GENERAL AND MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY WITH MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

Course objectives

General expected learning outcomes The General and Molecular Pathology with Medical Terminology course is an essential component of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology degree program, as it contributes to its educational objectives. This course is designed to equip students with knowledge about the biological basis of pathological manifestations, as well as a fundamental understanding of the pathophysiology of major organ systems. Specifically, the course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the primary pathogenetic mechanisms that cause homeostatic imbalances and the onset of diseases. The goal the course is to enable students to gain a thorough understanding of various pathological phenomena and the targets of the principal pharmacological treatments. In addition, the course aims to help students develop the necessary scientific language skills characterized by medical terminology to enrich the student's formative background and provide access to expected professional outlets. Specific expected learning outcomes 1. Knowledge and understanding By the end of the course, the student will have acquired theoretical knowledge related to cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the etiopathogenesis of the major human disorders and an appropriate medical and scientific terminology. In addition, the student will have understood the biological processes allowing to the clinical manifestations of the diseases, the targets of the main therapeutic treatments, and the rational basis of the precision medicine. 2. Applying knowledge and understanding At the end of the course, the student will be able to recognize specific cellular and molecular events underlying different disease processes and identify the main therapeutic targets for these. In addition, the student will possess the skills to link the course content with what he/she has already learned in previous classes and apply the acquired knowledge in scientific and healthcare environments. 3. Making judgements The active support of the teacher in the classroom will foster and stimulate the student into using a scientifically based methodological approach in both study and future research activities, as well as the ability to make judgments about literature data to be ready to make decisions concerning future professional responsibilities. 4. Communication skills The student should be able to effectively communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions to specialized audiences regarding the molecular mechanisms of cellular damage, neoplastic transformation, and the pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases. Furthermore, it is essential for the student to have a strong grasp of specific medical and scientific terminology and to be able to use it appropriately, particularly in the context of the pharmacy profession. 5. Learning skills The student will be able to integrate the topics covered in the course by consulting the bibliographic materials provided by the teacher and update knowledge and professional skills by consulting specific databases suggested during the class. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired a helpful educational background to undertake more advanced studies, such as those oriented to in-depth professional studies by attending postgraduate courses, graduate schools, PhDs, and joining mobility programs with foreign countries.

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DONATELLA PONTI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
PROF.SSA DONATELLA PONTI Introduction to the course. Health and its alterations: the concept of homeostasis and adaptation. Definition of disease. Etiology and pathogenesis. Intrinsic and extrinsic pathogenic factors. Environmental pathology. Chemical, physical, and biological causes of disease. Genetic pathology. The concept of gene mutation. Genotype. Phenotype. Diseases caused by structural and numerical alterations of chromosomes. Hereditary or genetic diseases (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked). Examples of polygenic diseases. Non-hereditary congenital diseases or prenatal developmental disorders. Cellular pathology. Elementary alterations in the functional organization of the cell. The concept of cellular stress. Adaptive responses (hypotrophy, hypertrophy, hyperplasia, metaplasia). Causes of damage. Reversible and irreversible cell damage. Regressive processes: steatosis and amyloidosis. Cell death: necrosis and apoptosis. Immunology and immunopathology. Nonspecific and specific immunity. Mechanisms of humoral and cell-mediated responses (antibodies, major histocompatibility complex antigens, complement). Hypersensitivity reactions and related disorders (type I hypersensitivity, anaphylactic and atopic reactions; type II hypersensitivity; type III hypersensitivity; type IV hypersensitivity reactions). Immunodeficiencies. Immune tolerance and mechanisms of tolerance breakdown. Autoimmunity: genetic, environmental, and infectious factors. Pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Major autoimmune disorders. The inflammatory process. 1. Angiophlogosis: phases and evolution of the inflammatory process. Participating cells. Definition of exudate: formation and types. Cellular mediators of inflammation. Leukocyte diapedesis. Adhesion molecules. Chemotaxis. Phagocytosis. 2. Histophlogosis: phases and evolution of the inflammatory process. Mediators. Granulomas and examples of human granulomas. Systemic manifestations of inflammation: acute-phase proteins, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complete blood count and white blood cell count. Fever (thermoregulatory mechanisms; pathogenesis, pyrogen action, and classification). Regeneration and repair. Granulation tissue, scar tissue, and wound healing. Examples of reparative processes. Neoplasms. Introduction to the study of tumors. Chemical, physical, and viral carcinogenesis. Definition and classification of neoplasms. Benign and malignant tumors. The neoplastic cell: morphology and characteristics. Molecular basis of neoplasms: oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Biology of tumor growth: alterations in growth and differentiation control, hypoxia and angiogenesis, metabolism. Tumor progression: invasiveness and metastasis. Modes of metastatic spread. Concept of tropism. Cancer stem cells (CSCs). Staging and grading. Cancer therapies: traditional and innovative. Precision Medicine. General information on laboratory tests and biomarkers. Main enzymatic determinations. Factors that influence plasma enzyme concentrations. PROF. ROBERTO RIZZI Pathophysiology of the Nervous System Pathophysiology of the Heart and Cardiocirculatory System: Anatomy of the Heart and Blood Vessels, Arrhythmias. Ischemic myocardial diseases, hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, atherosclerosis. Pathophysiology of the musculoskeletal system, Dystrophies. Pathophysiology of blood and hemostasis. General physiopathology of the kidney: Endocrine function of the kidney. General pathophysiology of the liver: Metabolic, secretory and purifying function of the liver. Advanced methodologies for the study and resolution of pathophysiological alterations.
Prerequisites
Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics and Molecular Biology
Exam mode
Oral test
ROBERTO RIZZI Lecturers' profile
  • Lesson code10611094
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseIndustrial pharmacy REPLICA LATINA
  • CurriculumCurriculum unico
  • Year3rd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDMED/04
  • CFU7