Educational objectives and expected learning outcomes

In the discussion of the topics described below, reference is made to some basic notions of Physics such as elements of Mechanics, Thermology and Thermodynamics, Electro-magnetism and the description of wave phenomena.

FLUID MECHANICS and SURFACE PHENOMENA: - Express the characteristics of fluids, define the physical quantities present in a fluid (such as pressure and flow rate) with the relative different units of measurement and their conversion factors.

- Enunciate the principles of Pascal, Stevino and Archimedes and apply the notion of hydrostatic pressure to subjects in an upright position.

- Describe the motion of a fluid in a laminar and turbulent regime and apply the principle of energy conservation to the motion of a liquid (Bernoulli's theorem).

- Develop the effects on the inhomogeneity motion regime in the blood and of surface phenomena based on the cohesion forces between molecules, in particular derive the Laplace formula and express the Laplace formula for cylindrical elastic membranes. - Discuss the hydrodynamic effects of the beating blood motion.

- Know the meaning of mechanical impedance of a distensible duct.

- Be able to describe the phenomena of sedimentation, centrifugation and electrophoresis, in particular by discussing their applications in medicine.

THERMOLOGY and THERMODYNAMICS:

- Explain the concept of heat and its energy units, the thermometric scales and the laws of ideal gases with the relative conditions of application to real gases and to the gaseous mixture called air.

- Discuss the first and second principles of thermodynamics and the meaning of enthalpy and be able to apply them to biochemical processes via the free energy state function.

- Know the mechanisms of heat transport.

BIOMECHANICS:

- Knowing how to define and evaluate the torque and know the relations of translational and rotatory equilibrium and apply them to the balance of the three types of levers exemplified in various joints.

Dentistry students: knowledge of how to describe the balance of the jaw.

ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA:

- Knowing how to describe Coulomb's law, the electric field, the electric potential and knowing how to derive the potential of electric dipole and of dipolar layer, including the notion of solid angle.

- Knowledge of the definition of electric current, electric current density, Ohm's laws and their application to electrolytic solutions and the charging and discharging process of a capacitor.

- Knowledge of the alternating current circuits and the concept of electrical impedance.

MEMBRANE PHYSICS:

- Describe the passive concentration gradient transport (Fick's law) and the hydraulic pressure gradient mechanism (filtration) and know how to apply them to gas diffusion in biological systems

(Henry's law).

- Discuss osmosis and the osmotic pressure gradient mechanism. Knowledge of the laws of osmosis and of the concept of chemical potential of a solution. Be able to apply passive transport mechanisms to biological systems.

- Knowledge of the electrolytic potential and be able to derive the Nernst equilibrium formula by applying it to the excitable cell membrane and describe the role of the NA-K pump and the action potential (its development and its propagation in unmyelinated and myelinated fibers).

- Knowledge of the link between the propagation of the action potential and ECG, EEG and EMG signals.

WAVE PHENOMENA and IONIZING RADIATIONS:

- Knowledge of the characteristics of wave phenomena and their propagation (reflection, refraction, interference, polarization, Doppler effect).