NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
The teaching does not require propaedeutics. However, the knowledge of the topics covered in the lectures on physics, cytology, histology, and general physiology is required.
There are no intermediate assessments. The final exam will take place at the end of the course. Students will be required to pass a 20-question multiple-choice test to be eligible for the oral exam, during which knowledge and understanding of the physiological processes covered in the course will be assessed.
A minimum requirement to pass the exam is the knowledge of the main physiological parameters (heart rate, renal filtration parameters, action potential duration, etc.), as well as the knowledge of the main physiological functions (function of the nephron, cardiac mechanical activity, distinction of the different areas of the central and peripheral nervous system, the concept of efferent and afferent pathways, etc.), and the key proteins involved in physiological processes (receptors, channels, transport pumps, signaling pathways, etc.).
The evaluation criteria will take into account the ability to correlate molecular and cellular aspects to the overall function of the different organs or systems, the ability to predict the physiological response to a particular event, and the ability to frame individual phenomena within a general context. The student's ability to use correct scientific language and to communicate the studied phenomena through graphs and figures that include the appropriate units of measurement will also be evaluated. Based on the exam committee's evaluation, the final grade will be expressed out of thirty.
The course takes place during the third year and is part of the basic pathophysiology training of the Biotechnology graduate.
The course is designed to provide the basis to understand the functioning of living beings, with focus on the structure-function relation and the morphological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of physiological processes. Through analysis and comparison of systems and physiological responses, the course imparts critical analysis of functions in the complex organization of tissues, organs, and systems. The purpose of the course is to give the student an understanding of the main physiological aspects and to enable him/her to acquire the necessary information to connect cellular and molecular mechanisms to the functions at systemic and organism levels, in response to the internal and external environment. By the end of the course, the student will develop the ability to integrate knowledge at the multidisciplinary level in the field of physiology and acquire a good control of the correct scientific language that will enable him/her to properly disseminate information on biological and physiological topics in the medical/scientific field.
Course Introduction.
Nervous tissue: functions of cellular populations. Neurons, glial cells: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, microglia, blood-brain barrier: protective structure and exchange membrane.
Anatomical and functional organization of the nervous system. Organization of the cerebral cortex, division into areas and their functions. Central and peripheral nervous system. Ascending and descending pathways.
Sensory systems. Sensory organs and cells. Coding of stimulus intensity. Somatic sensitivity and thermoreceptors, touch and proprioception; nociceptors, pain.
Chemoreceptors, taste and smell. Mechanoreceptors, hearing, and vestibular system. Photoreceptors, visual pigments, vision.
Motor system. Reflexes. Voluntary movements. Motor functions of the basal nuclei. Cerebellum.
Higher functions: learning and memory. Sleep, sleep-wake cycles.
Autonomic nervous system.
Central control of homeostasis, endocrine systems. Body mass and food intake regulation. Metabolic and developmental hormones. Regulation of water and electrolytes. Sex hormones and reproductive cycles. Circadian rhythms and biological clocks.
Respiratory system. Description of various airway structures and their functions. Alveoli as sites of gas exchange and the role of surfactant. Gas exchange. Oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Respiratory pigments. Non-respiratory functions of the airways.
Heart and circulation. General overview of the cardiovascular system. Electrical activity of the heart. Basics of cardiac electrophysiology. Ion channels, cardiac action potential, and excitation propagation. Electrocardiogram. Atrioventricular conduction disorders and channelopathies.
Mechanical properties of the heart and regulation of the cardiac pump – Frank-Starling mechanism – Relationship between cardiac output and venous return.
The circulatory system and its function. Arterial, venous, and lymphatic systems, capillaries. Regulation of blood pressure, perfusion, and blood volume.
Ionic and osmotic homeostasis, osmoregulation, and excretion. Water and salt balance, organs responsible for osmoregulation. Kidneys. The nephron and its function. Filtration and reabsorption mechanisms. The loop of Henle and countercurrent multipliers. Acid-base balance. Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system and blood pressure regulation.
Nutrition, digestion, absorption. Digestive systems. Digestive tract. Digestive phases. Digestive tract motility. Gastrointestinal secretions, intestinal absorption. Nutrients, food composition, nutritional value. Metabolism and thermal relations, thermoregulation
The course activity includes frontal lectures, carried out with the support of power point presentations, supplemented by seminars and projection of educational videos (in English). During the course, the activities are offered to support exam preparation involving active participation of students with an aim to test understanding of the topics covered.
The Professors are available for meetings with students for clarification of topics covered during class hours or by appointment via e-mail:
cristina.roseti@uninsubria.it; elena.bossi@uninsubria.it