The course aims to provide solid knowledge on physiological processes, from the cellular to the organism level. In particular, the course will allow you to:

1) understand the functions and the mechanisms of the physiological processes at cellular, organismal, and system level and their regulation and functional integration through different levels of organization in living organisms;
2) understand the adaptive and homeostatic capacities of organisms in response to environmental changes, both social and physical.

The course will pose a solid basis for more specialized studies in neuroscience, behavioural physiology, comparative physiology, ecophysiology, and conservation physiology.

Learning
At the end of the course the students are expected to achieve the following knowledge and abilities:
Knowledge:
- Physiological processes and mechanisms in animals, with ability to connect and integrate different systems and other biological disciplines;
- Understand the physiological connections between systems, of the relationships between organism and environment (internal and external) mediated by physiological processes, including the basic knowledge of the experimental approaches, also pharmacological, for the study of physiological mechanisms with emphasis on the coping response to stress, environmental challenges, and the interaction between ecological and physiological processes.
Ability:
- Ability to interpret the results of physiological studies; to understand role of the physiological responses of the organisms to the social and non-social environment; being able to understand the evolutionary and functional connection between anatomy, physiology, behaviour and environment. Being aware of the animal diversity of mechanisms that control the activity of the organisms;
- Ability to describe physiological issues, with the appropriate technical/scientific language, both written and spoken;
- Ability to use the acquired knowledge for understanding the physiological processes and mechanisms, from the ionic and biochemical to the organismal level. The achievement of this goal will also be pursued with group discussions on specific topics, also suggested by the students.