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Physiological Basis of Human Body

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Physiological Basis of Human Body

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Academic year 2023/2024

Course ID
SCB0203
Teachers
Filippo Tempia (Coordinator)
Annalisa Buffo (Lecturer)
Year
2nd year
Teaching period
First semester
Type
Basic
Credits/Recognition
4 (32 hours of lectures, 16 hours of exercises)
Course disciplinary sector (SSD)
BIO/09 - physiology
Delivery
Lecture
Language
English
Attendance
Mandatory
Type of examination
Written and oral
Prerequisites
Physiology is the study of the normal function of living organisms and of their components, by the application of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, histology and anatomy. Knowledge of these disciplines applied to the human body is necessary for the study of Physiology.
Propedeutic for
Pharmacology and all disciplines regarding pathology and clinical medicine.
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Sommario del corso

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Course objectives

Introducing the basic principles underlying the functions of the human body. Completing the knowledge of cell biology and biophysics by teaching the mechanisms of electrical signalling and synaptic transmission. Teaching the principles of sensory systems and of the main sensory organs. Teaching the mechanisms of muscle contraction.

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Results of learning outcomes

Understanding of the basic design of the integrated functions of the human body, derived from the concepts of internal environment and homeostasis. Knowledge of the cellular mechanisms of electrical signalling and synaptic transmission. Understanding of the basic principles of sensory systems. Knowledge of the physiology of the main sensory organs. Knowledge of the mechanisms of muscle contraction.

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Program

Basic principles underlying the functions of the human body.

  • Internal environment and homeostasis. Mechanisms of homeostasis: control systems, negative and positive feedback, feedforward. Local control. Reflex control: elements and properties of reflexes. Biological rhythms.
  • Movement of molecules across cell membranes. Passive processes: diffusion, permeability, flow through ion channels. Ion channels: permeation, selectivity, gating, inactivation, modulation, classification. Patch-clamp and single-channel current. Processes mediated by a membrane carrier: facilitated diffusion, primary and secondary active transport. Principles of transport across epithelia.

Physiology of the neuron.

  • Axonal transport. Physiological functions of glia: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, microglia, radial glia, neuroepithelial stem cells. Cerebrospinal fluid. Blood-brain barrier.
  • Biophysics of excitable membranes. Diffusion potential. Equilibrium potential and Nernst law. Goldman equation. Role of Na+/K+ pump to maintain ionic gradients. Resting potential. Action potential: ionic currents, membrane permeability, single-channel currents, all-or-none law, refractory period. Passive electrophysiology and electrotonic propagation: effects of electrical currents on the membrane; time and space constants. Action potential conduction along unmyelinated fibres: the relationship between diameter, space and time constant and conduction velocity. Saltatory conduction in myelinated fibres. Conduction velocity and nerve fibres classifications.

Synaptic transmission.

  • Electrical synapse. Presynaptic mechanisms in the chemical synapse: role of Ca2+, miniature endplate potentials, molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release, synaptic vesicles cycle. Neurotransmitters: synthesis, storing in vesicles, release, removal by diffusion, reuptake, inactivation. Functional differences between small-molecule neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Diffuse projection systems. Postsynaptic mechanisms: reversal potential and ionic mechanism of endplate potential and of central excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. Synaptic signal integration: temporal and spatial summation. Short and long-term synaptic plasticity. Neurotransmitter receptors: receptor channels and G-protein coupled receptors.

Physiology of muscle

  • Mechanism of muscular contraction. Sliding filament theory. Cross-bridge cycle.
  • Skeletal muscle: excitation-contraction coupling, muscle twitch, summation, tetanus, isometric and isotonic contraction, force-length and velocity-load curves, lengthening contraction, mechanical power, energetics, muscular fatigue, heat production, efficiency, subtypes of skeletal muscle fibres, control of force generation in the whole muscle, motor units recruitment and firing frequency.
  • Smooth muscle: single unit and multi-unit muscle. Contraction mechanism. Excitation-contraction coupling and regulation of contraction. Cross-bridge cycle and latch-bridge mechanism. Control and modulation mechanisms.

The autonomic nervous system

  • Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. Preganglionic neurons. Synaptic receptors and functions of the autonomic nervous system. The function of the adrenal medulla. Sympathetic mass discharge. Stress response of the sympathetic nervous system. Central control of the autonomic nervous system.

General physiology of sensory systems

  • Sensory receptors. Adequate stimulus, sensory transduction, threshold, receptor potential. Action potential coding of stimulus intensity. Physiological and psychophysical response to stimulus strength. Receptive field. Acuity, two-point discrimination threshold. Sensory adaptation. Sensory modality and quality of sensation.

Physiology of sensory organs: the somatic sensory system

  • Dorsal column and medial lemniscal systems. Cutaneous receptors: functional properties, adaptation, sensitivity, acuity, ion channels involved in mechanical transduction. Haptics and stereognosis. Thermoception: temperature range of the ion channels involved in transduction. Pain: nociceptors, first and second pain, ion channels of transduction, sodium channels for conduction of pain signals. Hyperalgesia, peripheral and central sensitization, allodynia, neuropathic pain, phantom limb. Physiological mechanisms of analgesia: gate control, placebo effect, descending pain control. Other somatosensory modalities.

Physiology of the eye

  • Pupillary light reflex. Optic properties of the eye: reflective surfaces, reduced eye, accommodation. Aqueous humour. Functions of the pigment epithelium: light reflection, removal of photoreceptor discs, the retinoid cycle. Phototransduction and adaptation to light/dark. Sensitivity, velocity and acuity of rods and cones systems. Visual pigments for colour vision. The receptive field of on-centre and off-centre ganglion cells, detection of luminosity contrast, the effect of background illumination.

Physiology of the ear

  • Properties of sound: frequency, pressure level, phase, waveform. Fourier transform. Audible spectrum, threshold-frequency curve. Effects of the external ear on sound. Impedance adaptation in the middle ear. Air conduction and bone conduction of sound. The function of the basilar membrane: travelling waves and decomposition of sound frequencies. Tectorial membrane and deflection of cilia. Transduction in the hair cell: endolymph, tip links, mechanically gated potassium channels. Receptor potential: AC and DC components. Sound amplification and sharp tuning by outer hair cells. The audiogram.

Physiology of the chemical senses

  • Olfactory epithelium: olfactory receptors, supporting cells, basal stem cells, Bowman glands. Odour transduction. Olfactory bulb. Taste papillae, taste buds, taste cells. Categories of taste. Transduction of gustatory signals. Functions of the trigeminal chemosensory system.
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Course delivery

The lessons are in presence in a classroom. The slides will be posted in Moodle after the lesson. The interactive learning consists of tests to consolidate the learned topics.

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Learning assessment methods

The exam is in person, with a quiz in the classroom, followed by a face-to-face oral examination. The quiz is online in Moodle. The questions are randomly sorted, and it is not possible to navigate the test. The quiz consists of 30 multiple choice questions with 4 options each. Each correct answer gives 1 point. There is no penalty for wrong answers. The pass grade is 18/30. The time is 30 minutes. The results will be given shortly after the quiz. The oral is with both professors of the course.

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Support activities

Interactive learning, consisting of tests to consolidate the learned topics.

Suggested readings and bibliography



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Book
Title:  
Neuroscience
Year of publication:  
2018
Publisher:  
Oxford University Press
Author:  
Dale Purves, George J. Augustine, David Fitzpatrick, William C. Hall, Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, and Leonard E. White
ISBN  
Permalink:  
Required:  
Yes


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Book
Title:  
Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology
Year of publication:  
2016
Publisher:  
Elsevier
Author:  
John E. Hall
ISBN  
Permalink:  
Required:  
Yes


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Book
Title:  
Principles of Neural Science, Fifth Edition
Year of publication:  
2012
Publisher:  
McGraw-Hill medical
Author:  
Eric R. Kandel, James H. Schwartz, Thomas M. Jessell, Steven A. Siegelbaum and A. J. Hudspeth
ISBN  
Permalink:  
Required:  
Yes


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Notes

All teaching material will be posted in the Moodle platform.

Students with DSA or disabilities are kindly requested to take note of the reception services and support services offered by the University of Turin, and in particular of the procedures required for exam support.

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Teaching Modules

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Last update: 29/11/2023 14:15
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