Suggested Topics for Discussion Presentations (BSCI 440)

General Principles (exam 1)

1. Solute and water transport by cell membranes: membrane structure and components, diffusion and osmosis, primary active transport, co-transport and exchange. Transport of water.

2. Epithelia: types and functions. Cell polarity and location of major types of transporters. Intercellular junctions. Typical “epithelial” disorders: Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes Insipidus (briefly).

3. Homeostasis. Control feedback loops. Major types of cellular/organismal reactions. Cell-to-cell communications. Hormones and neurotransmitters.

4. Basics of endocrinology: major glands and hormones; cascades of endocrine reactions. Common disorders.

5. Principles of cell-to-cell signaling: major types of receptors and secondary messenger pathways (G-protein coupled pathways, TK, NO, nuclear receptors). Examples of cascades and cellular reactions.

6. Basics of electrophysiology: membrane potentials, ion channels and nerve impulse generation. Parameters that control the speed of spike propagation (optional). Synaptic transmission.

7. Homeostatic control by the Nervous System. Reflex loops and their components. Areas of CNS involved in the homeostatic control. Autonomic nervous system: branches, anatomy, ganglia and characteristics of fibers. Adrenal medulla.

8. Three types of muscles and their major characteristics and functions. Cellular anatomy, speed of contraction, tension-length curves and mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling.

9. Principles of pharmacology. Affinity of drug binding. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Major types of pharmacological agents and where/how do they act.

10. Blood components. Plasma and the mechanism of clotting. Signaling pathways involved in clotting.

11. Cellular components of blood. Inflammation and innate immunity.

12. Acquired immunity, lymphocytes and antibody production.

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Topics (exam 2).

1. Hemodynamics: laminar and turbulent flow, resistance, cross-section and velocity. Anatomy of vascular walls and the law of Laplace. Blood as non-ideal fluid.

2. Distribution of blood in different circulatory compartmemnts. Blood flow through the systemic circuit, roles of arterial constriction and venoconstriction in blood pressure regulation.

3. Fluid distribution between the blood bed and interstitium. Starling’s capillary hypothesis and colloid-osmotic properties of blood. Role of lymph and causes of edema.

4. The Heart. The anatomy and cardiac cycle. ECG and detailed explanation of Wigger’s diagram.

5. Autorhythmic and conducting elements in the Heart. The electrophysiology of pacemaker. Sympathetic and parasympathetic control of the heart activity. Arrhythmias.

6. Systemic and pulmonary blood flow, Starling’s law of the heart. Cardiac output and venous return. Blood pressure regulation, neural and renal mechanisms. Hypertension.

7. Cardiovascular function during exercise. Analysis of sympathetic function and the paracrine effect of metabolites.

8. Blood supply to the heart (from Guyton). Cardiovascular disease: ischemia.

9. The anatomy lungs and airways. Mechanics of breathing, roles of the rib cage and diaphragm. Lung volumes at different regimes.

10. Alveolar compliance and elasticity. Surface tension and the role of sufactant. Compliance-related pulmonary disorders. The role of ciliary epithelia of airways. Cystic fibrosos.

11. Gas exchange and transport. Partial pressures and solubilities of gases. Hemoglobin saturation curves, Bohr effect. Transport of CO₂. Chloride shift, Haldane effect.

12. The pulmonary circulation loop. Autoregulation of microcirculation in lungs, paracrine effects of gases. Ventilation/perfusion ratio. Pressures of O₂ and CO₂ in different body compartments.

13. Pulmonary disorders: asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary edema.

Renal Physiology (exam 3)

1. Anatomy of the urinary system. Functions of kidney. Kidney and nephron anatomy.

2. Glomerular filtration: pressures, volumes, osmolarities. Mechanisms of GFR regulation.

3. Secretion and reabsorption. Transporters involved in this process. Relationships between filtration, secretion excretion and reabsorption. Examples of substances handled differently by the kidney.

4. Renal clearance calculations.

5. Functional parts of the nephron. Processes in PCT, in the loop of Henle, DCT and collecting duct.

6. Water reabsorption. Aquaporins and control of their function by vasopressin (ADH). Diuretics and their mechanisms.

7. Water and electrolyte homeostasis. Responses to hyper- and hypo-volumea, or changes of osmolarity (dehydration). Renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system.

8. Metabolism of Na, K, Ca. Aldosteron and Parathyroid hormone.

9. Acid/base balance, body buffers, roles of kidney and respiration.

Digestion (part of the final exam)

1. Functional Anatomy of the Digestive system

2. Gastrointestinal secretions. Pancreas and pancreatic disorders.

3. Nutrients and the biochemistry of digestion. Digestion of fat.

4. Enteric nervous system.

5. Gastric hormones