Ateneo - UPO

Ecology: Introduction to Ecology; Ecological footprint; The concept of Ecological systems; Levels of Ecological organization; The role of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms; Species interactions; Concepts of habitat, niche, time, space; Global warming and the human impact in the environment; adaptations to water; adaptations to light, energy and heat; adaptations to climate, water and soil; evolutionary biology; sex and evolution; family, society and evolution; ecology of populations; ecotoxicology; life histories of animals; vegetarianism and veganism; sustainable development; climate change; field work in Sesia river.
Toxicology: fundamental principles of general and applied toxicology, focusing on the mechanisms of action of toxic substances, their classification, and the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Dose-response relationships, toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and factors influencing toxic response are discussed. Systemic toxicology is addressed by examining toxic effects on major organs and systems (liver, kidneys, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems), with examples of representative substances. Key topics include environmental toxicology with a focus on emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS, and food toxicology covering natural and anthropogenic contaminants as well as chemical migration from food packaging and containers. The toxicology of drugs of abuse, including both stimulants and central nervous system depressants, is explored, with a focus on fentanyl and its analogues. The course also highlights the role of new “omics” disciplines (toxicogenomics, epigenetics, and proteomics) in toxicity assessment and biomarker identification. Practical application of acquired concepts is emphasized through case
studies, focusing on toxicological data interpretation and chemical risk assessment in environmental and food contexts.

recommended textbook
A textbook of Modern toxicology edited by Ernest Hodgson
Casarett & Doull. Elements of toxicology of John B. III Watkins, Curtis D. Klaassen. Ed. CEA
Ecology: Economy of Nature, by Robert Ricklefs; Evolution, by Douglas Futuyma; Symbiotic planet, by Lynn Margulis; The selfish gene, by Richard Dawkins; Evolution in four dimensions, by Eva Jablonka; The origin of species, by Charles Darwin; What makes biology unique, by Ernst Mayr; Gaia, by James Lovelock.

Toxicology
The purpose of the course is to provide:
1. The bases for a correct characterization of the adverse effects of xenobiotics, defining methods and approaches used in the toxicological evaluation. Particular attention will be paid to drug, food and environmental toxicant.
2. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects.
3. Organ toxicity, trying to define the type of damage induced at the level of the individual organs and the substances involved.
4. The characterization of the toxic effects of different classes of chemicals, such as pesticides, metals, solvents, natural toxins.
5. The bases of pharmacovigilance.
Introduce students to contemporary knowledge of natural ecology, molecular ecology, sustainable development, global warming, climate change, pollution, environmentalism, conservationism and ecologism.

Toxicology: Toxicology is a multidisciplinary science, which uses knowledge and techniques from most branches of biology, biochemistry, physiology and medicine, chemistry, mathematics and physics. A minimum knowledge of these subjects is necessary to be able to follow the course

Toxicology: Lectures supported by multimedia presentations, aimed at introducing the fundamental concepts of general and applied toxicology. Practical data analysis sessions (interpretation of toxicological results, critical reading of scientific papers, risk assessment exercises) designed to develop analytical and synthesis skills. The methodology is designed to promote active student participation, encouraging critical reasoning, independent learning, and interaction with the teacher
ecology: Theoretical classes; Watching movies; Field work; Group discussions about relevant and contemporary topics on Ecology; Article reading, interpreting

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

Assessment of learning
toxicology : write exam, in which the learning of the topics covered, the ability of synthesis and connection will be evaluated. The student's ability to frame the problems of toxicological evaluation in the perspective of assessing human and environmental safety will be evaluated. The student will have to demonstrate that he/she has understood the key concepts and the main operational tools that characterize the safety assessment of xenobiotics. The exam will last up to 1 hour and questions about the whole program will be asked. The answer to each question will be assigned a score from 0-30 and the weighted average of the scores obtained in the single questions will represent the final mark.
ecology: Student performance is evaluated based on attendance, active participation in lessons, the depth of questions, and general interest in the class and its subjects. For the final assessment, students are required to choose and present an article on Ecology on the last day of the course. This presentation, which should last between 10 and 20 minutes, serves as the final exam. Evaluation criteria include the student's understanding of the article, the clarity of the presentation (covering the main aims, methods, and results), and the ability to answer questions posed by the professor and colleagues, demonstrating a true capacity to interpret the authors’ presented messages

Toxicology: fundamental principles of general and applied toxicology, focusing on the mechanisms of action of toxic substances, their classification, and the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Dose-response relationships, toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and factors influencing toxic response are discussed. Systemic toxicology is addressed by examining toxic effects on major organs and systems (liver, kidneys, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems), with examples of representative substances. Toxicological study methods are also introduced.
Key topics include environmental toxicology with a focus on emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS, and food toxicology covering natural and anthropogenic contaminants as well as chemical migration from food packaging and containers. The toxicology of drugs of abuse, including both stimulants and central nervous system depressants, is explored, with a focus on fentanyl and its analogues. The course also highlights the role of new “omics” disciplines (toxicogenomics, epigenetics, and proteomics) in toxicity assessment and biomarker identification. Practical application of acquired concepts is emphasized through case studies, focusing on toxicological data interpretation and chemical risk assessment in environmental and food contexts
eolocy: General Introduction
* Genomics and biodiversity;
* Animal and plant genomics;
* Mitochondrial genomics;
* Comparative genomics;
* Research integrity and publication ethics;

Basic knowledge in Ecology
* Haeckel's original proposal for ecology
* The science of ecology
* Ecology as a social movement
* Natural ecology
* Social ecology
* Conservationism
* Ecologism
* The concept of Ecological systems
* Levels of Ecological organization
* The role of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms
* Species interactions
* Important concepts in ecology: habitat, niche, time, space
* Human impact in the environment
Adaptations to Water
* Water properties
* Cohesion-tension theory
* The relationship between plants and water
* Plant adaptations to drought
* The relationship between animals and water
* Animal adaptations to freshwater environments * Animal adaptations to marine environments
* Communication in whales and dolphins
Adaptations to light, energy and heat
* Sunlight and their influence on biological organisms
* Adaptations to desert environment
* Photosynthetic active pigments
* C3 Photosynthesis
* C4 Photosynthesis
* CAM Photosynthesis
* Photosynthesis in the water
* Temperature and organisms
* Regulation of temperature in animals
Adaptations to climate, water and soil
* Variations in climate
* Solar radiation on Earth
* Hadley circulation
* Coriolis effect
* Water cycles
* Ocean currents
* Upwelling zones
* Thermohaline circulation
* Seasonal cycles in lakes
* Topography and ecology
* Soil horizons and types
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
* The history of evolutionary thought
* The platonic view
* Lamarckian thought
* Darwin travel on the HMS Beagle
* Darwinian theory
* The tree of life
* Common descent
* Artificial and natural selection
* Types of natural selection
* Modern evolutionary synthesis
* Extended evolutionary synthesis
* Inclusive inheritance
* Epigenetics
* Phenotypic plasticity
* Population Genetics
* Pseudoscience and evolutionary theory
Life Histories
* Different life histories of animals
* Time of living
* Trade-offs in resource allocation
* Reproductive success
* Age at first reproduction
* Parental investment
* Senescence
* Animal foraging
Ecology and diet
* Environmental impact of meat-based diet
* Health impact of meat-based diet
* Environmental impact of Mediterranean diet
* Environmental impact of Vegetarian diet
* Environmental impact of Vegan diet
* Animal farming
* Animal ethics
* Dairy products and their impact on health
Sex and evolution
* Sexual selection
* Sexual dimorphism
* Sexual reproduction
* Parthenogenesis
* Selfish gene theory
* Coevolving with pathogens
* Mechanisms of sex determination
* Mating systems
* Female choice
Family, Society and Evolution
* Social behavior in animals
* Alpha males and females
* Territoriality
* Collaboration
* Game theory and the prisioner's dillema
* Parent-offspring conflict
* Hymenopteran societies
* Superorganisms and colonies
Ecology of Populations
* The population thought
* Density, distribution, age structure and sex ratio
* Population dispersal
* Growth potential of populations
* Carrying capacity
* Different patterns of fluctuation in N
* Survivorship curves
* Population genetics
* Inbreeding
* Genetic drift
* Effective population size
Species interactions (Part 1)
* Consumer-resource interactions and dynamics
* Parasitism and pathogen-host interactions
* Herbivores and plant population
* Different types of mutualism and symbiosis
* Competition and Limiting resources
* Predator-prey interactions
* Coevolution
* Competition concepts
* Competition and Limiting resources
* Predation regulation
* Coevolution
* Monophyletic and polyphyletic characters
* Adaptation to predation: camouflage and warning coloration
* Character displacement
* Habitat productivity
Communities structures and Ecological Succession
* Multiple concepts of Communities
* Communities as super-organisms
* Ecotones
* Community structure
* Feeding relationships
* Functional webs
* Trophic cascade
* Ecological succession
* Sere concept
* Climax communities
Communities and Biodiversity (Part 2)
* Biodiversity patterns
* Island biogeography
* History of life in Earth
* Geological eras
* Continental drift
* Vicariance
* Zoogeographic regions
* Climate change
* Adaptive convergences
* Ancestral ecology
Ecotoxicology
* Environmental toxicology
* Chemicals in the atmosphere
* Chemicals in the lithosphere
* Chemicals in the hydrosphere
* Chemicals in the biosphere
* Movement of chemicals
* Bioavailability and biomagnification
* Effects on populations, communities and ecosystems
Gender mainstreaming: approaches to grant equal benefits in actions and activities for women and mens and for eliminating gender inequalities.

ecology Provide basic knowledge about ecology and allow the students to acquire critical thinking on evaluating scientific works in ecology and contemporary issues on environmentalism
Toxicology
The purpose of the course is to provide:
1. The bases for a correct characterization of the adverse effects of xenobiotics, defining methods and approaches used in the toxicological evaluation. Particular attention will be paid to drug, food and environmental toxicant.
2. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects.
3. Organ toxicity, trying to define the type of damage induced at the level of the individual organs and the substances involved.
4. The characterization of the toxic effects of different classes of chemicals, such as pesticides, metals, solvents, natural toxins.
5. The bases of pharmacovigilance.