502432 - NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGY

courses

ID:

502432

Duration (hours):

16

CFU:

SSD:

FISIOLOGIA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (01/10/2025 - 16/01/2026)

Course Objectives

1. Knowledge and understanding: understand the significance of the nutritional properties of ingested foods; know the main characteristics and functions of the digestive system and the intestinal microbiota; be aware of the role of gastrointestinal motility. 2. Applied knowledge and understanding: be able to comprehend how the various functions of the digestive system are integrated to allow food digestion; use the knowledge acquired during lessons to further explore a topic assigned by the instructor. 3. Independent judgment: be able to evaluate how different types of diet can influence the digestive process. 4. Communication skills: be able to deliver a presentation in front of the instructor and classmates. 5. Learning skills: be able to independently search for information on PubMed to carry out group work on topics chosen by the instructor.

Course Prerequisites

To successfully approach this course, students are expected to have prior knowledge from the following subjects: - Biochemistry, with particular reference to the structure of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins; - Human Anatomy, with a focus on the digestive system; - Human Physiology.

Teaching Methods

The course is organized into lectures. Students will also be required to explore a topic of their choice through the preparation and presentation of a Project Work. Teaching materials will be made available via the KIRO e-learning platform.

Assessment Methods

Half of the final score will be detrmined with a written test / PC test Moreover, students will have to carry out a project work in small groups (3-5 students / group) on a topic among those proposed by the teacher and prepare a final report to be presented to the rest of the class through Power Point presentation (or similar).

Texts

Silverthon - Fisiologia - CEA
Zocchi - Principi di Fisiologia - EdiSES
Berne Levy - Principi di Fisiologia CEA

Elements of Nutrition and Metabolism General characteristics of the gastrointestinal system - functional anatomy - regulatory mechanisms Motility of the gastrointestinal system - Muscle activity - Chewing and swallowing - Esophageal motility - Gastric motility - Small intestine motility - Large intestine motility - Defecation Secretions of the gastrointestinal system Salivary secretion - Morphofunctional organization - Functions and composition of saliva - Regulation of salivary secretion Gastric secretion - Morphofunctional organization - Functions and composition of gastric juice - Regulation of gastric secretion - Gastric mucosal barrier Pancreatic secretion - Morphofunctional organization - Functions and composition of pancreatic juice - Regulation of pancreatic secretion Bile secretion - Morphofunctional organization of the liver - Functions and composition of bile - Regulation of bile secretion Intestinal secretion - Secretion of the small intestine - Secretion of the large intestine Digestion and absorption Mechanisms of digestion and absorption - Digestion and absorption of carbohydrates - Digestion and absorption of lipids - Digestion and absorption of proteins - Absorption of vitamins, particularly Vitamin B12 - Absorption of electrolytes, minerals, and water - Iron absorption - Calcium absorption Intestinal microbiota - Composition - Role - Interactions between host and intestinal microbiota