Download ANIMAL AND PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2010-11

ANIMAL AND PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2010-11
Teachers:
Animal Physiology (6 CFU) Dott. Giovannella Bruscalupi, Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello
Sviluppo (ex Istituto Fisiologia Generale), II floor, tel. 39 6 49912306.
e-mail: [email protected]
Plant Physiology (3 CFU) Prof. Felice Cervone, Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, II floor, tel: 39 6
49912517, e-mail: [email protected].
Target students: Environmental Sciences 3rd year
Level: introductive
Pre-requisites: knowledge of mathematics, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry and cell
biology.
Credits: 9 (6 Animal Physiolgy + 3 Plant Physiology)
SSD: BIO-09 e BIO-04
Content of the course
ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
The animal cell. Chemical composition, structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids
and proteins. Function of subcellular organelles. Cellular energetics. Plasma membrane:
structure, specialized domains. Transport across membranes: simple diffusion, facilitated
diffusion, active transport. Endocytosis and exocytosis. Trans-epithelial transport. Surface
receptors.
Electrophysiology Electric properties of the plasma membrane. Ionic basis of membrane
potential. The action potential and conductance of electric impulses. Nerve cell
organization. Synapses and impulse transmission. Spinal and autonomous neural circuits.
Sensory transduction.
Physiology of movement. Skeletal muscle: excitability, molecular basis of muscle
contraction, excitation – contraction coupling. Smooth muscle.
Cardiovascular system. Electrical activity of the heart, contractility, excitability, refractory
period. Regulation of cardiac output. Circulatory system: hemodynamics, arteries,
capillaries, veins, flux and pressure, transcapillary exchange. Arterial pressure regulation.
Respiratory system. Mechanical aspects. Blood gas transport and tissue gas exchange.
Central organization of breathing. Mechanical and chemical control of breathing.
The internal fluids. Water body content and compartimentation. Plasma proteins. Blood
pH. Osmotic regulation.
Renal function. Functional anatomy of th kidney. Ultrastructure and function of the
nephron: glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption and secretion. Medullary osmotic
gradient. Urine concentration. Ionic and volume regulation.
Nutrition, digestion and absorption. Energy balance. Carbohydrate, lipid and protein
digestion. Gastrointestinal secretions: acid, bases and digestive enzymes. Absorption in the
intestinal mucosa.
Hormonal control. General principles of endocrine physiology. Chemical classification of
hormones. Regulation of hormone secretion. Hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
Mechanism of action of peptidic and steroid hormones. Surface and intracellular receptors.
Signal transduction: second messengers. Glycemia regulation. Reproduction regulation.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Functional peculiarity of the plant cell. Vacuoles. Peroxysomes. Protein bodies.
Oleosomes. Plastids.
Plant cell wall. Composition, structure and biogenesis. Plasmodesms: structure and
function.
Electrochemical potential and water potential. Experimental methods for measurement of
water potential. The movement/flow of water in the plant. Long-distance transport.
Radical pressure. Cohesion-tension model. Soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Water soilroot transport. Water transport to leaves. Transpiration and its regulation. The stomes:
control of opening and closing.
Phloem translocation. Pressure-flow model of phloem transport.
Ionic pumps. Physiological meaning of the membrane electric potential. Calcium:
compartimentalisation, accumulation and mobilization.
Photosynthesis. Photosynthetic pigments. Spatial organization and function of the
photosystems. Non cyclic transport of electrons, donor and acceptors of electrons. Proton
transport and photophosphorylation. Cyclic and pseudocyclic transport. Tylacoid
membranes. Photoinhibition. Calvin cycle and its regulation. Photorespiration. CO2
concentration systems: C4 plants. CAM acid metabolism.
Skills to develop and learning outcomes expected
Understanding the mechanisms underlying the functioning of cells and organisms using experimental
data. Analysis of correlations between structure and function. Understanding the basic mechanisms of
homeostatic control and adaptation in cells and organisms.
Ability to execute, analyze and discuss reports and perform simple laboratory experiments.
CONTENT
(CFU)
5 CFU
Diffusion, osmosis,
enzymes (1 CFU )
Fisiologia Vegetale
(3 CFU)
Lectures
Lab
exercises
Lectures
Classroom
hours
40
Home study
hours
85
Total hours
per student
125
12
13
25
24
50
74
Check of the results
Final written test
and
optional
ongoing tests
Written reports and
oral discussion
Final written test
and
optional
ongoing tests
The evaluation will take place at the end of teaching with an oral exam on the whole
program, taking into account the results of two ongoing optional trials.
Recommended texts :
Randall Eckert : Fisiologia animale - Zanichelli
Richard D. : Fisiologia degli animali - Zanichelli
Poli A : Fisiologia degli animali . Regolazione Diversità Adattamento - Zanichelli
Hill R :Fisiologia animale - Zanichelli
Sherwood L: Fisiologia degli animali . Dai geni agli organismi - Zanichelli
Berne e Levy: Fisiologia - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Silverthorn : Fisiologia una visione integrata – Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
F. Cervone, P.Pupillo, C. Cresti : La Biologia Vegetale, 2003, Zanichelli