evolution since the planet’s origin. The disciplines (and major themes) covered will be:

-Paleontology: Evolution, Biochronology and Geological Epochs, Biodiversity, and Past Crises.

-Climatology and Oceanography: How do we study the climate? What roles do the ocean and the Earth’s biosphere play? In light of contemporary global challenges, tools are being developed to better characterize the mechanisms of climate change and their impacts on terrestrial and marine environments—from the past to the future—particularly through changes in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. Environmental geochemistry will be a key method for characterizing both anthropogenic and natural impacts.

The main objectives are to gain a thorough understanding of how these layers interacted with the geosphere in the past (discussed in greater depth in the HAT102T Geology course) and to learn how to analyze a present-day natural landscape in light of its evolution over geological time.

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