Human Physiology

The teaching aims to provide a deep preparation on the functions of organ systems, as well as their integrated view, as an assumption to the study of diseases affecting the human body. Great attention will be addressed to the description of physiological mechanisms at cellular and molecular level as a possible target of pharmacological therapies. The teaching will also provide knowledge of the main tests/methods for evaluating the functionality of organs and systems. The theoretical and practical knowledge in physiology will be forwarded through logical and 'problem solving' approaches, rather than mnemonic, and by a correct technical terminology that would allow students to efficiently talk with a proper medical-scientific terminology, then moving to the following educational path. Aim of the teaching is that participants acquire knowledge and an advanced scientific background to implement the professional skills of the pharmacist. The educational objective of this teaching, indeed, is to stimulate the health-care informant abilities to general public, so that the pharmacist can represent a connection among patients, medical doctors and public health system, proposing healthy lifestyles as well as providing expertise for the management of pathophysiological and/or physiotherapeutic issues.

After teaching completion, the student should achieve a basic and advanced skills on the functions of the human body, in an integrated view of the biological mechanisms involved. The student should also achieve competences on the main tests/methods for evaluating the functionality of organs and systems. The teaching is expecting to develop in the student the abilities/competences, as well as disciplinary and methodological skills, which will enable to understand the biological aspects of the next professionalizing courses and to face and solve logical problems related to biological needs as well as their possible alterations. The expected learning includes also other soft skills, like study strategies to implement the learning abilities and a continuous scientific/professional updating; adequate communication skills and medical-scientific terminology, to establish a close link among patients, medical doctors and the public health system; ruling skills which allow to the next pharmacist a solid counseling activity.