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Biomedical and biological sciences - mod. PHISIOLOGY
MARA FABRI

Seat Medicina e Chirurgia
A.A. 2013-2014
Credits 3
Hours 30
Period 1^ semestre
Language ENG
U-gov code MM06-13-13 W000119

Prerequisites

A good knowledge of Anatomy and Biochemistry

Development of the course

The student is required to gain a knowledge of the functions of human nervous system in physiological conditions as well as of the role of the different sensory systems. In addition, the functional integrative function of the nervous systems will be evidenced.





Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will required to know the general principles of the organization and functioning of the nervous system and of the sensory systems.

Program

PROGRAMME DETAILS: The general principles of the Physiology. Homeostasis. Fluid compartments of the body. The cell membrane. Transport of solutes across cell membrane.

Cell physiology. Resting membrane potential. Action potential: genesis and conduction. Synaptic transmission. Neuromuscolar synapsis. The neurotransmitters of central nervous system.

The neuron.

Structure of the nerve cell. Cell soma, dendrites, axon, synaptic terminal. Different kinds of neurons. The myelin. Glial cells: morphology and functions.

The vertebrate nervous system.

Organization. Ontogenetic and phylogenetic development.

Anatomical (TAC, MRI) and functional imaging (PET, fMRI). Recording of the nerve activity: EEG, evoked potentials, MEG. Neuroanatomy techniques.

The sensory systems.

Sensory modality, intensity, duration and spatial origin of sensations. Organizative schema of sensory systems. Sensory receptors as transducers. Classes of sensory receptors. Receptive field. Lateral inhibition. Stimulus code.

The somatosensory system.

Cutaneous receptors and proprioreceptors. Spinal organization of somatosensory pathways. Gracile and cuneate nuclei. Thalamic nuclei VPL and VPM. Primary somatosensory cortex. Somatotopic organization. Plasticity of cortical maps. Cortical connections. Receptive field of cortical neurons.

The pain.

Nociceptors. Central pain pathways: spino-thalamic system (lateral and medial), spinoreticular, spino-hypothalamic and spino-mesencephalic systems.

Endogenous control of pain. Antinociceptive system.

The visual system.

The retina. Cell kinds of retina. Photoreceptors: characteristics of rods and cones systems. Light answer. Phototransduction. Visual pigments. Internal retina circuits. Receptive fields of bipolar and ganglion cells. Light mediated activation. The optical nerve, the optical chiasma, and partial cross of visual fibres. Color sensitive photoreceptors. Visual field. Central visual pathways. Thalamic lateral geniculate nucleus (NGL). Visual cortex.

The auditory system.

Transmission of sound stimuli to cochlear receptors: external, middle and internal ear. Corti’s organ Activation of cochlear receptors. Typical activation frequencies. Central auditory pathways. Auditory cortex. Tonotopic organization.

 

The vestibular system.

Vestibular receptors. Semicircular canals, utricule and saccule. Activation of ampoule and macula receptors. Central projection of vestibular fibres. Vestibular reflexes.

The chemical senses: taste and smell.

The taste cell. Transduction of taste stimuli. Central gustatory pathways. The primary gustatory cortex. Mechanisms of tastants recognition.

Olfactory receptors. Transduction of smell stimuli. Central olfactory pathways. The olfactory cortex. Mechanisms of odours recognition..

The autonomic nervous sytem.

Anatomical organization. Ortho- and parasympathetic nervous system. Neurotransmitters.  Double innervation of body organs

Development of the examination

ORAL

Recommended reading

1. TITLE:  Neuroscienze
2. AUTHOR:  Purves D., Augustine G., Fitzpatrick D., Katz L., LaMantia A., McNamara J., Williams M.
3. PUBLISHER: Zanichelli (third edition)

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