Conditions for credit acquisition:

1. Active attendance of student minimally on 12 practical lessons.

2. Student is obliged to compensate missed practical/seminar with proving his/her knowledge of practiced topics.

3. Student is obliged to present chosen seminar work.

4. Passing credit tests from selected practical topics (minimum 55 %) in the 7th and 13th week, respectively also in alternative dates.

The student who has completed the second semester of the course is able to describe structure and functions of various organ systems such as: endocrine (including special endocrine glands), reproductive (including male, female mammals and birds), lactation, muscles, bones and growth, nervous system (including peripheral, central and autonomic, special senses), skin and thermoregulation. He/she should be able to apply his/her knowledge to explain the adaptation of regulatory mechanisms under different conditions. To explain how an animal perceives its environment through the sensory system. He/she should be able to describe the regulatory mechanisms, both nervous and humoral, which are necessary to maintain homeostasis of the organism. The student will acquire skills in laboratory methods.

1. Endocrine System - general, hypothalamus-pituitary axis

2. Endocrine System - endocrine glands

3. Reproductive System - general, male reproduction

4. Reproductive System - female reproduction

5. Reproductive System - sexual behaviour, pregnancy, parturition

6. Lactation

7. Bones, Joints, Growth and Ontogenesis

8. Muscles

9. Central Nervous System

10. Peripheral and Autonomic Nervous System

11. Special Senses - vision, olfactory, gustation

12. Special Senses - hearing, sense of balance, touch, pressure, temperature, kinaesthesis

13. Skin and Thermoregulation

LECTURES

1. General Endocrinology

Cell signalling, hormones, their transport, metabolism and secretion. Hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Epiphysis.

2. Special Endocrinology

Hormones regulating, metabolism, minerals and water, growth. Thyroid gland. Adrenal gland. Endocrine pancreas and other hormones. Tissue hormones.

3. Reproduction of Males

Development of sexual characteristics and brain. Puberty and maturity of animals. Physiology of reproduction in male. Endocrine control of sexual function in males.

4. Reproduction of Females

Sexual and oestrous cycle of female. Seasonal reproductive activity. Hormone production and cycle changes. Hypotalamo-hypophyseal-ovarian axis.

5. Pregnancy and Parturition

Sexual behaviour and its neural-endocrine regulations. Fertilization, implantation, pregnancy. Parturition and puerperium. Regulatory mechanisms.

6. Lactation

Regulation of postnatal mammary development. Milk synthesis and secretion. Neurohormonal regulation of milk secretion and ejection. Composition of the colostrum and milk.

7. Growth and Ontogenesis

Physiology of bone and joints. Growth and ontogenesis. Aging.

8. Muscles

Skeletal muscles. Neuro-muscular unit, irritability, contraction, energy metabolism, types of fibres, tendons. Smooth muscles. Regulatory mechanisms.

9. Central Nervous System

Embryonic development and organization of brain. Organization of spinal cord. Protection of CNS. Physiology of sleep and alertness.

10. Peripheral and Autonomic Nervous System (PNS and ANS)

Nerves and ganglia. Sensory cells, receptors. Signal transmission. Coding on receptors. Adaptation of sensory receptors. Reflexes. Autonomic nervous system.

11. Special Senses I

Physiology of touch, pressure, temperature sensing, and kinaesthetic. Vision.

12. Special Senses II

Physiology of olfaction, gustatory analyser, hearing, and sense of balance.

13. Skin and Thermoregulation

Functions of skin. Body and skin temperature. Regulatory mechanisms and adaptation.

PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES

1. Digestion in Monogastric Animals

Examination of saliva and activity of alpha-amylase. Proteolytic digestion by gastric juice. Gastric juice effect on milk coagulation.

2. Digestion in Ruminants

Evaluation of feed intake. Examination of rumination cycle. Motoric action of rumen. Protozoa activity in forestomachs. (stable)

3. Digestion in Small Intestine

Amylolytic, lipolytic and proteolytic digestion by pancreatic juice. Physical characteristics of bile.

4. Endocrine System

Oral glucose tolerance test (rabbit). Examination of antidiuretic hormone. Endocrine regulation of stress reactions.

5. Reproduction

Preparation and evaluation of vaginal smears in mouse. Determination of oestrus in a dog female.

6. Lactation

Collection and evaluation of milk and colostrums (cow/sheep). Milk smears evaluation. The observation of milk-ejection reflex (video).

7. Physiology of Birds II

Functional differences in reproductive system of poultry. Egg formation. Functional specialities of respiratory system of birds.

8. Muscles

Electromyography. Du Bois-Raymond´s low. Directed and indirected electric stimulation of muscle. Sumation, superposition, and facilitation of tetanus. Muscle fatigue (video). Rigor mortis. Dog gaits.

9. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Clinical examination of somatic spinal reflexes and cranial nerve reflexes (dog/rabbit). Examination of postural and erectile reflexes.

10. Central Nervous System (CNS)

Functional evaluation of the brain, electroencephalography (EEG). Higher nervous activity, memory, learning, and conditioning.

11. Special Senses I

Examination of eye. Eye accomodation. Eye reflexes (rabbit). Examination of olfaction and gustation.

12. Special Senses II

Otoscopy (rabbit). Hearing tests. Examination of sense of balance. Examination of touch, pressure and temperature sense.

13. Physiology of Bone and Joints

Calcium and phosphate metabolism and hormonal control.

1. R. Vlčková, D. Sopková, D. Fabian: Physiology of the endocrine system and reproduction. Editorial centre UVMP Kosice, 2020.

2. R. Vlčková, S. Ondrašovičová, Z. Andrejčáková, D. Sopková, Š. Faix: Practical exercises and seminars in Physiology. Editorial centre UVMP Kosice, 2015.

3. O.V. Sjaastad, K. Hove, O. Sand: Physiology of Domestic Animals. Scandinavian Veterinary Press 2003.

4. J.G. Cunningham, B.G. Klein: Textbook of Veterinary Physiology. 4th Ed. Saunders Elsevier 2007.

5. C.D. Moyes, P.M. Schulte: Principles of Animal Physiology. Pearson B. Cummings 2006.

Continuous assessment:

The student is obliged to successfully pass 2 credit tests on the topics of practical exercises:

1. Digestive System, Endocrine System, Reproduction, Lactation

2. Physiology of Birds II, Muscles, CNS, PNS, Special Senses.

The student is obliged to successfully present a seminar work to the class

Conditions for completion of course:

Conditions for credit acquisition:

1. Active attendance of student minimally on 12 practical lessons.

2. Student is obliged to compensate missed practical/seminar with proving his/her knowledge of practiced topics.

3. Student is obliged to present chosen seminar work.

4. Passing credit tests from selected practical topics (minimum 55 %) in the 7th and 13th week, respectively also in alternative dates.

Final assessment:

Obtaining credit based on meeting the conditions for granting a credit and successful passing of the exam on the learned topics in a written form.

obligatory subject