Ateneo - UPO

This course deals with the functioning of the human body at all levels and
introduces the fundamental principles of cell physiology, homeostasis,
and control mechanisms in mammals. Covers the basics of human
physiology including the cellular functions involved with membrane
transport and cell signaling, electrical activity of the cells, muscle
contraction as well as the basic functions of human nervous, endocrine,
digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary system.

G. Aicardi, V. Carabelli, E. Carbone, R. Maggi. Fisiologia: dalle molecole ai sistemi integrati (terza edizione). EdiSES, 2025. ISBN 9788836232308. SILVERTHORN DU, Fisiologia Umana,Pearson, Last Edision

The course aims to provide the basics of cell physiology and the
physiology of organs and systems. Students will acquire the knowledge
and understanding of the mechanisms associated with the functioning of
cells, tissues, organs and apparatus in the human body. They will be able
to expose the contents of the course in a logical and comprehensive way,
with good mastery of the scientific language, by linking the various
topics. They will be able to apply knowledge to pharmacological and
technological disciplines in order to understand the action of the drugs
and biomolecules

Fundamentals of anatomy, biology, chemistry and physics.

Classroom conventional lessons
In case of COVID-19 emergency, lessons will be delivered in telematic
mode, in times and modalities agreed upon with the coordinators of the
Study Courses.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Learning will be verified through a written exam which will take place in the computer room and will consist of 30 closed questions and an essay question. . If the written exam has been successful (minimum mark: 18/30), students can ask for an oral exam (optional). In this case the final grade will be obtained as the mean of oral and written grade. The exam is aimed at assessing the acquired knowledge and understanding, the communicative and expressive skills, the ability to synthesizing information and to make connections across topics. Multiple choice questions, true / false questions, completion type questions and matching type questions are the most frequent types of test questions. The test is aimed at assessing the acquired knowledge and understanding. The essay question is also aimed verifying student's communicative and expressive skills.Written test evaluation criteria:True / False Questions: 1 point for correct answer; -1 point for wrong answer; 0 points not responding.Multiple choice questions: 1 point for correct answer; - 0.5 points for the wrong answer if the question allows you to choose from three options, -0.33 between four, -0.25 out of five, etc .; 0 points not responding.Open Question: 0-3 points.Question by correspondence: 1 point for correct answer; if the answer is only partially correct, a score <1 will be assigned proportionally to the correct matches; 0 points not responding.

Cell physiology: cellular membranes and transmembrane transports.
Carriers, pumps and channels. Endocytosis, exocytosis. Membrane
potentials and action potentials.
Contraction of skeletal muscle. Excitation of skeletal muscle:
neuromuscular transmission and excitation-contraction coupling.
Contraction and excitation of smooth muscle.
The nervous system. General principles and sensory physiology.
Organization of the nervous system, functions of synapses. Sensory
receptors, neuronal circuits for processing information. Somatic
sensations: the tactile and position senses. Pain and thermal sensations.
Motor and integrative neurophysiology. The cord reflexes
The autonomic nervous system and the adrenal medulla. Autonomics
reflexes.
Cardiac muscle: the heart as a pump and function of the heart muscles.
Rhythmical excitatory and conductive system of the heart. The normal
electrocardiogram. Cardiac output, venous return, and their regulation.
The circulation: pressure, flow, and resistance. Vascular distensibility and
functions of the arterial and venous systems. The microcirculation and
lymphatic system: capillary fluid exchange, interstitial fluid, and lymph
flow Nervous regulation of the circulation, and rapid control of arterial
pressure. Blood cells and blood coagulation.
Kidneys: glomerular filtration, renal blood flow, and their control. Tubular
reabsorption and secretion. Urine concentration and dilution; regulation
of extracellular fluid osmolarity and sodium concentration. Renal
regulation of potassium, calcium, phosphate, and magnesium; integration
of renal mechanisms for control of blood volume and extracellular fluid
volume. Acid-base regulation.
Respiration. Pulmonary ventilation. Pulmonary circulation, pleural fluid.
Physical principles of gas exchange; diffusion of oxygen and carbon
dioxide through the respiratory membrane. Transport of oxygen and
carbon dioxide in blood and tissue fluids. Regulation of respiration.
Gastrointestinal physiology motility, nervous control, and blood
circulation. Propulsion and mixing of food in the alimentary canal.
Secretory functions of the alimentary tract. Digestion and absoprtion.
Body temperature regulation.
Endocrinology. Pituitary hormones and their control by the
hypopthalamus. Thyroid metabolic hormones. Adenocortical hormones.
Insulin, glucagon, and diabetes mellitus. Parathyroid hormone, calcitonin,
calcium and phosphate metabolism, vitamin D.

The expected learning outcomes, defined in line with the Dublin Descriptors, are as follows: 1. Knowledge and Understanding: the student must demonstrate basic knowledge and a systematic understanding of the main physiological mechanisms that regulate the functions of the human body. They must know the functions of cells, tissues, and organs, as well as the principles of homeostasis and regulation. 2. Appliyng Knowledge and Understanding: the student must be able to apply the acquired knowledge to interpret normal physiological conditions and recognize basic functional alterations. They must be able to connect physiological principles to related disciplines such as biology and anatomy. 3. Making Judgment: the student must be able to critically analyze data and information related to physiology, evaluate scientific sources, and interpret graphs and diagrams. 4. Communication Skills: the student must be able to communicate physiological concepts using scientifically accurate language. 5. Learning Skills: the student must demonstrate the ability to independently learn new concepts and updates in the field of physiology, including through the consultation of scientific articles and the use of digital resources. At the end of the course, the student will acquire basic knowledge of how cells, organs and systems work. The student will then be able to face the molecular, cellular and integrative study of pathology and pharmacology, as it will be able to understand the origin of dysfunction and disease and the rationale of the drug therapies associated with them.