Learning objectives
The student will have to demonstrate knowledge and understanding (1st Dublin descriptor) of the basic principles of Physiology. The course aims to provide students with a good understanding of:
1. Mechanisms for basic operation of the human body under physiological conditions,
2. Homeostatic mechanisms that allow adjusting and adapting the activity of organs and systems to the demands of the environment.
The student shall be able to learn the principles of Physiology (5th Dublin descriptor), apply the acquired knowledge to the human body (2nd Dublin descriptor), must be able to independently assess simple physiological problems (3rd Dublin descriptor), and be able to communicate them (4th Dublin descriptor).
Prerequisites
Knowledge of human anatomy, chemistry and physics as the lessons learned in previous courses
Course unit content
The first part of the course covers cell physiology.
The second part of the course is devoted to the organ and system physiology.
The third part of the course is devoted to integrative physiology, with particular reference to the nervous system.
General Physiology
Biological membranes. Ion channels. Nernst equation. Membrane potential. Action potential. Conduction of potential. Synapses and neurotransmitters. Neuromodulators. Synaptic circuits.
Skeletal muscle. Contraction. Stress / length and speed / load curves.
Smooth muscle.
Heart: Cardiac action potentials. Electrocardiogram. Cardiac mechanics. Regulation of cardiac contraction. Blood pressure. Blood.
Respiratory mechanics. Compliance. Capillary exchanges. Nervous control of breathing.
Kidney. Filtration, absorption and secretion. Renal clearance.
Regulation of pH and electrolyte balance.
GI tract: motility, secretion, digestion and absorption. Endocrinology. Neurophysiology
Sensory Systems: Vision. Hearing. Somatosensory systems. Pain perception and modulation.
Motor control. Reflexes.
Autonomic nervous system: sympathetic and parasympathetic.
Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
Full programme
Blood.
Heart.
Circulation and blood pressure. Smooth muscle. Lymphatic system. Special circulatory districts. Respiratory function. Kidney.
GI tract and its functions. Hormones.
Nerve cell functions. Membrane potential. Synapses. Reflexes. Sensory systems. Sleep. Homeostasis. Autonomous nervous system. Hypothalamus-hypophysis.
Skeletal muscle. Contraction. Stress / length and speed / load curves. Smooth muscle.
Heart: Cardiac action potentials. Electrocardiogram. Cardiac mechanics. Regulation of cardiac contraction. Blood pressure. Blood.
Respiratory mechanics. Compliance. Capillary exchanges. Nervous control of breathing.
Kidney. Filtration, absorption and secretion. Renal clearance.
Regulation of pH and electrolyte balance.
Gastroenteric system: motility, secretion and absorption.
Physiology the Nervous System
Functional properties of nervous cells: ionic channels, resting membrane potential and action potential. Mechanisms of synaptic transmission: neurotransmitters and receptors. Neuromuscular synapse. Spinal reflex: stretch reflex and flexor reflex. Sensory systems. Sensory transduction. Somatic system: anatomic and functional organization. Auditory function. Pain. Fundamental organization of Cerebral cortex. Somatic cortices. Fundamental concepts in visual physiology. Motor systems. Basal ganglia. The primary motor cortex. Cortical pathways to motor neurons. Neurophysiology of Sleep.Functional organization of the Autonomic nervous System. Sympathetic Division, Parasympathetic Division and the Enteric Division. Autonomic reflex. Functional organization of the Hypothalamus. Neuroendocrine System: Brain-pituitary-Organ Axes
Bibliography
Monticelli, “Fisiologia”. CEA.
Berne-Levy, “Fisiologia”. CEA
Fisiologia Medica a cura di Fiorenzo Conti. Volume 1. Edi-Ermes editore.
Teaching methods
Lectures, during which the principles of the discipline will be exposed and the main issues will be discussed with appropriate practical examples.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of the achievement of the objectives of the course includes a written test by means of questions concerning the contents of the course, to verify the knowledge acquired on the issues addressed during the lectures. It will be established if the student has reached the objective of knowledge and understanding of the contents and if he/she has reached the objective of applying the acquired knowledge. The test will be written and oral and you will need to bring a laptop or tablet the day of the test. The written will be 28 true/false questions with no penalty for errors. The knowledge acquired on the topics covered in the lectures will be tested. Each correct answer will be scored 1 point (max. = 28 points). Those who reach a minimum of 18 points (=18 correct answers), will take the oral test, with the discussion of a topic from the program. The minimum threshold for passing the written test is 18 points, corresponding to 18/30. A maximum of 3 points will be attributed to the oral test. In the case of reaching 31 points, honors will be awarded. To perform the written test, it will be used the platform Socrative: https://b.socrative.com/login/student/. To start, do the student login and enter the room BT86HEZ. When each student has answered the 28 questions the Socrative platform will automatically generate the number of correct answers. Students will have 25 minutes to take the written exam. Before each appeal, when the registration list closes, all students registered in the exam will receive an email, via Essetre, with the necessary instructions.
The exam results will be published on the Esse3 portal.
For any clarification, students can contact Prof.: Antonio.caretta@unipr.it
Other information
