PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS

General Module

Course Sheet

Course code:

M4019D

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2021/2022

Type of Course:

Basic

Degree:

Course of Single Cycle Degree 6 years in MEDICINE AND SURGERY

Disciplinary Sector:

PHYSIOLOGY

Is part of:

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

PAOLINI CECILIA

Cycle:

Second semester

Obligatory attendance:

Yes

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

37.5

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the basic principles of basic biological sciences: biology, anatomy, histology, biochemistry and physics. To take the final exam of the Integrated Course of Human Physiology it is necessary, based on the prerequisites provided for by the didactic regulation, to have previously passed the exams of Biochemistry and Human Anatomy.

Objectives

TRAINING OBJECTIVES
The aim of the course is to have general organizational principles at the basis of the physiological functions and their integration.
The student must know the fundamental principles of physical phenomena, integrating the knowledge transmitted by previous courses (biology, histology, physics and biochemistry).
The teaching also has the task of defining the aspects of a control process on the human organism, to allow an in-depth knowledge of the functional characteristics of human personnel for carrying out the profession of medical doctor.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course the student must, therefore, have acquired a series of theoretical knowledge and skills that allow the understanding of the cellular mechanisms that are at the base of the functioning of the major apparatuses and organs that make up the human organism.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING CAPACITY
The student must demonstrate that he/she has acquired knowledge of the biophysics of excitable membranes, that he/she knows how to correlate the functional stimulus to the response mechanisms in skeletal muscle tissue, but also that he/she has understood the causal links between specific stimuli and the biological processes that operate to maintain the homeostasis. They must also have knowledge of the mechanisms of response under different stresses.

CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Given an initial situation and a perturbation of this state, the student will be able to predict and describe the response mechanisms and whether such responses are enough or not to maintain homeostasis.

JUDGMENT AUTONOMY
The student must have acquired such knowledge as to enable him/her to describe the mechanisms underlying the functions dealt with and to be able to evaluate in an autonomous and motivated way possible different opinions on any problematic aspects.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The student must demonstrate correct and timely use of specialized terminology when he exposes contents in the physiological field and a logical and sequential analysis of the cause / effect sequences of physiological processes.

LEARNING ABILITY
The student will have to develop learning skills useful to understand the main physiological mechanisms and to apply them in the experimental field in future disciplines of the course.

Contents

PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS (3 ECTS ) 2nd semester

1 - Biophysics of excitable membranes.
2 - Synaptic transmission.
3 - Muscle tissue physiology: skeletal muscle and smooth muscle.

Extended Syllabus

PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS

1- BIOPHYSICS OF EXCITABLE MEMBRANES. Ionic channels: classification, molecular structure, gating mechanisms. Membrane potentials: ionic balance and passive properties of the membrane. Rest potential: genesis, potassium and sodium permeability of the membrane at rest, sodium-potassium pump. Graduated potentials: ionic bases, physical properties, exciters and inhibitors, spatial and temporal summation. Action potential: ionic bases of the depolarization and repolarization phases, the refractory periods. Conduction of potentials. Differences between graduated potentials and action potentials: genesis, stimulus decoding, conduction.

2- SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION. General characteristics, electrical synapses, chemical synapses and their classification. Mechanism of action of chemical synapses: role of Ca2 + and specific proteins in the process of exocytosis. Neurotransmitters: classification and function. Synaptic receptors and postsynaptic potentials: transduction mechanism. Synaptic activity: occlusion and facilitation, synaptic decrease, retrograde information, synaptic plasticity. Neuro-muscular synapses: release of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft, diffusion, inactivation by acetylcholinesterase, binding with synaptic receptors, re-uptake of choline. Curare action on muscle receptors. Ionic selectivity of the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: plaque potential, Na / K ion permeability.

3- PHYSIOLOGY OF THE MUSCULAR TISSUE.
Skeletal muscle: anatomy. Structural and functional basis of contraction: sarcolemma, T-tubule, sarcoplasmic reticulum and relative ion channels, sarcomere. Mechanisms of the excitation-contraction coupling process. Contraction of skeletal muscle: role of Ca2 + and ATP, formation-breaking cycle of transverse bridges. Tension-length curve in the sarcomere. Simple shock, incomplete and complete tetanus. Types of muscle fibers: classification and functional metabolic characteristics. Motor units: classification, functional properties and recruitment. Types of contraction: isometric, isotonic, concentric and eccentric. Load-velocity and force-velocity curves, visco-elastic components and contractile components. Energy sources of muscle work, the laws of thermodynamics and performance, aerobic and anaerobic work, muscle fatigue. Graduation mechanisms of muscle strength. Muscle plasticity.
Smooth muscle: general characteristics of smooth muscle cells; organization of thick and thin myofilaments; regulatory mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+. Contraction in smooth muscle: role of calmodulin and myosin light chain phosphorylation and relaxation phases. Cycle of the cross bridges. Speed and duration of contraction. Force-velocity and tension-length relationship in smooth muscle. Functional characteristics.

Recommended Bibliography

- Conti: Fisiologia Medica. Edi-Ermes, Milano.
- Kandel, Schwartz, Jessell: Principi di Neuroscienze. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
- Brodal. Il sistema nervoso. Piccin Editore.
- Purves D. et al., Neuroscienze. Zanichelli
- Grassi, Negrini, Porro: Fisiologia Umana. Poletto Editore 2015
- Pape, Kurtz, Sinbernagl: Fisiologia Umana. EdiSES

Teaching Methods

The teaching is structured in 37 hours of frontal teaching, divided according to the educational calendar. The frontal teaching will be supported by the projection of slides made in PowerPoint by the teacher and by films related to the topics covered that will make it easier to understand the development of some physiological processes.
Attendance is mandatory.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The learning outcomes will be duly verified by the teacher in different ways:
- in the classroom during the lessons with the proposal of questions and/or discussion on the topics covered, also highlighting the basic points to arrive at correct answers during the final oral exam.
- an oral examination during the exam.
The final assessment can be sustained after having obtained attendance at the course, in one of the appeals on the calendar and whose frequency is defined by the Didactic Regulations.
The oral test will evaluate the knowledge of the topics covered in teaching, the use of specific terminology, the ability to organize a coherent and organic speech and the ability to reason critically on the topics covered in class.
The result of the examination is expressed in thirtieths. The oral discussion focuses on questions in which the student must demonstrate:
- a sufficient but incomplete basic knowledge (score 18-22/30);
- a discrete knowledge with the ability to clearly illustrate the topics (score 23-25/30);
- good ability to illustrate the topics with ownership of language and mastery of the subject (score 26-28/30);
- excellent knowledge of the matter moving with ease from one subject to another contextualizing any interconnections and / or differences (score 28-30/30).
The laude is reserved to those who also show particular interest and knowledge of functional aspects, with high communication skills, autonomous learning and connection between the topics.
The final score of the Integrated Course is an average of the scores obtained in the modules that constitute the Integrated Course itself and the exam is considered passed with a minimum score resulting from the score average of at least 18/30.

Contacts/More Information

Those who do not reach the percentage of presence established by the Degree Course Council, will have to agree with the coordinator the methods of recovery.

Meeting the teacher will require fixing an appointment by telephone to the number 0871-541507 or by email: cecilia.paolini@unich.it

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Aree