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Program Overview
FISIOLOGIA E NUTRIZIONE UMANA
Course Description
The course delves into the study of mechanisms regulating metabolic homeostasis in humans, addressing the regulation of various functions by the nervous and endocrine systems, and highlighting the integrations between different systems. It also explores human nutrition physiology and the importance of correct nutrition for health maintenance across different life stages and physiological conditions.
Objectives and Contents
Educational Objectives
The course aims to provide in-depth knowledge of human physiology, particularly regarding nutrition and the importance of correct nutrition for maintaining homeostasis, emphasizing connections and interdependencies between physiological processes.
Detailed Educational Objectives and Learning Outcomes
The course allows for an in-depth study of Physiology learned during the Bachelor's degree, with specific reference to the human species and nutritional needs. Such knowledge is necessary for various professional outlets of biologists, especially in the health and food sectors.
The course proposes to offer a complete vision of Human Physiology, enabling students to acquire detailed information on the functioning of different body organs, the dynamic integration of organs into systems, general homeostatic control mechanisms under normal conditions and adaptation, with specific attention to nutritional and metabolic requirements across different life stages and physiological conditions. The role of food as an integrated signal to homeostatic regulation mechanisms will be highlighted.
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Know the functioning of human body systems at the molecular, cellular, organ, and system levels.
- Acquire an integrated vision of physiological mechanisms regulating homeostasis and adaptation processes in humans.
- Know the functioning of the human body as a whole.
- Understand simple pathophysiological situations resulting from the loss of homeostatic regulation.
- Highlight the connection between structure and function at the organ and system levels.
- Acquire correct terminology in the field of pathophysiology.
- Know nutritional requirements.
- Know how the body digests, absorbs, and utilizes macronutrients.
- Understand the importance of micronutrients.
- Acquire an integrated vision of processes regulating human nutrition.
- Comprehend the importance of correct nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for maintaining health.
- Acquire a critical view of numerous dietary "fads" often spread by the media.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of biochemistry, physiology, genetics, and pathology is necessary to effectively tackle the course contents.
Teaching Methods
The teaching method includes frontal lessons, practical exercises, and group work. Lessons are delivered through multimedia presentations. Attendance is highly recommended.
Program/Content
The course covers topics such as:
- Foods and nutrients
- Nutritional requirements
- Basal metabolism
- Calorimetry
- Energy balance
- Energy reserves
- Digestion and absorption of carbohydrates
- Significance of carbohydrates in the diet
- Dietary fiber
- Digestion and absorption of proteins
- Essential amino acids
- Digestion and absorption of lipids
- Cholesterol homeostasis
- Plasma lipoproteins
- Endocrine regulation of metabolism
- Phases of absorption and post-absorption
- Hormonal regulation of glycemic homeostasis
- Glycemic index, glycemic load
- Fasting
- Mimic fasting diets
- High-protein diets
- Ketogenic diets
- Recalls of physiology of the nervous and endocrine systems
- Endocrine system dysfunctions: hypofunction, hyperfunction, sensitivity deficit
- The hypothalamic-pituitary system
- Hypothalamus: structure and functions
- Neurohypophysis: structure and functions
- Neuroendocrine reflexes
- Vasopressin: osmoregulation, pressure/volume regulation, diabetes insipidus
- Oxytocin: childbirth and lactation
- Adenohypophysis: structure and functions
- The hypophyseal portal system
- Hypothalamic release and inhibition factors
- Adenohypophysis hormones
- Short and long feedback
- Prolactin and lactation regulation
- Hormonal regulation of growth: the GH-IGF-IGFBP system
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis
- Thermoregulation
- Stress response: nervous and endocrine arms
- Effects of catecholamines
- Effects of cortisol
- Allostasis and allostatic load
- Stress and dysmetabolism
- Stress, immune system, and inflammation
- Emotions and stress response
- Integration between the endocrine, nervous, immune, psyche, and environment systems (psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology: PNEI)
- Prenatal and perinatal stress
- The role of the intestinal microbiota
- Neuroendocrine regulation of food intake
- Short and long-term hunger and satiety signals
- Hypothalamic hunger and satiety centers
- Relationships between stress and eating behavior
- Epigenetic programming of metabolism
- Nutrition and inflammation
- Gut-brain axis
- Steroidogenesis in the adrenal cortex
- Hormonal regulation of hydrosaline homeostasis
- Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
- Effects of aldosterone
- Natriuretic peptides
- Nutritional requirements in different life stages
- Pregnancy, lactation, menopause
- Nutritional requirements in growth
- Liver structure
- The hepatic lobule
- Characteristics of different liver cell types: hepatocytes, sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, and stellate cells
- Role of the liver in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism
- The case of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- The intestine-liver axis
- Partial hepatectomy and liver regeneration: activation of early and late events
- Hormonal regulation of calcium homeostasis
- Regulation of intracellular calcium concentration
- Parathyroid hormone: effects on bone, effects on the kidney
- Vitamin D: biosynthesis and dietary introduction, effects on the intestine, effects on bone, effects on the immune system, rickets, and osteomalacia
- Calcitonin
- Biorhythms
- Melatonin
- Sleep-wake cycle
- Chronobiology and chrononutrition
- Laboratory: the work of the nutrition biologist
- Anamnesis, anthropometric measurements, bioimpedance analysis, estimation of nutritional requirements, elaboration of personalized diets
Texts/Bibliography
- Debellis, Poli. Nutrition, nutrition, and health. Edises
- Silverthorn Physiology CEA
Multimedia material used during lessons will be made available on AulaWeb, along with any articles, even in English, useful for deepening certain topics.
Teachers and Commissions
ILARIA DEMORI
Examination Commission
ILARIA DEMORI (President) ELENA GRASSELLI BRUNO PIETRO BURLANDO (Supplementary President)
Lessons
Start of Lessons
Consult the detailed schedule at the following link:
Lesson Times
__FISIOLOGIA E NUTRIZIONE UMANA
Exams
Examination Method
The exam consists of an oral interview of at least 20 minutes, conducted by a Commission composed of at least two members, during which the student will have to expose some of the topics covered in the lessons. There will be at least 2 appeals in the winter session (January-February) and 5 appeals in the summer session (June, July, September).
Assessment Method
The Commission verifies the achievement of the educational objectives of the course by asking diversified questions related to the program actually carried out during the course lessons. Details on the degree of in-depth study required for each topic will be provided during the lessons.
Objectives: Know the functioning of human body systems at the molecular, cellular, organ, and system levels. Acquire an integrated vision of physiological mechanisms regulating homeostasis and adaptation processes in humans. Know the functioning of the human body as a whole. Acquire an integrated vision of processes regulating human nutrition. Highlight the connection between structure and function at the organ and system levels.
Assessment: The oral exam allows starting from a topic covered in the lesson, evaluating knowledge of the fundamental elements of the subject, and connecting different topics, highlighting the student's ability to integrate various concepts. Schemes of homeostatic regulation of different functions will also be proposed, which the student will have to comment on.
Objectives: Understand simple pathophysiological situations resulting from the loss of homeostatic regulation. Know nutritional requirements. Know how the body digests, absorbs, and utilizes macronutrients. Understand the importance of micronutrients. Comprehend the importance of correct nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for maintaining health. Acquire a critical view of numerous dietary "fads" often spread by the media.
Assessment: During the interview, the Commission will verify if the student has acquired the ability to apply theoretical notions to simple concrete contexts that will be proposed in the form of examples, cases of diseases or disorders, research problems, classic experiments.
Objectives: Acquire correct terminology in the field of pathophysiology.
Assessment: The quality of the exposition, the fluency of the language, and the use of correct specialist scientific terminology will also be evaluated.
When the educational objectives are not achieved, the student is invited to better verify their knowledge and possibly avail themselves of further explanations by contacting the teacher in charge of the course.
Exam Calendar
Date | Time | Place | Type | Notes
---|---|---|---|---
14/01/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
06/02/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
20/02/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
10/06/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
30/06/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
15/07/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
31/07/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
17/09/2025 | 09:30 | GENOVA | Oral |
Other Information
Regular attendance is strongly recommended.
