- Docente: Tiziana Guarnieri
- Credits: 6
- SSD: BIO/09
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biological Sciences (cod. 8012)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students have advanced knowledge of general physiology and pathophysiology, useful for further studies in Bio Health degrees and in general laboratory activities in the health sector
Course contents
Lectures: 5CFU, equivalent to 40 hours
Physiology: definition and general concepts. Organization levels
of living organisms and related disciplines. Structure-function
relationships. Internal and external human environment.
Extracellular and intracellular body fluids: distribution and
composition.
Homeostasis: definition and general concepts. Homeostatic responses
and strategies. Integration of functions. Control systems: sensors,
integrated centers, effectors.
Regulation of body functions: hormonal, neuroendocrine and nervous
regulation. Self-regulation. Feedback mechanisms and circuits.
Central and peripheral cellular receptors. Physical and chemical
sensors.
Physiology of the skin and skin appendages. Skin: definition, structure and general information. The keratinocytes, evolution and function of keratin. Sebaceous glands and skin lipids. Melanocytes: overview, function and evolution of melanin. From the "third eye" to epiphysis: MSH and melatonin. Melatonin and circadian rhythms. Langerhans cells: localization and functions. Merkel cells: localization and functions. Derma: overview, structure and functions. Elastic fibers and collagen fibers. Innervation and skin receptors. Hypodermis. Sweat glands.
Blood: definition and general concepts. Composition of blood.
Hematopoiesis: phases and control. Cytokines. The red blood cells,
platelets and coagulation.
Cardiovascular system: definition, organization, general concepts
and evolution. Blood pressure: static and dynamic components.
Pressure gradient and flow. The hydrodynamic resistance: parameters
and the law of Poiseuille. Relationship between resistance and
flow. The rate of flow and the speed of blood.
The heart: structure and generalities. The cardiac muscle tissue:
structure and functions. Cardiac ontogenesis. Heart valves.
Contraction of the heart muscle. Cardiac pacemaker: excitation -
contraction coupling. Propagation of the action potential: from
pacemaker cells to cardiac fibers. The action potential of
myocardial cells. The refractory period. The action potential of
pacemaker cells: the relationship between depolarization and heart
rate. Sympathetic stimulation. The pressure-volume curves. The
stroke volume. Cardiac output. The regulation of heart rate, stroke
volume and contractility.
Flow rate and control of arterial pressure. Definition,
organization and structure of blood vessels. Systolic, diastolic
and mean blood pressure. Arteriolar resistance and its regulation.
Capillaries. Lymphatic system.
Regulation of arterial blood pressure: baroreceptor reflex.
Respiratory system. Respiratory mechanics and breathing.
Definitions, general concepts and structures. Airways: structure
and functions. Pulmonary epithelium. Pulmonary blood circulation.
Pulmonary ventilation and respiratory function. The four lung
volumes. Atmosphere's composition. The gas laws: Boyle's law.
Inspiration, espiration and pressure-volume relationship. Pleurae
and pleural fluid. Intrapleural pressure and respiratory cycle.
Surface tension, Laplace's law, and alveolar surfactant.
Compliance. Resistance in the respiratory system. Pulmonary
ventilation and alveolar ventilation. Respiratory dead space. Types
of ventilation. Relation between pulmonary ventilation and alveolar
gases pressures. Local control of airflow and blood flow: coupling
and encoupling of ventilation-perfusion.
Exchange and transport of gases. Introduction and definitions.
Fick's law and Henry's law. Gases solubility in aqueous
solutions and carrier molecules of oxygen. Hemoglobin and heme
ligands. Characteristics of oxygen binding. Allosteric model. Hb/O2
association / dissociation curves and binding- modulating factors.
CO2 transport. Carbon monoxide. Myoglobin. Foetal hemoglobin
Regulation of ventilation. Respiratory control centers and
ventilation-regulating factors. Central and peripheral chemo
receptors. Protective reflexes. Hering Breuer reflex.
Kidneys and excretory function. Eccrine and apocrine
sweat. Urinary system: overview, structure and functions.
Osmolarity. The nephron. Filtration and the filtration barrier:
structure and functions. The glomerular filtration rate and its
regulation. Juxta glomerular apparatus and macula densa. The active
and passive reabsorption: introduction and examples.Reabsorption
pathways. Kidneys transport regulating factors. Secretion.
Excretion. Clearance. The filtered load. Urination.
The fluid and electrolytes balance. LEC osmolarity and homeostasis.
The water balance. The fluid conservationand diuresis. Vasopressin
and the aquaporins. Osmoreceptors. The loop of Henle and
countercurrent multiplication. Na + balance and LEC volume.
Aldosterone, angiotensin and atrial natriuretic peptide. K+
balance. Volume-osmolarity integrated control.
The acid-base balance: overview. The H+ / K+ pump. The buffer
systems. Acids and bases sources. Metabolic acidosis. Renal
compensation of pH. Renal compensation of acidosis. Acidosis and
respiratory and metabolic alkalosis.
Digestive system: overview, structure and functions.
Nutrients. The digestive system motility. Gastrointestinal smooth
muscle contraction. The secretions of the digestive system. The
CFTR channel. Digestive enzymes, mucus and saliva. Bile and bile
salts. Regulation of the digestive system: overviews. Nervous
control and the enteric nervous system. Stimuli, receptors,
effectors, and reactions. Digestion and absorption of
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, vitamins, mineral
salts, ions. The digestive processes. The cephalic phase, the
gastric and intestinal phases and relationship between them.
Digestive hormones. Pancreatic enzymes. Absorption of liquids.
Intestinal digestion. Large intestine: function and motility.
Introduction to the endocrine system. Overviews, definitions and
functions. Homeostasis and correlation between autonomic nervous
system / endocrine / immune systems. Hormones and receptors.
Overview and mechanisms of signal transduction. Endocrine and
neuroendocrine reflexes. The amplification. Effective plasma
concentration. Interaction between hormones. The end of the
hormonal response. General information on endocrine disorders. The
hypothalamic-pituitary system: overviews, function, hormones, and
control circuits.
Laboratory: 1 CFU, equivalent to 12 hours
Theoretical and practical knowledge of physiopathology and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, in collaboration with the Training Centre "IRC-BLSD" - Ozzano and San Lazzaro (Bologna) Public Assistance.
The incidents in living and working conditions: trauma, bleeding, sunstroke, heat stroke, anaphylactic shock, electrocution, the state of coma.
Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (BLS): theory and practice with exercises on mannequin (Resusci-Anne).
Readings/Bibliography
Dee Unglaub Silverthorn. Fisiologia Umana: un approccio integrato,
VII edizione.
Teaching methods
The course is composed of 5 frontal CFU
(corresponding to 40 hours) + 1laboratoryCFU
corresponding to 12 hours of practical activities.
Practical activities are carried in the Department of Biological,
Geological and EnvironmentalSciencesand is consists of
a tutorial of 8 hours regarding BLS (Basic Life Support) + 4
hours of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a dummy with
sensors.
The objective of the practical classes is:
- Make the student familiar with the main concepts related to the
pathophysiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory
systems. - Make the student familiar with main notions and
related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Assessment methods
The end of course exam aims to assess the achievement of the
following learning objectives:
- Knowing the principles which regulate human systems
physiology.
- Knowing the principles of some pathophysiological
phenomena.
- Knowing the theoretical and practical principles of
cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The final score for the course "Human Physiology with principles of
Physiopathology" is defined by
- an oral test on the average of the scores obtained in a
significant number of specific questions on topics related to
the objective 1 of the course.
- a written test on the average of the scores obtained in a
significant number of specific questions on topics related to
the objective 2 of the course.
THE AVERAGE OF ORAL AND WRITTEN TESTS SCORES CONSTITUTES THE FINAL
SCORE.
Teaching tools
Computer with projector.
Transilluminator.
Office hours
See the website of Tiziana Guarnieri