Morpho-Functional SciencesModule Physiology
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Maria Stella Carmela VALLEExpected Learning Outcomes
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
BODY FLUID COMPARTMENTS AND HOMEOSTASIS
Fluid compartments: extracellular compartment and intracellular compartment.
Water and electrolyte exchanges across biological membranes. Concentration gradient and electrochemical gradient.
ION CHANNELS AND MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
Cell excitability: polarization of the cell membrane, depolarization, and hyperpolarization.
Ion channels: major voltage-gated ion channels (characteristics and functions).
Potentials: Membrane potential, electrochemical equilibrium. Action potential: characteristics and genesis.
Conduction of excitation along excitable membranes. Point-to-point propagation and saltatory conduction (myelin sheath).
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
Communication between excitable elements. Electrical synapses and chemical synapses.
Neuromuscular junction.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: GENERAL OVERVIEW
The neuron as the morphological, functional, biochemical, and trophic unit of the nervous system. Functions of glia.
Morpho-functional organization of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Anatomical and functional organization of the sensory systems.
Anatomical and functional organization of the cerebral cortex.
MUSCLE CONTRACTION
Skeletal muscles. Structure, myofibrils, sarcomere and contractile mechanism, sliding filament theory, and cross-bridge cycling.
BLOOD
Blood composition: cellular and liquid components.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
- Electrical function of the heart: excitability, cardiac automatism and pacemakers, refractory periods, conduction.
- Mechanical function of the heart: cardiac cycle, pressure variations in the atria and ventricles during the cardiac cycle phases, duration of the cardiac cycle phases, cardiac output, Starling's law of the heart.
- Cardiac properties: chronotropism, bathmotropism, dromotropism, inotropism.
- Nervous control of the heart: autonomic nervous system (ANS), bulbar and hypothalamic centers, reflex regulation of the cardiovascular system.
- Electrocardiography: Einthoven's triangle, leads, standard electrocardiographic conventions, analysis of common tracings.
- Systemic blood pressure: systolic, diastolic, differential, mean. Short-term and long-term mechanisms of systemic blood pressure regulation (chemoreceptors and baroreceptors, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system). Determination of systemic blood pressure.
- Venous return to the heart, venous pressure and its variations.
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
- Respiratory mechanics. Functions of the upper airways. Generation of pressure gradients: inspiration and expiration. Role of respiratory muscles and importance of pleurae. Effects of surface tension on respiration and role of surfactant. Spirometry: lung volumes and capacities.
- External and internal respiration.
URINARY SYSTEM
- Functions of the kidney. Overview. Basics of functional anatomy. The functional unit of the kidney: the nephron. Functions of the glomerulus. Glomerular filtration rate. Inulin clearance and creatinine clearance. Functions of the tubules. Reabsorption processes in the proximal tubule. Urine concentration.
GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM
- Digestive processes: Digestive tract. Salivary secretion. Gastric secretion. Pancreatic secretion. Secretion of the small intestine and colon.
- Liver: General overview of the main liver functions. Processes of digestion, absorption of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.
Textbook Information
Fisiologia umana, Un approccio integrato, Silverthon, casa editrice Pearson
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the study of the nervous system. The neuron. Glial cells. Cellular excitability. Synapse. | |
| 2 | Electrophysiology of cardiac muscle. Myocardial excitability. Cardiac automatism. | |
| 3 | Electrocardiography: Einthoven's triangle, standard electrocardiographic leads, analysis of common tracings. | |
| 4 | Mechanical events of the cardiac cycle. Heart sounds. Pressure variations in the atria and ventricles during the phases of the cardiac cycle. | |
| 5 | Cardiac output. Distribution and redistribution of cardiac output in different circulatory districts. Starling's law of the heart. | |
| 6 | Nervous and hormonal control of the cardiovascular system. | |
| 7 | Structure and function of arterial vessels. Nervous and hormonal regulation of blood pressure. | |
| 8 | The capillary bed. Transcapillary exchanges: diffusion, filtration, absorption. Microcirculation. The venous bed. Venous return to the heart. | |
| 9 | Anatomical and functional characteristics: The mechanics of pulmonary ventilation. Respiratory muscles. Role of the pleurae. | |
| 10 | Spirometry. | |
| 11 | Alveolar and tissue gas exchanges. Oxygen transport in the blood. Functions of hemoglobin. | |
| 12 | Carbon dioxide transport in the blood | |
| 13 | Autonomic Nervous System | |
| 14 | Renal System | |
| 15 | Digestive System | |
| 16 | Endocrine System |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Functions of the autonomic nervous system
Composition and characteristics of blood
Cardiac output and its regulation