Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, you will have acquired theoretical knowledge and developed your ability to apply this knowledge in a practical context. You will have developed skills related to each system studied (cellular, neuro-muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory). The new knowledge will build on your fundamental knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology and histology. It is therefore important that you have a solid foundation in basic sciences. New achievements will focus on the knowledge and understanding of basic physiological mechanisms, both cellular and systemic.

Goals

You will put basic knowledge of chemistry, physics and biology together and apply them at a cellular level, at a systemic level, and integrated to the whole animal. At the end of this course you should be able to:
  • Understand and describe the general functioning of a cell, and more particularly the movements taking place at the membrane level (channels, transport).
  • Describe the functioning of the neuromuscular system including: the functioning of neurons, their interneuronal communication, the neuromuscular junction and muscle contraction
  • Understand basic cellular physiological mechanisms and be able to integrate them into the study of physiological systems.
  • Know and describe the normal functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
  • Understand and explain the interactions between these systems in simple clinical situations
  • Carry out the basic tests/acts allowing the investigation of the different systems
  • Interpret the results of measurements carried out via these tests/procedures, and identify the stimulated and/or altered mechanisms leading to an abnormal response
 
This learning prepares you for other teaching activities relating to animal physiology, whether in biology or veterinary medicine.

 

 

Content

After an introduction to cellular physiology, the student will learn the functioning of the neuromuscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Cellular physiology courses first address the mechanisms and particularities of eukaryotic cells (membrane, channels, transport).

This initial knowledge then makes it possible to learn the particularities of the physiology of the neuromuscular system including: the functioning of neurons, nerve communication, and, ultimately, muscle contraction (with the particularities of the neuromuscular junction).

Learning continues by addressing a particular muscle, the heart muscle, during courses on the cardiovascular system. These also include concepts relating to vascular dynamics, its control and coagulation. Concepts relating to the respiratory system finalize the course. These concepts include, among other things: gas exchanges, control of respiration, as well as the integration of respiratory and cardiovascular responses during an alteration of one of these systems.

This course also includes practicals (TP/TD in French) described in the "exercise" section.

Table of contents

Cell Physiology - Part F. Sylvestre:

1. Membranes, channels, and transport

2. Physiology of neuronal function

3. Nervous communication

4. Muscles and movements


 

Animal Physiology - Dr. Fanny Hontoir

5. Cardiovascular physiology

  • General organization of the cardiovascular system
  • The heart and cardiac output
  • Capillaries, site of exchange
  • Cardiac contractions, pacemaker, and heart rate
  • Cardiac revolution and cardiac function
  • Peripheral vascular resistance and Poiseuille's law
  • Capillaries (Fick's law and Starling's law)
  • The lymphatic system
  • Blood flow control (intrinsic and extrinsic)
  • Hemostasis and coagulation


6. Respiratory physiology


  • Ventilation mechanics
  • Airflow resistance and airway diameter
  • Surfactant, elasticity, and pulmonary compliance
  • Dead space, ventilation-perfusion
  • Ventilation control
  • Non-respiratory functions of the respiratory system


7. practicals (TP/TD) given during the period


Exercices

Tutorials and/or practical work are devoted to each chapter of the course.


For veterinary students

  • Clinical exam
  • Cellular physiology cases (TD)
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory practicals (2 parts)
  • Integrated cardiovascular practical


For Biology students :

  • Cellular physiology cases (TD)
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory cases (TD) (2 parts)



Teaching methods

Teaching methods include lectures (primarily in presence but also online), exercises (in the audience, or in small groups), learning technical skills (during tutorials and practical work), producing bot written and oral presentations (during group work), and viewing online media (videos, for example). You will also have the opportunity to ask questions during audience sessions or during specific 'question-answer' sessions. Certain time slots will be made available to you to work on part of the material independently (mainly in activities relating to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems).

Assessment method

Evaluations will take place at the end of the period and are based on all teaching activities (practical work, tutorials, courses, or any other activity proposed by the supervisors). The assessment will be both written and oral.


  • The written test aims, among other things, at the description of mechanisms, the restitution of knowledge, via MCQ, or open-ended questions, on cellular physiology.
  • The oral test includes description of mechanisms, application of knowledge in clinical cases, and description of mechanisms, relationship between systems thanks to diagram/schema. The course is given to vet and biologist students. The exam is therefor adapted for each section
  • for veterinary students: the exam also includes basic clinical test, analysis and interpretation of specific exams for the cardiovascular and respiratory system (for example : heart sounds, ECG,...).
  • for biology students : the exam also includes description of evolution of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and comparison between various species (depending on their living environment).


Students should take the two exams parts (writtent and oral). Successful completion of each part (>10/20) is required to complete the course. In this case, the grade is the mean of the two portions.

Fail grade is attributed if students fail to 1 or 2 parts of the evaluation (= fail to written and/or oral).

 



 

 

Sources, references and any support material

We remind you here that fundamental knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology and histology is essential to understanding physiology courses.

The teaching materials for Animal Physiology I are provided by supervisors via the WebCampus platform. These materials can be provided in the forms including: course slides, syllabus, videos, and audio recordings.
 



Students who wish to complete their learning can turn to supervisors to obtain the names of reference manuals. Below, we provide you with a non-exhaustive list of reference manuals in cellular and animal physiology:

Sjaastad, O. V., Sand, O., & Hove, K. (2010). Physiology of domestic animals. Scan. Vet. Press.

Klein, T. B. G. (2012). Cunningham's textbook of veterinary physiology-E-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Gilles, R., & Anctil, M. (2006). Animal physiology. From Boeck Superior.

Hill, R.W., Anderson, M., & Cavanaugh, D. (2021). Animal physiology. Oxford University Press.



These works are available at the university library. Their acquisition is not necessary for studying the course.

Language of instruction

French
Training Study programme Block Credits Mandatory
Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine Standard 0 4
Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine Standard 2 4