Ateneo - UPO

• General Aspects of Metabolism
• Energy Balance: Energy Expenditure and Calorie Intake
• Function of the AMPK System
• Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ
• Composition of the Human Body
• Food Groups
• Macronutrients: Structure and Physiological Function
• Micronutrients: Physiological Function
• Regulation of Hunger and Satiety
• The Digestive System
• The Excretory System for Regulating Water and Salt Balance

Fisiologia: dalle molecole ai sistemi integrati

G. Aicardi, V. Carabelli, E. Carbone, R. Maggi

EdiSES

Alimentazione, nutrizione e salute

Lucantonio Debellis - Alessandro Poli

EdiSES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the physiological principles that govern the human body’s energy and nutritional requirements at different stages of life and under various physiological conditions.
• Describe the processes of digestion, absorption, transport, storage, and metabolism of the major macronutrients and micronutrients.
• Analyze the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate appetite, satiety, energy balance, and metabolic homeostasis.
• Understand the functional integration among the gastrointestinal tract, liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, pancreas, and nervous system in the regulation of metabolism.
• Interpret the role of nutrition in the prevention and development of major metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Evaluate physiological adaptations to fasting, physical exercise, and qualitative and quantitative changes in nutritional intake.
• Interpret experimental and clinical data related to the physiology of nutrition and develop a critical approach to the scientific literature in the field.
• Apply physiological knowledge to understand the scientific basis of nutritional recommendations and strategies for prevention and health promotion.

In-person lectures in the classroom using PowerPoint slides

Female and male students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request specific services and resources designed for them by contacting the Student Development, Career Coordination, and Student Services Staff and consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/ it/servizi/servizi-studentesse-e-studenti-condizione-di-disabilità-e-dsa. Once you have contacted the University staff, you may contact the course instructor regarding the specific exam arrangements and teaching-related matters

Oral exam consisting of 4 questions on the topics covered in class. In detail:

• Food and Nutrition
• Concepts of Thermodynamics
• Metabolism: Energy Balance, Metabolic Pathways, Calculation of Basal Metabolic Rate
• Human Body Composition
• White Adipose Tissue and Brown Adipose Tissue
• Control of Hunger and Satiety: Neural Circuits of Homeostatic Hunger and Hedonic Appetite
• Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins: structure, nutritional value, and physiological role; dietary sources
• Minerals and vitamins: physiological role and dietary sources
• Nutraceuticals: physiological role of antioxidants, probiotics, and prebiotics
• Chemical senses regulating appetite: taste and smell
• Digestive system: anatomical and functional structure, enteric nervous system, diffuse hormonal system, motility, salivary, gastric, and intestinal secretions
• Pancreas and liver
• Mechanisms of digestion and nutrient absorption
• Excretory system: water-salt balance
• Endocrine and nervous control of excretory function
• Acid-base balance

Gender Mainstreaming

One lecture will cover nutritional topics based on various gender physiological differences

Upon completion of the course, female/male students will be able to:

• Describe the physiological mechanisms involved in the digestion, absorption, transport, and metabolism of nutrients.
• Understand the processes that regulate energy balance and metabolic homeostasis, with particular reference to the neuroendocrine systems involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure.
• Explain the role of the major organs and tissues (gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and nervous system) in regulating energy metabolism.
• Analyze the body’s physiological adaptations in response to different nutritional conditions, such as fasting, overeating, physical exercise, and changes in dietary composition.
• Interpret the physiological basis of the main metabolic alterations associated with obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and malnutrition.
• Analyze and critically discuss experimental data and scientific articles related to the physiology of nutrition.
• Use appropriate scientific terminology to describe physiological and metabolic processes and effectively communicate scientific concepts in the field of nutrition.