500718 - CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY

courses

ID:

500718

Duration (hours):

72

CFU:

SSD:

FISIOLOGIA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (29/09/2025 - 16/01/2026)

Course Objectives

The educational objectives of the course are: 1. Know, understand, and remember the basis of cellular communication (carriers, ionic channels, membrane receptors, simple diffusion mechanism), neural comunication, the basis of the muscular excitability and contraction coupling in the skeletal muscle and the hearth muscle; 2. Be able to apply the acquired knowledge in different disciplinary context; 3. Achieved autonomy in critically reading, understanding and evaluating scientific literature in the field of Cellular Physiology; 4. Be able to communicate the knowledge learned in the specific field with a correct scientific language and scientific rigor; 5. To have acquired the cultural tools to allow the independent study of other topics related to the Cellular Physiology.

Course Prerequisites

An adequate knowledge of general physiology, biochemistry, physics and mathematics is required

Teaching Methods

The following teaching methods and strategies will be used: • Frontal lessons • Update seminaries • Watching video New teaching methodologies are also used, such as: case-based teaching, problem-based teaching, mock trials. Inclusive teaching (e.g. private lectures) will be exploited for all the eligible students.

Assessment Methods

The exam consists of a written test, at the end of the course, in which the student must demonstrate that he has acquired knowledge on the topics covered during the lessons. The written exam will include 15 multiple choice questions and 3 open questions. , in particular, in answering the open questions the student must demonstrate that he has processed the information by making logical connections. Furthermore, the student will be invited to present a scientific article relating to the topics covered in class which will be a source of discussion with the teacher.

Texts

FISIOLOGIA, D. U. Silverthorn, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana Fisiologia e biofisica della cellula - Taglietti e Casella - Ed. Edises

COURSE PROGRAM  The plasma membrane and the exchanges of matter and energy between inside and outside.  Electrical properties of the membrane:  Ionic gradients  Generation of electrical signals  Resting membrane potential  Voltage-gated ion channels: structure and function, systematics of ion channels, study of ion channels: the patch-clamp.  dynamics and role of Ca2 signals  ion channels and cancer  Action potential Examples and analysis of experimental traces.  Transmission of signals in axons  Chemical synapses  Electrical synapses  Analysis of bioelectrical signals.  Channelopathies  Carriers: structure and function  Membrane receptors  Intracellular transduction pathways  Excitable cells:  Neuronal excitability  Excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle  Excitation and contraction in the cardiac muscle  The neuromuscular junction