SubjectsSubjects(version: 978)
Course, academic year 2025/2026
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Fundamentals of Animal Physiology - MB152P04
Title: Fundamentals of Animal Physiology
Czech title: Základy fyziologie živočichů
Guaranteed by: Department of Physiology (31-152)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2025
Semester: winter
E-Credits: 4
Examination process: winter s.:written
Hours per week, examination: winter s.:3/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: unlimited
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: MUDr. Mgr. Helena Janíčková, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): RNDr. Lukáš Alán, Ph.D.
MUDr. Mgr. Helena Janíčková, Ph.D.
RNDr. Petr Zouhar, Ph.D.
Incompatibility : MB150P07, MB150P26B, MB150P60, MB152P01
Is incompatible with: MB150P07, MB150P60, MB152P01, MB150P26B
Is complex co-requisite for: MB150C26C
Annotation -
The course provides an overview of the basic principles of animal physiology, with a primary focus on human physiology. The course is structured according to the main physiological systems and offers a comprehensive understanding of the functions of the nervous,
endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems, with a focus on the mechanisms that regulate physiological functions. Attention is also given to how physiological functions are integrated at the level of the whole
organism and how they allow the individual to respond to environmental changes. The course is suitable for students who wish to understand how an organism's basic life functions are maintained.
Last update: Horníková Daniela, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.05.2025)
Literature -

1. W.F. Boron, E.L. Boulpaep: Medical Physiology. Elsevier, 2017

2. W.F. Ganong: Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 26th Edition. McGraw Hill / Medical, 2019

3. L.Sherwood, H. Klandorf, P.H. Yancey: Animal Physiology. From Genes to Organisms. Thomson, Brooks, Cole, 2005

4. S. Silbernagl, A. Despopoulos: Color Atlas of Physiology, 7th Edition. Thieme, 2015

Last update: Horníková Daniela, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.05.2025)
Requirements to the exam -

The course concludes with a final written test.

Last update: Horníková Daniela, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.05.2025)
Syllabus -

1. Animal physiology - definition, history. Organization on the level of cells, tissues, and organs. Homeostasis. Principles of regulation. Acclimation and adaptation.

2. Cellular and neuronal communication. Biological membranes, membrane transport. Membrane potential. Receptors, ion channels, neurons and synapses.

3. Central and peripheral nervous systems in vertebrates. Functional anatomy of the brain. Neural circuits and connectivity. Neural functions, learning and behavior. Blood-brain barrier. Autonomic nervous system.

4. Physiology of the sensory system. General and special senses, including touch, pain, temperature, proprioception, vision, hearing, taste and smell.

5. Muscles and movement. Skeletal and smooth muscles, mechanics and energetics of muscle contraction, regulation of motoric activity.

6. Circulation. Evolution, circulation fluids - blood, lymph, hemolymph. Arteries and veins, microcirculation, heart. Control of blood pressure and cardiac output.

7. Respiration and transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in terrestrial and aquatic animals. Mechanics of respiration, ventilation and perfusion of lungs and gills, gas exchange in respiratory organs and tissues, blood pigments, tissue respiration and regulation.

8. Osmotic homeostasis. Excretion. Urine - glomerular filtration and tubular processes. Osmoregulation in environments differing by osmotic pressure.

9. Nutrition and digestion. Food intake and absorption. Gastrointestinal secretion. Neurohumoral regulation of gastrointestinal function. Specificities of carnivores vs. herbivores. Ruminants.

10. Energy metabolism. Regulation of body temperature. Energy storage. Fasting and starvation. Food intake regulation.

11. Endocrine system and hormones. Organization of endocrine regulation, endocrine regulation of growth, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, endocrine pancreas, parathyroid glands and regulation of calcium homeostasis.

12. Reproduction. The male and female reproductive systems, their development and hormone regulation. The placenta in vertebrates and the mammary glands in mammals.

Last update: Horníková Daniela, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.05.2025)
 
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