First-Year Medicine
Block 7: Gastrointestinal System & Intermediary Metabolism
The course currently has two major objectives:
- To learn the histology, biochemistry, and physiology of the gastrointestinal
system and to be able to explain the pathways involved in intermediary
metabolism.
These studies will allow the students to integrate carbohydrate, lipid
and protein metabolism. This knowledge of metabolism will lead them to appreciate
the important roles of insulin, glucagon and allosteric regulators in
normal physiological fed and fasted states. The students will then be prepared
to apply their knowledge to disease states, such as diabetes.
The major pathways involved in bioenergetics,
and in carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism are
taught, with an emphasis on the nutritionally important aspects of
these pathways.
Many topics of clinical relevance
are discussed relating to the gastrointestinal absorption of ions, water
and nutrients.
Two CBL cases
have been designed to reinforce this material.
- To learn the anatomy and histology of the gastrointestinal tract and
relate the structure of the function of the respective organs. The anatomy
of the pelvis and perineum are covered in the same course
because the close proximity of the structures encountered during dissection
makes it a better educational experience to study them simultaneously.
This part of the curriculum is primarily conducted in the laboratory,
but there are a number of lectures that complement the laboratories. There
are also weekly laboratory review summary lectures.
The developmental anatomy of the urogenital
tract complements the anatomy
portion of the course.
