76149 - Physiology

Learning outcomes

Identify the morphology and function of specific organs and apparatuses of biotechnological interest in the context of clinical applications. Correlate concepts of integrative physiology of the human organism with pathophysiology. Select and interpret scientific data relevant to physiology and pathophysiology.

Course contents

MODULE 1 (Prof. Chatzidimitrakis)

SENSORY SYSTEMS

General principles of sensory coding. Perception. Neural coding of somatosensory stimuli. Somatosensory cortical areas. Psychophysics of tactile perception. Visual perception. Primary visual cortex: topographic organization and functional circuits. Visual maps, brain maps.

SENSORIMOTOR INTEGRATION and VOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS

Organization and functions of the dorsal visual stream. Lesions: optic ataxia, agnosia. Posterior parietal cortex: sensorimotor integration functions. Premotor and supplementary motor cortex. Primary motor cortex and movement control mechanisms. Motor disorders, motor prostheses.

 

CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION

 Electrical activity of the specific myocardium and the common myocardium. Origin and propagation of cardiac excitation. Phases and mechanical events of the cardiac cycle. Stroke volume and cardiac output. Regulation of cardiac activity. Function of arteries, arterioles, and capillaries. Nervous and humoral regulation of the peripheral circulation. Blood pressure and its regulation.

RESPIRATORY FUNCTION

 Respiratory muscles and the respiratory cycle. Alveolar pressure and pleural pressure. Diffusion of respiratory gases. Transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Nervous and chemical regulation of respiration: respiratory centers and peripheral and central chemoreceptors.

RENAL FUNCTION

 General aspects of renal function: ultrafiltration, secretion, reabsorption. Ultrafiltration process: pressure balance and effective filtration pressure. Ultrafiltration rate. Antidiuretic hormone. Aldosterone and the renin-angiotensin system.

 

[http://www.unibo.it/it/didattica/insegnamenti/insegnamento/2021

MODULE 2 (Dr. Giorgio Medici)

NERVOUS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Embryonic origin of the nervous system. Neurulation and neural tube formation. Dorsoventral and rostrocaudal patterning. Neurogenesis, gliogenesis, and neuronal differentiation. Cell migration, synapse formation, programmed cell death, and synaptic pruning. Role of neuronal activity in the maturation and plasticity of neural circuits.

 

 THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE GUT–BRAIN AXIS

Anatomical and functional organization of the enteric nervous system. Embryonic development of the enteric nervous system and the role of neural crest cells. Neural regulation of gastrointestinal function. Bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain. Role of the gut microbiota in the physiology of the gut–brain axis. Physiological and pathophysiological implications in neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders.

 

 HUMAN MODELS FOR STUDYING PHYSIOLOGY AND NEURODEVELOPMENT

 Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their applications in the study of human physiology. Brain organoids as three-dimensional model of human brain development and function. Applications, strengths, and limitations of organoid models in physiology and translational research.

MODULE 3 (Dr. Giorgio Medici)

Module 3 focuses on the applied part of the course and consists of four days of laboratory work. The module is split into morning and afternoon sessions, and students will be divided into two groups to facilitate better use of the activities. Each laboratory day begins with a lecture in the classroom to introduce the laboratory experience and present the day's activities. The laboratory work will focus on neurogenesis; specifically, students will learn how to perform immunolabeling to detect and quantify hippocampal neurogenesis in the mouse brain.

Pre-requisites

Participation in this educational activity requires all students to complete specific health and safety training for study environments (Modules 1, 2, and 3) in a hybrid format (e-learning and in-person). Detailed information is available on the course webpage under the section “Studying – Health and Safety mandatory training”.

 

 

[http://www.unibo.it/it/didattica/insegnamenti/insegnamento/2021/445293]

Readings/Bibliography

• Kandel ER, Jessell TM, Schwartz JH, Siegelbaum SA, Hudspeth AJ. Principles of Neural Science, 5th ed. Mc Graw-Hill
• Purves D, et al., Neurosciences, 6th ed. Sinauer Associates
• Vander et al., Human Physiology: The Mechanism of Body Function; 8th ed; McGraw−Hill
• Articles and reviews will be provided to supplement these texts.

Teaching methods

Teaching Method:

Module 1: Conventional – In-person Lectures
Module 2: Conventional – In-person Lectures
Module 3: Laboratory
The course comprises 5 credits (ECTS), corresponding to 32 hours of lectures taught by Professor Chatzidimitrakis (16 hours) and Dr. Medici (16 hours). All topics included in the exam syllabus are covered in full during the course.

The main course is accompanied by a 1-credit (ECTS) Applied Physiology module (15 hours), which includes practical exercises in small groups. The practical activity is coordinated by Dr. Giorgio Medici (Module 3).

The course is part of the Integrated Course "Anatomical and Physiological Bases of Organ Pathologies." The illustrations used during the lectures are primarily drawn from the recommended texts; otherwise, the source is explicitly indicated.

Assessment methods

Assessment Methods

The final assessment for the Physiology module is based on a written “true or false” multiple-choice test covering topics presented during the lectures. This evaluation is conducted jointly with the assessments for the other modules included in the Integrated Course “Anatomical and Physiological Bases of Organ Pathologies”, and a single final grade is assigned for the entire Integrated Course.

 

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) 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.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be supported by PowerPoint slides material for each topic included in the Course Program. The visual and textual materials presented during lectures will be made available to students on the platform https://iol.unibo.it/ (login required with University of Bologna credentials).

To prepare for the exam, students are encouraged to:

• attend all lectures,
• study the recommended textbooks,
• use lecture notes and the materials provided on the IOL platform.

Office hours

See the website of Konstantinos Chatzidimitrakis

See the website of Giorgio Medici