Integrated course: anatomy, physiology and BiochemistryModule physiology
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: Maria Stella Carmela VALLEExpected Learning Outcomes
The Physiology course has a primary objective: to equip students with comprehensive knowledge about the intricate workings of the human nervous system. This course serves as the cornerstone for grasping the operational dynamics of living organisms, with a keen emphasis on the interplay between structure and function, the seamless integration of these components, and the overarching mechanisms governing functional control in typical physiological states.
Course Structure
Frontal lessons. Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
Sensory Coding
The Somatosensory System: Receptors and Central Pathways
Touch
Pain
The Constructive Nature of Visual Processing
Low-Level Visual Processing: The Retina
The Inner Ear
The Auditory Central Nervous System
The Organization and Planning of Movement
Striated muscle
The Motor Unit and Muscle Action
Spinal Reflexes
The Control of Gaze
The Vestibular System
Posture
The Cerebellum
The Basal Ganglia
Hormones
Textbook Information
1) Silverthorn. Fisiologia. Un approccio integrato. Pearson.
2) Purves-Augustine-Fitzpatrick-Hall-LaMantia-McNamara-White: Neuroscienze. Zanichelli.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The electrical signals of nerve cells; | cap. 5, 8, 10, Silverthorn: Fisiologia, un approccio integrato. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana |
| 2 | Visual function: the eye and the central visual pathways; Eye movements; | cap. 11-12; 20 Purves-Augustine-Fitzpatrick-Hall-LaMantia-McNamara-White: Neuroscienze. Zanichelli. |
| 3 | Vestibular system: saccule, utricle, semicircular canals. Vestibular reflexes | cap. 10 Silverthorn: Fisiologia, un approccio integrato. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana |
| 4 | The auditory system | Silverthorn: Fisiologia, un approccio integrato. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana |
| 5 | Skeletal and smooth muscle; Spinal reflexes; | cap. 12-13 Silverthorn: Fisiologia, un approccio integrato. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana |
| 6 | Efferent system of the nervous system | cap 11 Silverthon: Fisiologia, un approccio integrato. Casa editrice Ambrosiana |
| 7 | The Autonomic Nervous system | |
| 8 | Endocrine System |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Exploring Action Potential Properties in Nerve Fibers: Delving into the Intricacies of Action Potentials within Nerve Fibers.
Shedding Light on Phototransduction Mechanisms in Rods and Cones: Unveiling the Mechanisms Behind Phototransduction in Rod and Cone Cells.
Navigating the Complexity of the Primary Visual Cortex Organization: Unraveling the Organization and Function of the Primary Visual Cortex.
The Foundations of Color Vision: Key Characteristics: Examining the Fundamental Principles Underlying Color Vision.