05181 - Physiology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the Course the student knows human body functions under their different and progressively more complex levels of organization (cell, tissue, organ, system) and the modalities through which these functions are integrated and regulated. The student is able to understand how the living organism gets and maintains body fluid homeostasis at molecular, cellular and tissue level under the challenges from the external environment. Moreover, from the unitary solutions of animal evolution understands both the general aspects of the laws of physiology and their possible application to human body functions.

Course contents

EXCHANGE PROCESSES BETWEEN CELLS AND THE EXTRACELLULAR ENVIRONMENT

Composition of extracellular and intracellular fluids. Passive and active transport mechanisms.

RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL AND ACTION POTENTIAL

Membrane ion channels. Resting membrane potential. Excitable cells. Generation and propagation of the action potential.

SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION

Chemical and electrical synapses. General principles of neurotransmitters and receptors.

SKELETAL, SMOOTH, AND CARDIAC MUSCLE

Skeletal muscle. Mechanisms of muscle contraction. Neuromuscular transmission. Motor units and regulation of contractile force. Smooth and cardiac muscle: regulation of contraction.

FUNCTIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Somatic sensory receptors. Reflex activity. The autonomic nervous system: anatomical and functional organization, and the functions of the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions.

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

General principles of hormone action and regulation of endocrine secretion. Hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Overview of the major hormones. Physiology of lactation and the influence of hormones and peptides (prolactin, oxytocin, and FIL – Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation) on milk production and maternal instinctive behavior. Hormones involved in the regulation of energy metabolism.

CARDIOVASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY

Electrical activity of the specialized and contractile myocardium. Origin and propagation of cardiac excitation. Phases and mechanical events of the cardiac cycle. Stroke volume and cardiac output. Regulation of cardiac activity. Principles of electrocardiography. Structural and functional organization of the circulatory system. Blood pressure and blood flow velocity in the different sections of the circulation. Functions of arteries and arterioles. Capillary exchange. Neural and humoral regulation of the peripheral circulation. Arterial blood pressure and its regulation.

RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY

Respiratory muscles and respiratory movements. Alveolar and pleural pressures. Lung volumes and capacities. Composition of atmospheric and alveolar air. Diffusion of respiratory gases. Transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Neural and chemical regulation of respiration: respiratory centers and peripheral and central chemoreceptors.

RENAL PHYSIOLOGY

General aspects of renal function: ultrafiltration, secretion, and reabsorption. Ultrafiltration process: pressure balance and effective filtration pressure. Glomerular filtration rate. Mechanisms of urine concentration and dilution: facultative water reabsorption and its regulation.

DIGESTIVE PHYSIOLOGY

General aspects of the motor, secretory, and absorptive functions of the digestive system and their neural and humoral regulation.

Additional Information

This course is part of the Degree Programme in Midwifery, recognized as a “WHO–UNICEF Breastfeeding-Friendly Degree Programme.”

Readings/Bibliography

Suggested books:

L. Zocchi. Principi di Fisiologia. EdiSES, II Edizione, 2020

- F. Martini. Fondamenti di Anatomia e Fisiologia. EdiSES, IV Edizione, 2019

Teaching methods

Lectures, covering the whole Course Program. The Course consists of 3 CFU, corresponding to 36 hours of teaching. The Course is part of the Integrated Course of “Physiological Sciences”. Slides shown during lectures are mostly taken from suggested readings. If not, the reference is indicated.

Assessment methods

The assessment for the Physiology course (Midwifery) consists of a written examination comprising 33 true/false questions covering topics addressed during the lectures.

The examination is organized into 11 major subject areas, each consisting of three related questions. The three questions associated with the same subject area are designed to assess not only the student's knowledge of specific content, but also their ability to understand and integrate the main physiological concepts relevant to the topic under consideration.

The result obtained in Physiology contributes, together with those achieved in the other two disciplines, to the overall assessment of the Integrated Course in Anatomy, Histology and Physiology. The final grade is therefore awarded for the Integrated Course as a whole and reflects the student's performance across its different components.

The examination is intended to assess the student's acquisition of fundamental knowledge of human physiology, their ability to integrate concepts from different physiological systems, and their capacity to apply such knowledge to the understanding of biological processes relevant to midwifery and dietetic practice.

Teaching tools

Set of slides concerning each topic of the Course Program can be downloaded from the website https://virtuale.unibo.it/ by students enrolled at the University of Bologna (University institutional username and password required).

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) [(https:/site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students)] as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Viviana Carmen Lo Martire