Nutrition, Digestion and Bioenergetics - Internal Organs (TB 5)

The second year of study begins with the topic module "Nutrition, Digestion and Bioenergetics - Internal Organs", which consists of the following parts:

• Nutrition, Digestion and Bioenergetics
• Internal Organs
• Medical Imaging
• Clinical Training Course (Part 4)

Nutrition, Digestion and Bioenergetics

Our body must process and utilize the food it receives. This is made possible by a complex interaction of physical, chemical and enzymatic processes. Building on the knowledge gained in the Molecular Architecture of Life topic module, we deepen our knowledge of the pathway of food from ingestion to excretion of food residues. We look at the physiological and biochemical processes involved in food digestion and the metabolization of nutrients into their individual building blocks, which serve to build up our bodies or provide us with energy. Further, students learn how the regulation of our food intake and absorption works. In case presentations, clinicians present the taught pathobiochemical and pathophysiological principles in the context of specific disease cases.

Internal Organs

The topic "Internal Organs" is taught through dissection exercises on body specimens and lectures on macroscopic, topographical and clinical anatomy, which are coordinated with these exercises, and is deepened through seminar work using peer-assisted learning. The following are covered: the large body cavities (pleura, pericardium, abdomen), the digestive system, the respiratory tract and lungs, the cardiovascular system, the kidneys and urinary tract, and the female and male reproductive organs. The macroscopic courses are completed by lectures and courses on microscopic anatomy, which in this subject block focus on the digestive system (teeth, oral cavity, salivary glands, gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder, pancreas).

Medical Imaging

A variety of imaging techniques are used in medicine to visualize structures and processes inside the human body. These techniques include ultrasound, x-ray, scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In lecture and practical physics, we work through the physical effects that underlie these procedures.

Clinical Training Course (Part 4)

Here our students learn and practice the examination of the abdomen including liver and spleen, especially inspection, auscultation, percussion and palpation.