Physiology and Endocrinology of Domestic Animals

The course illustrates the general and specific principles of physiological phenomena in domestic mammals, highlighting similarities and differences with fish and birds concerning the respiratory, digestive, renal, and reproductive systems. Additionally, it provides information on the functioning and regulation of the main endocrine glands and the mechanisms of action of the hormones they produce. The aim of the course is to prepare veterinary medicine students to apply the acquired physiological knowledge in fields such as clinical practice, pathology, animal husbandry, genetics, animal nutrition, infectious diseases (with particular attention to resistance and resilience), immunology, and biotechnology.

Goals to achieve:
1) Knowledge and Understanding: The student must demonstrate knowledge of the basic physiological functions related to the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, renal, reproductive, and mammary systems, as well as the functioning of the main endocrine glands and the mechanisms of action of the hormones they produce. Additionally, the veterinary medicine student must have a thorough understanding of the functional diversity across various animal species, including fish and birds.
2) Applied knowledge and understanding skills: the student must demonstrate to possess the indispensable concepts to establish links between the various topics covered, and in particular between physiology and animal endocrinology, in order to adequately deal with the studies of pathology, veterinary clinic, animal husbandry, genetics, animal nutrition, infectious diseases, immunology and biotechnology.
3) Communication skills: the student must demonstrate to be able to use an appropriate terminology, which allows him / her to express the acquired knowledge in an appropriate manner.
4) Ability to learn: the student must demonstrate to be able, in total autonomy, to increase and integrate his knowledge of topics related to the physiology and endocrinology of small and large animals