Name and Surname: Cristina Zona Qualification: Associate Professor in Physiology Scientific Sector: BIO/09 Contact: e-mail: zona@uniroma2.it; phone: +39 06 7259 6424 - 6431; office: F124, South Tower, Faculty of Medicine, Via Montpellier, 1 - 00133 Rome, Italy Biography: Cristina Zona Curriculum vitae Dr. Cristina Zona was born in Rome, Italy and she graduated with honours in Mathematics at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy. She joined the University of Rome "La Sapienza", Institute of Human Physiology, and she transferred to the University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Science and subsequently to the Department of Neuroscience. From 1982 until 1985 she was post-doctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Cybernetic and Biophysics, Council National of Research, Camogli, Genova, Italy, in the Department of Neurophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry of Munich, Germany and in the Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. In 1989, 1990 and 2002 she was visiting scientist in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, in the Department of Physiology, Kioto, Japan and in the Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School of Boston, U.S.A. Since 2000 she has been Associate Professor in Human Physiology at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata", at present in the Department of Systems Medicine. In 2014 she has been found suitable as a Full Professor in Physiology. Since 1985 she has been head of the laboratory of Electrophysiology in the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, and since 1996 has been head of the laboratory of Neuro-biophysics at I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy. Dr. Zona’s studies have dealt with neuronal excitability, ionic channels modulation and mechanisms of action of drugs on the Central Nervous System using electrophysiological techniques on animal models. Another major field of interest of Dr. Zona has been the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In this respect, she has focused on the altered functionality of the voltage-dependent-ionic channels and ionotropic receptors in a genetic model of ALS. She received many operating grants during all the years of research including the Telethon Foundation Italy, FIRB and Latran Foundation, France. She has been invited to be a referee by different international scientific journals. Dr. Zona is a member of the Italian, European and American Society of Neuroscience and of the Italian Society of Physiology. Title of teaching module: Physiology Description of teaching module (teaching program): Physiology Credits: 8 Course objectives This is a course designed to provide students with a deeper understanding of important structural features of tissues and organs making up the human body and how the functions of these tissues and organs are integrated. Program Physiology of the membranes. Membrane structure and functions. Membrane potential and ionic concentrations. Nernst law and Goldman equation. Electrical model and passive properties of the cell membrane. The ionic basis of action potential. The ionic channels: Na+, K+ and Ca++ channels. The Neurons : cellular and network properties. The structure of neurons. The graduate potential and the electrotonic propagation. Action potential propagation. Saltatory conduction of the action potential. Synaptic transmission: electrical and chemical synapses. Quantale release of neurotransmitter. Inhibitory and excitatory synapses. Neurotransmitters and their receptors. Synaptic integration: temporal and spatial summation. Synaptic plasticity. Neuromuscular junction and synapse. The Cellular physiology of the muscles. Cellular and molecular structure of the skeletal muscle. Molecular basis of skeletal muscle contraction. Excitation-contraction coupling. Isometric and isotonic contraction. Length-tension curve. Twitch-contraction and tetanus. Load-velocity relationship and muscle power. Muscle fatigue. The motor units and control of muscle tension. Skeletal muscle receptors. Neuronal reflexes. Cardiac muscle and smooth muscle: cellular structure, mechanisms of contraction and control. The Cardiovascular physiology. Heart structure. Pacemaker activity of the heart. Action potentials of the cardiac cells. The cardiac pump and mechanical events of the cardiac cycle: systole and diastole. The atrial, ventricular and aortic pressure. The FrankStarling law. The electrocardiogram (ECG). Cardiac output and its control. Effects of autonomic nervous system influences on the heart control. Hemodynamics and the blood vessels. Relationships between pressure, flow and resistance. The Poiseuille's law. Local and extrinsic controls of arterioles. The capillaries and the microcirculation. Fluid filtration and Starling forces. The venous return. Regulation of systemic arterial pressure. Arterial baroreceptors and the medullary cardiovascular center. The blood. Plasma and cellular elements of blood. Platelets and coagulation. The Respiratory physiology. Organization of the respiratory system. Mechanics of breathing. The ventilation and pressures. The lung compliance and the surface tension. The Laplace law. The respiratory muscles. Alveolar ventilation. Local control of the ventilation. Gas exchange. The partial pressures and partial pressure gradients. Gas transport. O2-Hb dissociation curve. Effects of pH, temperature on the O2-Hb saturation curve. Transport of CO2 in the blood. Control of respiration. Control of ventilation mediated by central and peripheral chemoreceptors. The Urinary system. The functions of the urinary system. The nephron and its vascular component. The glomerular filtration and forces responsible for glomerular filtration. The tubular reabsorption. Reabsorption of Na+ mediated by aldosterone. Activation and functions of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Tubular secretion. Mechanism of H+, K+ and organic ions secretion. Functions of organic ion secretory systems. Urine excretion and plasma clearance. The Henle-loop and the countercurrent-multiplier system. Excretion of urine of varying concentrations. Medullary countercurrent system. Vasopressincontrolled H2O reabsorption. Micturition and its control. Fluid and acid-base balance. The physiology of the Nervous System. The central nervous system. Cells and organization of the Nervous System. Cerebral cortex. Sensory perception and motor control. Association areas and cerebral specialization. Basal nuclei, thalamus and hypothalamus. Emotion, behavior and motivation. Learning and memory. Cerebellum, Brain stem, spinal cord. Spinal reflex. The peripheral nervous system: afferent division. Receptor physiology. The pain. The vision. Hearing and equilibrium. Chemical senses: Taste and smell. The peripheral nervous system: efferent division. Autonomic nervous system: sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The gastrointestinal system. General aspects of digestion. Digestive processes: motility, secretion, digestion, and absorption. Regulation of digestive function. The enteric nervous system. Mouth and salivary secretion. Pharynx and esophagus. Stomach. Gastric motility and secretion. Digestion and absorption in the stomach. Pancreatic and biliary secretions. Small and large intestine: motility, secretion, digestion and absorption. Colonic bacteria and composition of feces. The endocrine system. General principles of endocrinology. The hormones: synthesis, release and mechanisms of action. The secretory and target cells: membrane receptors, second messengers and intracellular receptor systems. The Hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Vasopression and oxytocin. Endocrine control of growth. The reproductive glands and the sexual hormones. Suggested books: Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems Lauralee Sherwood Publisher:Brooks/Cole- CENCAGE Learning Human Physiology An Integrated Approach Dee Unglaub Silverthon Publisher: Pearson New International Edition