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Year 2 · Medicine and Dental Medicine · Medical University of Sofia

Physiology: notes and exam prep for MU Sofia

Physiology for Year 2 Medicine and Dental Medicine at the Medical University of Sofia: all 108 syllabus topics in 10 sections, with exam-focused notes, figures, flashcards and SuperPrep recall sets.

Dental Medicine students sit Physiology in Year 2 with the same syllabus, so this is their subject too: the same topics, numbered the same way.

What Physiology has on SuperMed

  • Notes on every topic, written to answer the syllabus question as it is asked, with 2,077 figures and diagrams.
  • 5,259 flashcards for the facts you have to recall, with spaced review.
  • SuperPrep : 487 recall sets. A short piece of material, then questions on all of it from memory, at the grade you are aiming for.

The Physiology syllabus

Every topic, numbered as the department numbers it.

Every Physiology topic opens with Super.Super is €15 a month

General and cellular physiology; excitable tissues13 topics

  1. 1Homeostasis and homeostatic regulation. Control systems, negative feedback, and levels of physiological regulation
  2. 2Structure and function of the cellular membrane. General characteristics of membrane transport. Passive transport across the cellular membrane
  3. 3Active transport across the cellular membrane. Transport of macromolecules and particles. Transport across epithelial cell layers
  4. 4Intercellular communication: general characteristics. G-proteins, second messengers and protein kinases
  5. 5Physiology of excitable tissues. Transmembrane potential and resting membrane potential. Voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels
  6. 6Local response and electrotonic potentials. Action potential. Ionic mechanisms of the action potential
  7. 7Excitability and excitation: general characteristics. Propagation of action potentials along the nerve fibers. Nerve fiber types
  8. 8Physiology of synapse. Types of synapses. Neurotransmitter release by the presynaptic terminal
  9. 9Postsynaptic membrane receptors: ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Postsynaptic potentials
  10. 10Neurotransmitters. Low molecular neurotransmitters and neuropeptides
  11. 11Skeletal muscle. Mechanism of muscle contraction. Electromechanical coupling
  12. 12Types of muscle contraction. Length-tension and force-velocity relationship in the skeletal muscle. Types of muscle fibers, muscle work and muscle fatigue. Electromyography
  13. 13Smooth muscle: morphological characteristics and types. Excitation and contraction mechanism in smooth muscle

Blood, immunity and lymph7 topics

  1. 14Blood: functions and properties. Blood plasma. Plasma proteins. Hemopoiesis. Regulation of hemopoiesis
  2. 15Red blood cells: general characteristics. Hemoglobin and iron metabolism. Blood types
  3. 16White blood cells: types and general characteristics. Functions of the different types of leukocytes
  4. 17Hemostasis and blood coagulation: phases. Platelet role in hemostasis and blood clotting
  5. 18Fibrinolytic system and physiological inhibitors of blood coagulation
  6. 19Innate and acquired immunity. Humoral and cell-mediated immunity
  7. 20Lymphatic system. Formation and composition of the lymph. Functions of the spleen

Cardiovascular system13 topics

  1. 21General overview of the cardiovascular system. Physiology of cardiac muscle. Excitatory events in cardiomyocytes. Refractory periods
  2. 22Conduction of excitation in cardiac muscle. Electrocardiography
  3. 23Excitation - contraction coupling in the working myocardium. Mechanics of cardiac contraction
  4. 24Cardiac cycle. Heart sounds. Pressure-volume diagram for the left ventricle. Cardiac work
  5. 25Major determinants of myocardial function: preload, afterload, contractility. Stroke volume and cardiac output
  6. 26Regulation of cardiac function. Intracardial autoregulation. Cardiac function curves
  7. 27Extracardial regulation of cardiac performance: neural and humoral regulation
  8. 28Principles of hemodynamics. Pressure-flow relationship. Vascular resistance
  9. 29Functional morphology of blood vessels. Blood flow in the arterial system. Determinants of arterial blood pressure
  10. 30Microcirculation. Transport across the capillary wall. Blood flow in the veins
  11. 31Regulation of blood flow. Local and systemic control of blood flow
  12. 32Regulation of arterial pressure: short-term and long-term control
  13. 33Pulmonary circulation. Special circulations: coronary, cerebral, splanchnic, cutaneous

Respiration9 topics

  1. 34Respiration: general overview. Structure and function of the airways and alveoli. Control of bronchial tone
  2. 35Mechanics of respiration. Pressures in the respiratory system (alveolar, pleural and transpulmonary). Elastic resistance to breathing. Surface tension; surfactant. Pressure-volume relationship
  3. 36Pulmonary ventilation. Pulmonary volumes and capacities. Minute ventilation and alveolar ventilation
  4. 37Non-elastic resistance to breathing. Flow-volume relationship. Work of breathing
  5. 38Gas diffusion. Physical basis of gas diffusion. Composition of the atmospheric, inspired, alveolar and expired air. Gas diffusion in the lungs and tissues
  6. 39Ventilation-perfusion ratio. Matching of ventilation and perfusion
  7. 40Transport of oxygen in the blood. Oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. Oxygen delivery to the tissues
  8. 41Transport of carbon dioxide in the blood. Dissociation curve of carbaminehemoglobin
  9. 42Regulation of respiration. Medullary respiratory centre. Chemical control of respiration: central and peripheral chemoreceptors. Reflex (non-chemical) control of respiration

Digestion, metabolism, nutrition and thermoregulation17 topics

  1. 43General overview of the gastrointestinal system. Motor function of the gastrointestinal system: segmenting and peristaltic movements, migrating myoelectric complex
  2. 44Chewing and swallowing. Gastric motor activity
  3. 45Motor activity of the small intestine and the colon. Vomiting. Defecation
  4. 46Secretory activity of the digestive system - overview. Mechanisms of secretion of electrolytes, water, mucus and gastrointestinal hormones
  5. 47Composition and functions of the saliva and gastric juice. Regulation of saliva and gastric juice secretion
  6. 48Composition and functions of the pancreatic juice, bile and intestinal secretions. Regulation
  7. 49Digestion in the gastrointestinal system: general characteristics. Digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids and lipids
  8. 50Absorption in the gastrointestinal system: general characteristics. Absorption of the carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the gastrointestinal tract
  9. 51Absorption of electrolytes, water, vitamins and bile acids in the gastrointestinal tract
  10. 52Functions of the liver
  11. 53Metabolism: general characteristics. Carbohydrate metabolism. Regulation of blood glucose level
  12. 54Protein and lipid metabolism. Regulation
  13. 55Energy metabolism and energy balance. Basal metabolic rate. Control of body mass
  14. 56General principles of nutrition. Essential nutrients
  15. 57Vitamins and minerals
  16. 58Body temperature and thermal balance in the body. Mechanisms of thermoregulation
  17. 59Thermoregulation in warm and cold environment and during acclimatization. Fever

Kidney, body fluids, acid-base balance and skin8 topics

  1. 60Renal functions. Functional morphology and blood supply to the kidneys. Major processes of urine formation. Glomerular filtration
  2. 61Tubular transport mechanisms. Transport in the various elements of the tubular system of the nephron. Renal clearance
  3. 62Concentration and dilution of urine. Volume and composition of urine. Diuretics
  4. 63Regulation of renal functions. Intrinsic renal control mechanisms. Hormonal and neural regulation of renal functions. Renal control of arterial pressure
  5. 64Physiology of the skin
  6. 65Volume and composition of body fluids. Water and electrolyte balance in the body
  7. 66Body fluid volume and osmolality dynamics. Regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance
  8. 67Regulation of acid-base balance. Buffer systems. Respiratory and renal control of pH

Endocrinology and reproduction12 topics

  1. 68General principles of endocrine regulation. Chemical classes of hormones and hormonal mechanism of action. Regulation of hormonal secretion
  2. 69Hypothalamo-hypophyseal system. Hormones of the posterior pituitary
  3. 70Adenohypophyseal hormones: physiological effects and control of their secretion
  4. 71Thyroid hormones: mechanism of action, physiological effects and control of their secretion
  5. 72Adrenal cortex: hormones, physiological effects and control of their secretion
  6. 73Adrenal medulla: hormones, physiological effects and control of their secretion
  7. 74Hormones of the endocrine pancreas: physiological effects and control of their secretion
  8. 75Control of calcium-phosphate balance: parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and vitamin D3
  9. 76Male reproductive system. Endocrine function of the testes and its control. Spermatogenesis
  10. 77Female reproductive system. Endocrine and reproductive functions of the ovaries
  11. 78Regulation of the ovarian and uterine cycle
  12. 79Female reproductive system. Pregnancy and childbirth. Lactation

Nervous system and sensory physiology25 topics

  1. 80General overview of the functions of the nervous system. Physiology of the neuron: amplitude and frequency encoding of information, axonal transport. Glia
  2. 81Reflex activity of the nervous system. Organization of neurons in neural networks. Inhibition in the central nervous system
  3. 82Functional organization of the sensory systems. Processing of sensory information
  4. 83Somatosensory system: general overview. Mechanoreceptors. Thermoreceptors. Nociceptors
  5. 84Somatosensory system: afferent pathways and central processing of information
  6. 85Physiology of pain. Primary and secondary pain. Visceral pain. Antinociceptive system
  7. 86Auditory system. Functional morphology of the ear. Sound transmission in the middle and inner ear. Organ of Corti
  8. 87Auditory system. Sound transduction. Central processing of the auditory information. Encoding of sound frequency, loudness and localization
  9. 88Visual sensory system. Functional morphology of the eye. Image formation. Accommodation. Refraction abnormalities
  10. 89Visual receptors. Light transduction mechanisms. Organization of the retinal neural network
  11. 90Central processing of visual information. Light adaptation. Visual acuity
  12. 91Color vision. Eye movements and binocular vision
  13. 92Olfactory sensory system
  14. 93Gustatory sensory system
  15. 94Control of movement. Spinal control of movement
  16. 95Vestibulary apparatus
  17. 96Brain stem control of movement. Regulation of muscle tone. Regulation of posture
  18. 97Motor functions of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum
  19. 98Bioelectrical brain activity. Origin and characteristics of the electroencephalogram. Reticular activating system: descending and ascending effects
  20. 99Physiology of sleep. Control of the sleep-wake cycle. Biological rhythms
  21. 100Autonomic nervous system. Functional organization of the autonomic nervous system. Characteristics of the sympathetic and parasympathetic division. Neurotransmitters and receptors
  22. 101Autonomic control of the visceral organs. Autonomic reflexes
  23. 102Integration of the autonomic functions. Hypothalamus. Limbic system. Physiological bases of emotions and motivation
  24. 103Higher functions of the nervous system. Association areas of cortex. Lateralization of cerebral functions: human speech
  25. 104Neurophysiological basis of learning and memory

Exercise and special environments3 topics

  1. 105Physiology of exercise. Cardiovascular adaptation. Body fluids and electrolytes during exercise
  2. 106Respiratory adaptation to exercise. Neuroendocrine and thermoregulatory response to exercise
  3. 107Effects of hypobaric and hyperbaric conditions, acceleration and weightlessness on the body

Practical exam1 topics

  1. 108Practical Exam

Who writes it

Each topic is drafted by a senior student against the syllabus question, sourced from the department’s lectures and textbook, and checked line by line by a second student before it is published. It is exam study support, not clinical guidance, and SuperMed is not affiliated with the university. How content is made

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