78811 - Environmental Physiology

Learning outcomes

The student knows the principles of living species environmental physiology (how the living organism obtains and maintains the homeostasis at molecular, cellular and tissue levels, in the context of changes in the surrounding environment; the nutritional characteristics of foods, nutritional status, expenditure and energy needs, the physiological use of nutrients in the diet, the psychophysiological and neurobiological foundations of the behavior and cognitive and emotional interaction between the subject and the environment).

Course contents

General concepts. Internal environment (extracellular and intracellular). Physiologic answers to physical and chemical parameters. Homeostasis and regulatory mechanisms: tolerance and resistance. Adaptation and acclimatization.

Outside environment: atmosphere, water and earth. Generic answers to the environment. Influence of light waves. Circadian rhythms. Reproductive cycle adaptations consequent to environmental parameters. Answers to physical environment. High altitude: immediate and delayed effects due to hypoxia. Acclimatization to immersion. Effects of high pressure. Effects of extreme temperatures. Answers to chemical environment. Pollutant gases: sulphur and nitric oxide, respiratory dusts, lead, mercury, cadmium. Environmental toxicology: general concepts. Endocrine disrupting chemicals: PCBs and Phytoestrogens. Toxic effects of free radicals in respiration.

Readings/Bibliography

G.E. Folk Jr., M.L. Riedesel, D.L. Thrift

Principles of integrative environmental physiology.

Austin & Winfield Publishers

Teaching methods

The course consists of 4 frontal CFU, corresponding to 32 hours of lectures and seminars on topic "Physiology of stemness"

Assessment methods

End of course exam aims to assess the achievement of the following learning objectives:
- Knowing the regulators of human physiologic omeostasis
- Know the main chemical factors that perturb physiologic homeostasis
- Knowing the physical factors that perturb physiologic homeostasis
The final score for the course "Environmental Physiology" is defined by an oral test on the average of scores obtained in at least three specific questions on topics related to the main objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Computer with projector.

Transilluminator.

Material: material presented during lectures will be made available to the student in electronic format via the Internet.
To get educational materials: http://campus.unibo.it/
Username and password are reserved for students enrolled at University of Bologna

Office hours

See the website of Tiziana Guarnieri