95978 - PHYSIOLOGY OF ANIMAL METABOLISM AND STRESS

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Diego Bucci
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: VET/02
  • Language: English
  • Moduli: Diego Bucci (Modulo 1) Domenico Ventrella (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Food Animal Metabolism and Management in the Circular Economy (cod. 5814)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students: 1. know the physiological basis of animal metabolism and stress; 2. have gained sufficent knowledge to understand pathologycal alteration of animals.

Course contents

The following topics will be addressed:

- Physiology and cellular function mechanisms: the main functional characteristics of eukaryotic cells will be briefly reviewed in order to provide the basis for the development of subsequent lectures;

- Energy metabolism: characteristics of energy metabolism with particular focus on metabolic adaptations to the farming environment; thermoregulation;

- Physiology of the endocrine system. Hormones: secretion, function and relationship with metabolism and reproduction;

- Physiology of the digestive system: main digestive functions and assimilation (absorption) of nutrients in relation to animal metabolism;

Muscle physiology: contractile activity and nervous control; muscle energetic metabolism;

- Physiology of stress: endocrine response to the farming environment; metabolic and adaptative response to stress; ethology and its adaptation to stressful situation/environment.

Readings/Bibliography

Klein G. B. Cunningham's Textbook of Veterinary Physiology, Elsevier ed. (2019).

Sjaastad, Sand, Hove. Domestic animals physiology. Ed. It. a cura di C. Tamanini. CEA (2013)

Peer reviewed articles/review

Teaching methods

The course will be organized in frontal lessons, both in presence and online, and practices in groups in laboratory and online

Assessment methods

The final evaluation is aimed at defining the achievement of the following training objectives:

The student

- knows the key anatomical and physiological bases of food producing animals for humans.

- knows the control factors of energy, nitrogen and mineral metabolism.

- understands animals’ ethological needs and the adaptive response to stress (environmental and metabolic).

- will be able to evaluate the consequences in terms of metabolic inefficiency and pathological stress disorders, morphological defects, and organic dysfunctions.

- will be able to holistically apply the acquired knowledge in the context of a correct company management of the physiological needs of food producing animals.

The final grade will be defined as follows:

90% score achieved in a test consisting of 2 transversal open questions and 40 multiple choice questions (10 for anatomy, 10 for pathology, and 20 for physiology) that will take place at the end of the second part of the course.

10% evaluation of students' active participation in laboratory or self-employment activities.

The exam will be considered as successful with a minimum score of 24/40.

GRID FOR VOTE ALLOCATION

scoring for open questions: minimum 24/40

scoring 24: grading 18

scoring 25: grading 19

scoring 26: grading 20

scoring 27: grading 21

scoring 28: grading 22

scoring 29: grading 23

scoring 30: grading 24

scoring 31: grading 25

scoring 32: grading 26

scoring 33-34: grading 27

scoring 35-36: grading 28

scoring 37-38: grading 29

scoring 39-40: grading 30

scoring for multiple choice questions: minimum 24/40

scoring 24: grading 18

scoring 25: grading 19

scoring 26: grading 20

scoring 27: grading 21

scoring 28: grading 22

scoring 29: grading 23

scoring 30: grading 24

scoring 31: grading 25

scoring 32: grading 26

scoring 33-34: grading 27

scoring 35-36: grading 28

scoring 37-38: grading 29

scoring 39-40: grading 30

The final grade will be composed of the weighted average between the written test score (open and closed questions) and the score of the laboratory/ongoing activity:

Score for active participation in laboratory or self-employment activities of students; variable score from 18 to 30 according to the following evaluation grid:

A very thorough knowledge of the topics addressed in the course, together with high critical analysis and connection skills, and a confident command of specific terminology will be evaluated with the maximum score (30-30L).

A thorough knowledge of the topics covered in the course, together with good analytical and critical skills and the possession of a sure command of specific terminology will be evaluated with good marks (27-29).

A technically adequate preparation and a sufficient analytical capacity, even if not particularly articulated, expressed in a correct language, will produce fair evaluations (23-26).

Sufficient preparation and analytical skills, expressed in a language that is formally barely correct, will grant sufficiency (18-22).

To get the final score:

[(written part vote * 90) + (ongoing part vote * 10)] / 100

 

Teaching tools

Slideshow presentations will be used during frontal lessons, together with videos.

Work group for lab activities, both online and in presence, and for literature analysis and re-elaboration.

 

For teaching materials see the course link

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/diego.bucci3/didattica

Office hours

See the website of Diego Bucci

See the website of Domenico Ventrella

SDGs

Zero hunger Clean water and sanitation Affordable and clean energy Climate Action

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.