85368 - Physiology of Aging and Longevity

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course the student acquires knowledges about: - the physiological basis of aging and longevity; - the functional transformations occurring during the process of ageing of the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, immune, muscle-skeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal and integumentary systems; - the factors that may lead to slowing down the process of ageing, enhancing the quality of life, and promoting longevity

Course contents

Physiological basis of aging and longevity.

Elements of human physiology and functional transformations occurring during the process of ageing in the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, immune, muscular, skeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal and integumentary systems.

Physiological mechanisms underlying the factors that may slow down the process of aging, enhance the quality of life and promote longevity: nutrition, physical activity, cognitive functions and social interactions.

Readings/Bibliography

- Biology of aging, second edition, Roger B. McDonald. Garland Science, 2019.

- Anatomy & Physiology, J. Gordon Betts et al.. OpenStax, Rice University (Houston, Texas, U.S.A.), 2017. Can be downloaded for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology.

- Articles and other materials provided in the classroom.

Teaching methods

This course participates in the University's teaching innovation project - teaching with a hybrid model (blended).

The first part of the course consists of theoretical lessons (in person, in a classroom in Rimini).

The second part is an online group work. The students will be divided into groups. Each group will meet in a Teams classroom and carry out an online literature search (using PubMed) on a topic related to the physiology of aging and longevity, and analyze the most recent and interesting scientific articles (published in peer reviewed journals) that they find. The teacher and a tutor will help the students in this group work. Then each student will prepare and present to the class a report on one of these articles.

Assessment methods

Student learning in the Integrated Course “Aging and Healthy Longevity C.I.” will be assessed in two oral exams, both evaluated in thirtieths.

I recommend taking the exam on the "Biology of Longevity and Healthy Lifestyles" course program first and then the exam on the "Physiology of Aging and Longevity" course program, but it is not mandatory to take them in this sequence.

The oral exam of the Course "Physiology of Aging and Longevity" will mainly consist of questions on the aging processes occurring in the nervous system and in one of the other systems in the program.

Each exam is passed if the mark is equal to or higher than 18/30; the final mark of the Integrated Course is the arithmetic average of the marks reported in the two exams.

Teaching tools

Projector and pc

Office hours

See the website of Giorgio Aicardi