Program Overview

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GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY

CODE AND ACADEMIC YEAR

The code for the General Physiology course is 67062, and it is offered during the 2025/2026 academic year.

CREDITS AND SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR

This course is worth 5 CFU and belongs to the scientific disciplinary sector BIO/09.

LANGUAGE AND TEACHING LOCATION

The course is taught in Italian, and the teaching location is Genova.

SEMESTER AND PREREQUISITES

The course takes place during the 1st semester, and prerequisites include:

• Biological Sciences 8762 (cohort 2023/2024)
• Institutions of Mathematics
• Embryology, Comparative Anatomy, and Laboratory
• Biological Chemistry and Laboratory

MODULES AND TEACHING MATERIALS

This course is a module of Animal Physiology and Laboratory. Teaching materials are available on AulaWeb.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aims of this course are to provide an advanced understanding of the fundamental notions and topics of general physiology. Students will learn about the laws and mechanisms by which cell components play their function, allowing them to study the main physiological organs and systems of the animal body.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Participation in training activities will enable students to acquire general knowledge and fundamental notions of physiology necessary for professional opportunities in the field of Biological Sciences. The course aims to provide a complete vision of general physiology, starting from the functioning mechanisms of the cell to the integrated physiology.

Students must be able to:

• Know the basic mechanisms of the main physiological processes
• Know the basics of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
• Acquire the basic methods for the evaluation of physiological parameters and markers of cellular fractions
• Understand the link between structure and function at different levels of the organization of living matter
• Understand the main physiological systems and know the mechanisms by which different cell types play their function and regulate the activity of various tissues and organs

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching mode includes 2-hour frontal lessons provided through multimedia presentations. Frequency is strongly recommended. Laboratory exercises are aimed at deepening some theoretical knowledge acquired during lectures and applying some of the main methodologies for determining physiological parameters.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The syllabus includes topics such as:

• Blood: plasma and corpuscular elements, plasma proteins, red blood cells, platelets, and hemostasis
• Cardiovascular physiology: structure and function of the cardiovascular system, heart as a pump, blood vessels, blood pressure, capillary exchanges
• Physiology of the digestive system: anatomo-functional organization, oral digestion, gastric digestion, intestinal digestion, liver functions
• Endocrine system and function control: autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine communication, chemical and functional classification of hormones
• Renal physiology: elements of renal function, morpho-functional organization, nephron, urinary excretion, water and salt balance
• Acid-Base Balance: acid-base balance of extracellular compartments, buffer power of plasma proteins, hemoglobin buffer power
• Thermal relations between animals and the environment: ambient temperature, vital functions, thermal exchanges, thermal inertia, thermal neutrality

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

The teacher for this course is Laura Vergani. The exam board consists of:

• Laura Vergani (President)
• Teresa Balbi
• Giulia De Negri Atanasio
• Elena Grasselli (President Substitute)
• Lorenzo Dondero (Substitute)

LESSONS

Lessons will take place in the first semester. The class schedule is available on the AulaWeb page.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a preliminary multi-test and an oral test. Admission to the oral exam takes place after passing a written test with 30 multi-choice questions.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination will focus mainly on the topics covered during the lectures and will assess the achievement of the appropriate level of knowledge. The commission will evaluate the level of knowledge, exposure skills, ability to reason, and link with other topics of the course.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Recommended reading includes:

• Dee U. Silverthorn "Fisiologia Umana" - Pearson
• C.L. Stanfield "Fisiologia" - EdiSES
• L. Sherwood "Fondamenti di Fisiologia Umana" - PICCIN
• M. Berne & M.N. Levy "Fisiologia" - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

Teaching materials are also available on AulaWeb.