Cell communication. Ca2+ as an intracellular messenger. Synaptic plasticity. Cardiac pacemaker potential. Excitation-contraction coupling and regulation of contraction. Molecular motors in muscle and in cell motility. Photoreceptors and chemoreceptors.
D’Angelo – Peres Fisiologia: molecole, cellule e sistemi. Edi Ermes
Aidley The Physiology of excitable cells, (IV ed) Cambridge University Press
Taglietti – Casella. Elementi di Fisiologia e Biofisica della cellula. La Goliardica Pavese s.r.l.
Nicholls et al. From neuron to brain. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publ.
Randall et al. Eckert animal physiology: mechanisms and adaptations V Ed Freeman and Company
Learning Objectives
Knowledge: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of the physiological processes occurring across cell membrane or in the cytoplasm. Competence: Evaluation of structure-function relationship at cell and molecular level. Skills: Reading and understanding scientific papers. Analysis and interpretation of experimental results
Prerequisites
General physiology, biochemistry, physics
Teaching Methods
Lectures
Further information
Attending to lectures is strongly recommended.
Original papers about some subject will be given to the student during the course.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam
Course program
Cell communication: inotropic and metabotropic receptors, membrane signal transduction, molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release. Slow synapses: direct and indirect action of G proteins. Cyclic AMP, inositoltrisphoshate and diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid pathways. Calcium as an intracellular messenger. Short term and long term synaptic plasticity. Long term potentiation and long term depression in the hippocampus. Spike timing dependent plasticity. Pacemaker cells and genesis of the cardiac pacemaker potential: “membrane clock” and “calcium clock”. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling in the striated muscle; triads, tetrads and feet; voltage-dependent and calcium-induced calcium release. Modulation of excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle. Molecular mechanisms of regulation of the contraction in striated and smooth muscle. Modulation of regulation. Molecular motors in muscle and cell motility. Mechano-chemical coupling in myosin II. Energy transduction in the photoreceptors. Chemoreception: mechanisms of taste and olfaction.