Enrollment year
2019/2020
Academic discipline
BIO/09 (PHYSIOLOGY)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY "LAZZARO SPALLANZANI"
Period
2nd semester (01/03/2022 - 14/06/2022)
Lesson hours
48 lesson hours
Prerequisites
The course consists of two modules. The first introduces students to the study of physiology, and, specifically, to training in the field of Cellular Physiology. In order to acquire the relative knowledge, the student is required to have adequate knowledge of the chemical structure of the main biomolecules and of the structure of the cell membrane. These concepts will however be taken up again at the beginning of the course in a preliminary review of the course content.
The second module introduces organ physiology. Prerequisites are the same as for the first module.
Learning outcomes
The educational objectives of the course are:
1. Know, understand, and remember the basis of cellular communication (carriers, ionic channels, membrane receptors, simple diffusion mechanism, and so on.) and the basis of the muscular contraction;
2. Be able to apply the acquired knowledge in different disciplinary context;
3. Achieved autonomy in critically reading, understanding and evaluating scientific literature in the field of Cellular Physiology;
4. Be able to communicate the knowledge learned in the specific field with a correct scientific language and scientific rigor;
5. To have acquired the cultural tools to allow the independent study of other topics related to the Cellular Physiology.
Course contents
COURSE PROGRAM
First module
Introduction to the study of Physiology
Different organization levels to the study of Physiology
The intracellular and extracellular environment
Control systems and homeostasis
The plasma membrane and the exchange of matter and energy inside and outside.
Ion channels: structure and function, ion channel systematic. The study of ion channels: patch-clamp. Analysis of bioelectric signals. The channelopathy
carriers: structure and function
Active and passive transports
Water flows
Osmotic pressure
Absorbent and secreting epithelia. Trans epithelial transports
Intercellular communication: gap junctions, paracrine and autocrine signals
Membrane receptors and signal transduction pathways
Excitable cells:
Neurons
Skeletal muscle cells
Smooth muscle cells
Cardiac muscle cells
Electrical properties of the cellular membrane:
Ionic gradients
Generation of electrical signals
Resting membrane potential
Action potential. Examples and analysis of experimental data
Signals transmission into axons
Chemical synapses
Electrical synapses
Neuromuscular junction
Sensory Physiology: General Principle of sensory trasduction.
The muscle:
Skeletal muscle
Mechanism of muscle contraction
Excitation and contraction coupling
Regulation of muscle strength development
Type of muscle fibres
Muscle metabolism
Smooth muscle
Cardiac muscle
Second Module
* Cardiovascular system
* Respiratory system
* Renal system
* Digestive system
Teaching methods
The following teaching methods and strategies will be used:
• Frontal lessons
• Problem solving methodology
• Update seminaries
• Watching video
• Possible tutoring activity
• Reading of a scientific paper
Reccomended or required readings
FISIOLOGIA, D. U. Silverthorn, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Assessment methods
The exam includes a written exam at the end of the course. The exam for the first module consists of 3 open-ended question and 15 closed-ended questions.
The evaluation is expressed for open questions with a score from 0 to 5 and for closed questions with a score of 0/1. The open questions will evaluate the student's preparation on the topic, the use of specific scientific terminology and the skills acquired in general during the course.
As far as the second module is concerned, the exam will consists of 20 written questions, where each correct answer scores 2. The types of questions, as well as the modality of evaluation of the answers score, will be described in detail in a dedicated lesson during the course. The same information will also be available as a pdf file in Kiro (together with the pdf files of all power point lessons).
Further information
The teacher responsible for the 1st module is available, by appointement, on friday morning.
- Agenda 2030
- OSA
- goal nimber 3 "health and Wellness"
The teacher responsible for the 2nd module can always be contacted via email, also in order to arrange an appointment via zoom or in presence.
Sustainable development goals - Agenda 2030