Ateneo - UPO

The main focus of the course of Physiology is to achieve the knowledge of principles at basis of functional activity of various organs. The cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neuronal and muscular, digestive and endocrine systems will be treated.
As regarding the nervous system, its role in the regulation of above systems will be treated

Anna Belfiore, Chiara Berteotti, Gerardo Biella, Mario Rosario Buffelli, Barbara Colombini, Marcello D’Ascenzo,et al. "Fisiologia Umana: Fondamenti" editor Edi-Ermes

2nd choice "Fisiologia Umana: Elementi" editor Edi-Ermes

The educational objectives are addressed to the knowledge of principles governing the functional activity of various organs and apparatus and to match them with main cellular mechanisms.Specific objectives: knowledge of miocardic properties; knowledge of the onset of rest membrane potential and of action potential in pacemaker cells and miocardic cells; definition of systolic output and cardiac output; general knoweledge of cardiac cycle and arterial blood pressure; knowledge of mechanisms of breathing, main respiratory volumes and respiratory capacity; alveolar gas exchange and blood transport; mechanisms of glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption and secretion; renal clearances: definition and main clearances values; general knowledge of mechanisms of water and glucose reabsorption; knowledge of mechanisms of production of gastrointestinal secretes and their composition; knowledge of mechanisms involved in gastrointestinal absorption and of liver function; knowledge of hypothalamic-hypophysis axis and of function of hormones produced by tyroid, parathyroids, pancreas, adrenal glands and gonades. In addition the main mechanisms related to central and peripheral nervous system

Students should be in possession of basic knowledge of Anatomy, Istology, Chemistry and Biochemistry.

MS-Power Point slides and videos which are important to clarify the physiological mechanisms. All materials used during the lessons can be found on the DIR platform

At the end of the course, an exam simulation with quizzes similar to those used for the exam will be available on DIR platform.
After the exam, the public correction of the exam is made under reasonable request

The exam consists of a written test with multiple-choice questions on DIR platform.
The student must demonstrate that he has assimilated the basic notions of Physiology, learned during the lessons, in an appropriate way to deal with the subsequent courses effectively. Sufficiency is set at 50% of correct answers and exceeding the threshold of 90% correct answers is considered an achievement of excellence.

Regulation systems
Homesostasis. Vegetative nervous system and its organic implications. Adaptive behavior

Cardiovascular system
Properties of the myocardium, cardiac cycle, cardiac output, arterial pressure. Action potentials (genesis, conduction and propagation). The blood

Digestive system
Composition, secretion and role of digestive juices, intestinal absorption of digestive products, liver functions

Respiratory System
Respiratory mechanics, dead spaces and alveolar ventilation, alveolar gas exchange, nervous and chemical control of the breath, transport of gases in the blood.


Renal system
Processes in the kidney. Nephron: structure and function. Glomerular filtration, mechanisms of reabsorption and tubular secretion, renal clearances, renal threshold. Hydroelectrolyte homeostasis. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Acid-base balance.

Endocrine system
Hormones: synthesis, release, transport, action. Physiological actions of the hormones produced by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands, the adrenal capsules, the endocrine pancreas and the gonads.

Cell membrane and excitability.
Membrane diffusion and transport. Ionic equilibria and membrane potentials. Electrochemical equilibrium, equilibrium potential, Nernst equation, Genesis of resting membrane potential, Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation. Electrical signals, graded potentials, excitatory potentials (EPSP) and inhibitory potentials (IPSP).

Muscles.
Movement in non-muscle cells.
Skeletal muscle: contractile proteins, sliding theory, the cross-bridge cycle, excitation-contraction coupling, role of Ca2+.
Smooth muscle

Nervous system
Excitable and non-excitable cells. The neuron, genesis of the action potential and its conduction along the axon. Synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters and their receptors.
The main glial cells of the nervous system: macroglia (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells) and microglia. Homeostatic role of astrocytes.
Higher functions of the CNS. Learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity, LTP.

The student should:
(KNOWLEDGE)
-be aware of basic physiologic mechanisms that regulate the function of organs
(COMPETENCE)
-use the knowledge for solving main biotechnologic issues
(TRANSVERSAL ABILITY)
-to be able to read, understand and discuss technical material taken from books, other tests etc;
-to know or find out the international terminology