AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The sub-module aims at providing specific knowledge on the physiological mechanisms underlying the interactions between animals and marine environments  at different degrees of biological organization,  from the cellular to the organism level. In particular, the strategies utilized by marine organisms to respond to fluctuations of the main abiotic variables (es: Temperature, salinity, O2 level) and the molecular and functional mechanisms at the basis of  adaptation to different environments, will be analyzed. Several case studies will be illustrated, from protozoans to marine mammals, that reflect the solutions adopted by different organisms in environments characterized by different abiotic variables.  

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance to the lectures will allow the student to acquire basic knowledge to understand how different marine animals during evolution have adopted different strategies to survive and reproduce facing the physico-chemical characteristics of different marine environments, leading to large biodiversity. Students will be thus able to:

- know the main abiotic variables of the marine environment that affect organism physiology (T,S, O2, light) and the extent and duration of environmental changes in the main marine environments;

- identify those environmental variables (T, S, O2, S, pH) that can represent a source of stress for marine organism and to describe the main strategies adopted in response to environmental changes (avoidance, conformity, regulation);

- know the general mechanism of main sensory organs and to understand and relate the evolution of different sensory systems to adaptation to different environments;

- describe osmotic changes between organisms and the environment and understand the strategies developed to maintain water and salt homeostasis in different organisms, in relation to their morpho-functional characteristics and type of environments;

- describe movement and floating strategies characteristics of different marine organisms, also in relation to behavior.

Knowledge and understanding of these subjects will provide the student with the means to face the general problems of development and conservation of marine biodiversity also in the light of global changes and human impact on the marine environment.

PREREQUISITES

Inorganic and organic chemistry, animal physiology, marine biology, marine ecology.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures will be given using multimedia presentations. Attendance to the lectures is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.

The way lessons are taught may be modified due to emergencies that prevent in-person lessons from being held. In this case, classes will be held via the Teams platform using suitable substitute teaching tools.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The sub-module will be focused on the presentation and discussion of the following topics:

- main variables in the marine environment (T,S, O2, light); extent and duration of their fluctuations; energy and resource availability in the physiological responses to environmental variables; the effects of size;

- sensing the environment in marine organisms; sensory receptors and cells; chemioreception, mechanoreception, photoreception; production and reception of sounds and electrical fields;

- osmotic exchanges between organisms and the environment: balance of water and solutes, strategies in different organisms in relation to evolution and type of environment; stenohaline and euryhalines; osmoconformity and osmoregulation in marine protozoans, molluscas, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds; the gills as the major osmoregulatory organ; salt glands; anadromous and catadromous species; characteristics of epithelial and tubular extcretory organs and their evolution form invertebrates to vertebrates; excretions of nitrogen catabolites;

- feeding and nutrition: physiological processes and chemical energy; role of ATP; nutrient; enzymatic hydrolysis; endocellular and extracellular digestion; absorption; organization and functions of digestive systems; motility of the gut; examples of digestive systems;

- motility and flotations: muscle and locomotor activity in fish and cephalopods; the bivalve catch muscle;

- floating strategies; gas gland in fish and mechanisms of gas secretion;

- endocrine regulation of physiological functions: neurosecretion and endocrine systems; main endocrine gland and hormones in invertebrates and vertebrates: roles in osmoregulation, growth and reproduction; endocrine disruptors: effects of emerging contaminants on endocrine systems, in particular on sexual development and reproduction.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Poli, Fabbri : Fisiologia degli animali marini (Zanichelli)

- Teaching material provided by the teacher  (bibliography,  ppt presentations).

All teaching materials will be given to the students at the end of the course; part of it (scientific papers, ppt presentations) will be available on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

For lessons start and timetable visit: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment of learning goals will consist in an oral examination, that will evaluate  the acquired knowledge on the basal aspects of the subject,  the capacity to connect the different topics, and to apply theoretical knowledge to simple practical context.  The quality of public, speaking, , the correct utilization of scientific language and the capacity of critical reasoning will be also evaluated.

The grade of the module MECHANISMS AND ADAPTATIONS will be averaged with the grade of the module BIOMARKERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS in order to obtain the final grade of the course PHYSIOLOGY OF MARINE ORGANISMS.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.