Midwifery

General and inorganic chemistry The atom and its particles. Atomic mass and weight. Modern atomic theory: quantum numbers, orbitals and their occupation. Periodic Table of elements and their properties. Ionization potential and electron affinity. Isotopes. Radioisotopes and their use in medicine. Chemical bonds: covalent and electrostatic. Chemical reactions: oxidation and reduction. States of matter and phase transitions. Ideal gas laws. Chemical changes and kinetics. Chemical equilibria: Le Chatelier’s principle. Solutions and solubility. Colligative properties: osmotic pressure. Water ionic product: pH. Acids and bases. Buffers. Organic chemistry: basics Chemistry of carbon. hybridization sp. Saturated, unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Functional groups and their reactivity: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, amides. Biochemistry Proteins. Biological roles. Amino acids and peptide bond. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. Fibrous proteins: collagen. Proteins devoted to the transport and deposit of molecular oxygen. hemoglobin, myoglobin. Physiological and pathological hemoglobins. Enzymes: classification, mechanisms of action of action and regulation. Isozymes and zymogens. Water-soluble vitamins and coenzymes: functions. Carbohydrates. Mono-, di- and poly-saccharides: structures and biological functions. Lipids. Fatty acids. Triacylglycerols, phospholipids e cholesterol: structures and biological functions. Fat-soluble vitamins: functions. Lipoproteins and lipids’ transport in the biological fluids. Metabolism. Thermodynamics. Catabolism and anabolism. Digestion and absorption of nutrients. Carbohydrates metabolism: glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen degradation and synthesis. Krebs cycle and lactic fermentation. Respiratory chain and ATP synthesis. Lipid metabolism and their regulation: beta-oxidation and fatty acids synthesis. Ketone bodies. Metabolism of cholesterol and its regulation Amino acid metabolism: transamination and deamination. Urea cycle. General aspects of hormonal regulation: chemical nature of hormones, sites of synthesis and targets in particular of adrenaline, insulin and glucagon. Neurotransmitters. Fundamentals of biochemistry of organs and tissues.

Basic knowledge in chemistry and biology from high school studies

Samaja-Paroni “Chimica e Biochimica” - Piccin (second edition) Stefani-Taddei “Chimica e Biochimica" - Zanichelli

Frontal lectures

As per the regulations of the course of study, attendance is compulsory (70% minimum) in order to be able to take the exam

To pass the exam the student must achieve a grade of no less than 18/30. The student must demonstrate that he/she has acquired sufficient knowledge of the Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Medical Physics topics covered during the course, and that he/she is able to understand and use the correct technical-scientific terminology. To achieve a score of 30/30 cum laude, the student must demonstrate that he has acquired excellent knowledge of all the topics covered during the course, being able to connect them in a logical and coherent way.

The teaching consists of face-to-face lessons with students. The lessons are all interactive, so the teacher stimulates the students with questions to which they, by virtue of the courses or lessons already attended, can answer. This allows the teacher to highlight the links between the current course and some previous courses, the concepts of which play a key role in understanding what is proposed in class. The constant references to notions of previous or parallel courses must accustom the student not to study the proposed subject as something closed, aimed at passing the final exam, to be filed immediately after, but wants to highlight a multidisciplinary study, to which he student should be educated. The student will be able to find the slides and teaching material (exam program, recommended texts) useful for preparing the exam on the e-learning platform. It is understood that the slides are a guide to the exam topics.