AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student will have to know and describe the basic notions of the physiology of the digestive system and food sciences; needs be able to compare and distinguish the biological role of nutrients and critically evaluate their integration in maintaining the homeostasis of the individual.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Digestive system

• Smooth muscle

• Anatomo-functional organization

• Mechanical events: chewing, swallowing, gastro-intestinal and biliary tract motility.

• Secretory events: salivary, gastric, hepatic and pancreatic.

• Digestion and absorption processes.

• Enteric nervous system

Organic and inorganic nutrients

• Glucids, lipids, proteins. Classification, chemical structure, metabolic use.

• The water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins: content in food, biological meaning, deficiency syndromes.

•.Minerals and trace minerals. Biological meaning.

• Water and electrolytes

Energy metabolism

• Caloric value of nutrients

• Direct and indirect calorimetry.

• Basal metabolism, food and exercise thermogenesis. Energy balance.

Body composition

• Body composition lean mass and fat mass

• Indirect determination methods: weight, body mass index (BMI), plicometry and impedance measurement.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Canella- Scienza della Nutrizione. EDI-ERMES

Silverthorn. Fisiologia Umana. Casa editrice Ambrosiana.

Sherwood - Fondamenti di Fisiologia Umana – Piccin

Stanfield - Fisiologia - EDISES

Vander - Fisiologia - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

Battaglia-Noè. Elementi di fisiologia e scienza dell'alimentazione - Casa Editrice Mc Graw Hill