Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in Medicina Veterinaria

The student must possess good physical and biological chemistry bases essential for understanding the functional mechanisms of the organism; he must also know how to recall the acquired notions related to the structural and functional organization of cells, tissues, up to the organs. Furthermore, it must have a solid basis related to metabolic processes in animals of veterinary interest and in the mechanisms of action of enzymes, vitamins and hormones. Required to pass the following exams: Veterinary Anatomy II (SVE0015) and Biochemistry (VET0006)

Propaedeutic to:
SVE0013 Physiology and animal nutrition
SVE0014 Veterinary general pathology, pathophysiology and parasitology

The course aims to provide students with a general understanding of the mechanisms underlying the functional relationship between the various systems involved in the physiological processes that take place within the organism of different animal species of veterinary interest. In particular, the purpose of teaching is to make students acquire knowledge of animal physiology as well as knowledge on animal behavior and factors that doing directly or indirectly on the animal affect its welfare. The course aims to make students understand the cultural and professional importance of the topics treated in an interpretative key in professional practice and in particular for the understanding of pathology, pharmacology, medical clinic and behavioral medicine.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course the student must demonstrate that he has acquired the basics of the physiology of the cell, nervous and endocrine systems, but also that he understand the causal links between specific stimuli and the biological processes that operate for the maintenance of homeostasis. He must also have knowledge of the stages of behavioral development and understand how the environment and handling can influence the behavior of individuals of species of veterinary interest (PA_1.20_4, PA_1.20_20, EQ_1.20_4) in the context of respect for their welfare.

 

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Given an initial situation and an impairment of this condition, the student will be able to predict and describe the response mechanisms and whether these responses are sufficient or not to maintain homeostasis. It will also be able to perform an assessment of the behavior of species of veterinary interest through suitable tools (drafting of a behavioral sheet; PA_1.20_5, PA_1.20_21, EQ_1.20_5, CA_1.20_8).

 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The student must demonstrate correct and timely use of specialist terminology when exposing contents in a physiological / ethological context and a logical and sequential examination of the cause / effect sequences of the physiological processes of the nervous, hormonal (TB_20) and behavioral controls. The student will be able to comment and discuss critically and independently the data and issues related to the course covered in the scientific literature (TB_1).

 

LEARNING SKILLS

The student will develop learning skills useful to understand the main nervous, hormonal (TB_20) and ethological (PA_1.20_6) mechanisms and apply them in the clinical and behavioral application.

The course consists of 60 hours of lectures and 18 hours exercises repeated in which the students will be divided into 3 groups (the nervous system and endocrine) or 4 groups (ethology).

In the classroom during the lessons are asked synthetic questions on the topics covered highlighting in this way fundamental points. This method also helps the student to correctly use the communication skills useful for completing the final exam and the subsequent course of study.

The exercises, provide a strong interactive component between teacher and students and are designed to strengthen and facilitate the understanding of the concepts presented in class on the cell physiology and nervous system (cellular homeostasis, physiology of the neuron, reflexes somatic, hormonal adjustments, analysis hormonal) and ethology (direct and indirect parameters, behavioral data). During the exercises the students will be called in first person to answer questions, execute analytical technical procedures or collect, analyze and discuss objective data on the proposed themes.

The final assessment consists in an oral discussion and two written tests.

The oral discussion is held using informatics tools (power point presentation or similar), on scientific articles concerning topics covered during the classes. The discussion is conceived to verify the acquisition of a correct scientific language and the ability to comment and discuss in a critical and autonomous way the themes presented during the course. This discussion is mandatory to access the written exams.

The two written tests consist in quizzes with multiple-choice questions: one covering cell physiology, nervous system physiology and endocrinology and another covering ethology. The score of the such tests is expressed in 30^th.

The final exam score is expressed in 30^th and it is given by weighted average of the two tests + adjunctive score obtained by attending sessions of formative assessment during the course as follows: at the end of each argument related to the cell, nervous system physiology and endocrinology, students will be given questions on the Socrative platform (android and iOS app) . During the tests students will have free access to the teaching material and are invited to interact with each other. For each of the 2 subjects, cell and nervous system physiology AND endocrinology, 0,5 points will be given when the students correctly answer 50% + 1 or more of the total number of questions proposed during all the tests.

During the semester students can attend an ongoing written test on the arguments of cell physiology, nervous system physiology and endocrinology. The test has the same modalities and score of the final written test. The test has an expiration date of one year.

Teaching material on e-learning platform: video recordings on the behavior, slides, scientific articles, video recordings theoretical lessons. https://elearning.unito.it/samev/course/index.php?categoryid=98

• Cell Physiology

- An introduction to Physiology: the cell and the cell membrane, membrane potential; receptors, analysis of the chemical signal transduction cellular activation mechanism receptor coupled to G protein and receptor tyrosine kynase; mechanism for amplification of the signal.

- Systems to shut down the signal. Mechanisms of trasductional modifications and implications in pathogenesis.

• Physiology of the Nervous System

- The nervous system: general principles, physiology of the neuron and synapse, the sensitivity of the systems, motor and integrative neurophysiology, and the special senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell), the central and autonomous nervous systems: integrations centers and mechanisms of action.

• Endocrinology

- Endocrine system: hypothalamus-pituitary axis: action and control of the secretion of pituitary hormones.

- Thyroid: action and control of secretion of thyroid hormones.

- Hormones associated with metabolism of calcium: calcitonin, calcitriol and parathyroid.

- Endocrine pancreas: insulin and glucagon, action and control of secretion. Control blood glucose in monogastric and poligastric.

- Adrenal glands: the hormones of the cortical and medullary hormones. Action and control of the secretion of mineralcorticoids, glucocorticoids and adrenal medulary hormones

• Ethology

- Introduction to ethological applied research. The aims of the ethological study: examples on different species of domestic and wild animals.

- Physiological approach and evolutionary at ethological study. Influence of genetic components and environmental development of behavior.

- Man and animal relationship the domestication; the example of the dog and of the cat

- Animal Behavior: fundamental processes. Instinct and learning.

- Ethological research: methods of observation and recording of animal behavior. Ethogram in different animal species.

- Stages of development in the different animal species.

- Animal communication.

- Animal welfare: definition and evaluation. Direct and indirect parameters of wellbeing. Stress: systems mainly involved in the activation of the mechanism of stress. Major behavioral disorders and their evaluation

 

Le lezioni pratiche, gestite principalmente suddividendo gli studenti in gruppi; verranno svolte presso il laboratorio chimico, in aula e presso l'Azienda Zootecnica e verteranno su questi specifici argomenti:

• Fisiologia della cellula

- Osmosi e valutazione fragilità cellulare e/o effetti apoptotici su linee cellulari in risposta a diverse soluzioni saline, conta cellulare

• Fisiologia del Sistema Nervoso

- Autovalutazione ed esecuzione dei principali riflessi somatici evocabili e dimostrazione su animali dei principali riflessi propriocettivi.

• Endocrinologia

- Quantificazione degli ormoni sessuali su campioni di plasma tramite saggio Elisa indiretto.

•  Etologia

- Osservazione e valutazione di parametri diretti (indicatori fisiologici ed etologici) ed indiretti (indicatori strutturali e gestionali) per definire le condizioni di benessere all'interno di un allevamento.

- Osservazioni e valutazione delle interazioni comportamentali intraspecifiche nel cane: segnali calmanti, disturbi comportamentali.

- Stesura e compilazione della scheda comportamentale

Practical activities, mainly managed by dividing the students into groups; will be carried out at the chemical laboratory, in the classroom and at zootechnical farm and will focus on these specific topics:

• Cell Physiology

- Osmosis and evaluation of cell fragility and / or apoptotic effects on cell lines in response to different saline solutions, cell counts.

• Physiology of Nervous System

- Self-evaluation and execution of the main evocative somatic reflexes and demonstration on animals of the main proprioceptive reflexes.

• Endocrinology

- Quantification of sex hormones on plasma samples by direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

• Ethology

- Observation and evaluation of direct parameters (physiological and ethological indicators) and indirect parameters (structural and management indicators) to define the conditions of wellbeing within a farm and the welfare conditions.

- Observations and assessment of behavioral intraspecific interactions in dog: appeasement signals, behavioral disorders. 

- Drafting of behavioral card.

Reference texts

Sjaastad O., Hove K., Sand O.: Physiology of Domestic Animals. Scandinavian Veterinary Press.

Houpt - Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists - Iowa State University Press, Ames, Jova

Optional texts

- Guyton A.C., Hall J.E.: Fisiologia medica. EdiSES.

The teaching activity modalities may vary according to the limitations imposed by the current health crisis. In any case, the distance learning method is guaranteed for the entire academic year.

Teaching material can be found in the course of teaching on the Unito Moodle platform. https://elearning.unito.it/samev/course/view.php?id=1583