- Docente: Stefano Bastianini
- Credits: 8
- SSD: BIO/09
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Cesena
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Psychological sciences and techniques (cod. 8774)
Learning outcomes
The couse is aimed to provide: a) the neurophysiological bases of the cerebral functions; b) the general principles of neurobiology; c) the organization of sensory and motor systems; d) analysis of the control systems of visceral functions and of homeostasis.
Course contents
Cellular components of the nervous system:
- Neurons
- Glial cells
Neuron excitability:
- Electrical potential at rest
- The properties of the action potential
- The transmission of the action potential
Synaptic transmission:
- The types of synapse
- The principles of synaptic transmission
- Neurotransmitters
Genetics of behavior:
- DNA, genes and behavior
- Genetic and multifactorial diseases
- epigeneticsand behavior
Anatomy of the nervous system:
- Spinal cord
- Cerebellum
- Diencephalon
- Telencephalon
- Meninges
- Liquor
The peripheral nervous system:
-Somatic nervous system
- Autonomic nervous system
Visual system:
- light properties and eye structure
- Generation of the imagine trought the eye
- Signal trasduction
- Retinal projections
The auditory system:
- The sound and the structure of the auditory system
- The internal ear
- The central auditory processes
- The encoding of the intensity and frequency of the sound
- The sound localization mechanisms
- The auditory cortex
Balance and the vestibular system
The sense of smell and taste
The somatosensory system:
- The proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity
- The thermal and pain sensitivity
The hormonal control of behavior:
- Endocrine system and hormones
- Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
- Gonads
- Stress response
Homeostasis:
- Nutrition regulation
- Regulation of body fluids
Biological rithms and sleep:
- Wake-sleep cycle
- Sleep disorders
Memory and learning:
- Types of memory and learning
- Neural mechanisms of memory
Readings/Bibliography
Fondamenti anatomofisiologici della attivita’ psichica - A cura di Angelo Maravita, Poletto Editore
Alternatively:
- Il cervello e la mente - Watson NV, Breedlove SM, Zanichelli, 1 Ed, 2014
- Neuroscienze - Purves, Augustine et al. - - Zanichelli, 4 Ed, 2013
- Principi di Neuroscienze - Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM et al. - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Quarta Ed. 2015
Teaching methods
The course is based on lectures and smartphone Apps
Assessment methods
ATTENTION:
Due to emergency situation, ongoing exams will not be guaranteed.
An end-course exam will be granted only to first-year students. This exam will consist of 34 multiple choise questions to be answered in 30 minutes.
OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS EXAM CAN BE FOUND ON IOL.UNIBO.IT
Registration on Almaesami.it is mandatory to access to the exam.
After May the 6th, I communicate how regular exams will take place.
Teaching tools
Lectures will be performed using electronic slides and videos mainly taken from the suggested text books.
Office hours
See the website of Stefano Bastianini
SDGs
This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.