Cellular and Molecular Biology

NEUROANATOMY AND IMAGING

NEUROANATOMY AND IMAGING

Academic year 2023/2024

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Program
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Support activities
• Suggested readings and bibliography
• Class schedule
• Teaching tools
• Course card

Course objectives

This teaching contributes to the learning objectives included into the Neurobiological area of the Master in Cellular and Molecular Biology - Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare, providing integrated knowledge of biological systems and complex organisms;

it also enables students to deepen their knowledge and abilities in the human neuromorphology.

Results of learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding skills
At the end of the teaching students should:
- Describe the anatomical and functional structures of the nervous system
- to acquire an advanced scientific training in basic neuroscience
- Link the genesis of pathological processes with the analysis of complex systems (tissues and organs, organism).

- Ability to use software image manipulation programs and image analysis.
- Understanding the characteristics of the digital image, the principles of morphometry and statistical interpretation

Judgment autonomy
At the end of the course students should:
- to integrate knowledge gained in neuroanatomy fields with data obtained from scientific literature
- Ability to choose between various alternatives for solving problems of image analysis

Communicative Skills
At the end of the course students should:
- Communicate neuroscience knowledge at the dissemination or specialist level

- Presentation of the results in statistical tables

Program

Neuroanatomy module:

Introduction to the course. General and Anatomical Nomenclature.

Endocrine system: hormone and receptor. Hypothalamus, pituitary gland. Epiphysis. Thyroid. Parathyroids. Pancreas. Adrenal gland. Gonads.


The integument Apparatus: skin, skin appendages, vascularization and innervation, the sensorial receptors.

Nervous system: identification, nomenclature, development, spinal cord. Brainstem, cerebellum; diencephalon; telencephalon (cortex and basal ganglia). General sensorial pathway. The special senses. Motor tract. Cranial Nerves. Spinal nerves. Autonomic nervous system.

Imaging module:

Microscopy and Digital Imaging theory
Imaging techniques: light and electron microscopy, sample preparation
Image processing, artifacts and correction filters
Introduction to ImageJ, iLastik and Blender
3D reconstructions and morphometric analysis with ImageJ and Blender
Statistical Analysis

M

Course delivery

The teaching is articulated in 40 hours of formal in‐class lecture time for the Neuroanatomy module and in 56 hours of formal in‐class lecture time and work solving practical exercises for the Imaging module.

Practical exercises of Macro-Anatomy are provided, where possible.

All lectures will be delivered in presence, subject to updates on the measures adopted by UniTo which can be found on the University portal under "Provisions for those who study and work at UniTo" (see https://en.unito.it/studying-unito)

Learning assessment methods

Neuroanatomy module:

The learning assessment is determined on the basis of a Moodle written examination (45 minutes) conducted with: true/false multiple choice questions (8 questions, total 8 points), completion of short sentences (5 sentences, total 5 points), anatomical structures figures to be recognized (4 figures, total 4 points), and one open question (total 0-4 points). The examination will focus on all teaching arguments. The maximum score is 21 points and will be converted in thirtieths (the maximum grade will be 30 cum laude).

Upon request, students can take an integrative oral examination to improve (a couple of points maximum) the results of the written test.

Exams will take place in presence, subject to updates on the measures adopted by UniTo which can be found on the University portal under "Provisions for those who study and work at UniTo" (see https://en.unito.it/studying-unito)

Academic conduct: The penalty for course-related dishonesty (ei. cheating on exams, plagiarism, etc) will be a failure for the entire course.

Imaging module:

The learning assessment is determined on the basis of the results of a series of laboratory and homeworks, a practical examination on the skills acquired during the laboratory and a final PowerPoint presentation of a plug-in of the Image J program that was not discussed during the laboratory.

The laboratory has an obligation of attendance, equal to 75%. Students can take the final exam based on the attendance obtained. Attendance will be assessed on the basis of the exercises carried out to achieve 75% of the laboratory.

The final evaluation (in thirtieths)  includes the exercises carried out during the laboratory as homeworks, the practical exam and the presentation of the plug-in.

Exams will take place in presence, subject to updates on the measures adopted by UniTo which can be found on the University portal under "Provisions for those who study and work at UniTo" (see https://en.unito.it/studying-unito)

Academic conduct: The penalty for course-related dishonesty (ei. cheating on exams, plagiarism, etc) will be a failure for the entire course.

The final grade (in thirtieths) will be the weighted arithmetic mean of the points obtained in the two modules.

Support activities

For the Imaging module weekly homework sets will be assigned, and their solution will be posted and (if time allows) discussed in class.

Neuroanatomy:

Martini et al. Anatomia Umana, IV edizione - Edises;
Seeley et al. Anatomia, II edizione - Idelson Gnocchi

Seeley's - Anatomy & Physiology - Mc Graw Hill Editors

Saladin - Human Anatomy - Mc Graw Hill Editors

Gilroy - Anatomy - An essential textbook - Thieme Editor

Imaging:

There is no specific textbook for this course. For basic and general reference, see The Image Processing Handbook, 6th edition by J.C. Russ

https://www.amazon.com/Image-Processing-Handbook-Sixth/dp/1439840458

NeuroMorph: A Toolset for the Morphometric Analysis and Visualization of 3D Models Derived from Electron Microscopy Image Stacks
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12021-014-9242-5

A Method for 3D Reconstruction and Virtual Reality Analysis of Glial and Neuronal Cells
https://www.jove.com/it/t/59444/a-method-for-3d-reconstruction-virtual-reality-analysis-glial

Class schedule

• Teaching material
• Exams and finals
• Class schedule
• Go to Moodle
• Register for the course
• Enrolled students
• Invia email agli studenti registrati
• Export table