Physiology and Integrated Homeostasis

Three main topics are covered:

-Study of weight and thermal homeostasis in relation to a model of dysfunction: obesity. To this end, we will examine energy balance in terms of food intake and energy expenditure, comprising basal metabolism, physical activity, and adaptive thermogenesis (AT), and their respective regulation.

-Study of biological rhythms, via the description of the nature and properties of biological rhythms (ultradian, circadian, and infradian), the description of endogenous circadian oscillators, and a detailed presentation of the molecular mechanisms of circadian clocks.

-Study of the different stages and physiological principles of breathing. Theoretical teaching will be supplemented by tutorials. Tutorials are based on document studies and the analysis of scientific articles in English. The choice of different scientific materials aims to show the interaction between the various topics covered and thus the concept of integrative physiology.

-Understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate energy balance.

-Discover how the deregulation of these mechanisms is involved in metabolic diseases such as obesity.

-Understand that circadian rhythms enable the body to anticipate and therefore respond in advance to periodic changes in the environment, thereby ensuring relative constancy in the internal environment (predictive homeostasis).

-Address the adaptive value of circadian rhythms on the functioning of the body, a concept that forms the basis of chronopharmacology.

-Know how to trace the path of oxygen from ventilation to its consumption at the tissue level

Knowledge of the basic concepts of physiology of major functions, nervous communication, and endocrine communication.

-Final exam 80% written

-Continuous assessment in tutorials 20%