The teaching is organized as follows:

Learning outcomes

The student must acquire knowledge of the mechanisms of cellular and molecular damage and of the pathogenetic processes and mechanisms of reaction to restore health. The main training objectives are:
• understanding of the mechanisms of cellular and molecular damage;
• learn about reactions to biological damage which are crucial in the process of healing/repair or pathology, with an emphasis on mechanisms of immunity, inflammation, wound healing and chronic biological processes;
• gain knowledge of scientific terms and language that are used in medical practice in order to effectively communicate with other health care professionals.

Program

GENERAL PATHOLOGY
This Unit will develop some topics of General Pathology preliminary to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of diseases, including:
- introduction (general concepts of homeostasis, adaptation, pathogenesis and etiology)
- cellular pathology;
- natural immunity and acquired immunity;
- tissue responses to cell damage;
- enviromental pathology;
- mediators of acute inflammation;
- evolution of the acute inflammatory response;
- neoplasms.

ANATOMY
This Unit is focused on the description of the morphological characteristics and functional correlations of the following apparatuses:
1. Cardiovascular and lymphatic apparatuses (heart, coronary vessels, pericardium, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, lymphoid organs);
2. Respiratory apparatus (airways and lung, pleura);
3. Urinary system (kidney, urinary tract);
4. Digestive apparatus (alimentary tract, liver, pancreas, salivary glands).

PHYSIOPATHOLOGY
This Physiopathology unit is offered within the 1st year curriculum. Its aims are: i) to introduce students to basic medical physiology, ii) to teach physiopathology principles proceeding by organs and/or apparatuses.
The main topics include:
-Physiopathology of the vascular system ;
- Heart physiopathology;
-Homeostasis;
-Kidney physiopathology;
-Hypertension;
-Physiopathology of glycemic changes;
-Physiopathology of the digestive system;
-Physiopathology of the lungs;
-Physiopathology of the haemopoiesis process;
-Physiopathology of neoplastic lesions.

Bibliography

Examination Methods

The evaluation consists of three written assignments (one for each Unit: General Pathology, Physiopathology and Anatomy) with multiple choice questions. The specific evaluation criteria for each assignment are shown on each single Unit's web page. The exam is considered valid if a positive evaluation is achieved in each assignment. The final grade is calculated as a weighted average of the grades achieved in each Unit.