BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

(see also Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology)

Level 2

BM 2009 - HUMAN ANATOMY A
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Dr I Stewart

Pre-requisites

BI 1004, BI 1507, CM 1010 or CM 1011 and CM 1506.

Co-requisites

BI 20B1, BI 20M1, BI 20B2

Notes

(i) This course is restricted to students on the degree of BSc Biomedical Sciences.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The course is prosection based and thus consists of student led group work centred on prosections of a cadaver given specific learning objectives for each practical. Other resources used are anatomical models. The course concentrates on the study of the locomotor system (limbs and back), and the respiratory and cardiovascular system, alimentary system and nervous system as they are arrayed in the thorax and abdomen.

Structure

12 week course - 2 three-hour practicals per week. Several tutorial/short talks over the term.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written and practical examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written and practical examination (100%)

BM 2509 - HUMAN ANATOMY B
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Dr C Lamb

Pre-requisites

BM 2009

Co-requisites

BI 25B3, BI 25M1, BI 25B2

Notes

(i) This course is restricted to students on the degree of BSc Biomedical Sciences.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities.
(iii) If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

This course is prosection based and thus consists of student led group work centred on cadaver prosections given specific learning objectives for each practical. Other resources used are anatomical models. The course concentrates on the study of the urogenital system (pelvis) and the head and neck including the central nervous system.

Structure

12 week course - 2 three-hour practicals per week. several tutorials short talks over the term.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination and practical examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%).

Resit: (100%) 1 two-hour written and practical examination.

Level 3

BM 3006 - MOLECULES, MEMBRANES AND CELLS
Credit Points
30
Course Coordinator
Dr A M Jack

Pre-requisites

BI 20B2, BI 25B2

Notes

(i) This core course is required by students in the Physiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Human Life Sciences and Biomedical Sciences programmes. It is not normally required for students taking the Sports Science programme.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The course will include reviews of basic principles of cell physiology, pharmacology and molecular and cell biology. To include receptors, agonists and antagonists, signalling and transduction mechanisms, voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels, synaptic transmission, and action potential physiology. It covers membrane biophysics and the properties of sodium channels, potassium channels, calcium channels and gap junctions in addition to ion and non-electrolyte transport pathways.

Structure

12 week course, Thread I - 3 one-hour lectures per week, 1 one-hour seminar per week, three hours per week self study, and 2 all day laboratory sessions over 12 weeks. 6 hour career information over 12 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination paper (70%) and in-course assessment - essay, problem, laboratory practicals (30%).
Resit: Same as 1st attempt.

BM 3501 - CARDIOVASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Dr D Scott

Pre-requisites

BM 3006

Notes

(i) This core course is a requirement for students in the Physiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences programmes. It is not normally required for students taking the Sports Science programme.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities.
(iii) If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The course will cover the physiological and pharmacological aspects of the functioning of the mammalian heart and circulatory systems; the mechanisms of control and adaptation will be examined in detail. Practical work and demonstrations will be used to illustrate the experimental techniques which are utilised to derive knowledge of the functioning of the system.

Structure

6 week course, Thread II - 3 one-hour lectures per week, 1 one-hour seminar, 3 one day laboratory sessions over 6 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 ninety minute written examination (70%) and in-course assessment - essay, laboratory practicals (30%). Resit:

BM 3502 - NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROPHARMACOLOGY
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Dr D Scott

Pre-requisites

BM 3006

Notes

(i) This core course is a requirement for students in the Physiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Options A and B of the Biomedical Sciences programmes. It is not normally required for students taking the Sports Science programme.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The course will include lectures on functional neuroanatomy, autonomic and neuromuscular pharmacology, neuropharmacology to include functional aspects of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids, monoamines, peptides and nitric oxide. Also to include pain, opioids and narcotic analgesics and drugs depressing CNS function.

Structure

6 week course, Thread I - 4 one-hour lectures per week, 2 three-hour tutorials over 6 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 ninety-minute written examination paper (70%) and in-course assessment - essay, laboratory practicals, problem solving (30%). Resit:

BM 3803 - INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Dr R A Ross

Pre-requisites

BM 3006

Notes

The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities.
If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

The major focus of the Integrative Neuroscience course relates to "Plasticity" associated with neuronal tissue. Structural and functional alterations occur in neuronal tissue during development, in the adult and in disease states. This course aims to: outline a number of these changes; identify and explain the mechanisms underlying these plastic events; provide an understanding of their functional consequences.

Structure

6 week course, Thread I - 3 one-hour lectures per week, 2 one day laboratory sessions over 6 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 ninety minute written examination paper (70%) and in-course assessment, computer simulated experiments and group poster session (30%). Resit:

Level 4

BM 4001 or BM 4501 - BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES HONOURS PROJECT
Credit Points
60
Course Coordinator
Dr D J MacEwan

Pre-requisites

BM 3006

Notes

(i) Only open to Biomedical Science students.
(ii) The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

A 10 week research project is undertaken and the student learns laboratory and literature research techniques and presents a thesis. The thesis is defended in an oral presentation. Students gain extensive experience of data acquisition and databases using microcomputers.

Structure

Research project: 10 weeks of 5 day per week of library project or laboratory project.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment with contributions from Thesis and performance during the project.

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

BM 4004 - ADVANCED MOLECULES, MEMBRANES AND CELLS
Credit Points
30
Course Coordinator
Dr R H Scott

Pre-requisites

BM 3006

Notes

The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

This course provides (1) a re-capitulation and extension of third year material from BM 3006 (Molecules, Membranes and Cells) and (2) a more advanced account of some selected topics related to the research interests of the individual academic staff of Biomedical Sciences. The topics for study will include: intracellular signalling; synaptic transmission, plasticity and integration neuronal growth and development and physiological, pathophysiological and pharmacological aspects of ion channels and their regulation.

Structure

12 week course, Thread II - 4 one-hour lectures per week, 1 one-hour research seminar per week, 1 six-hour laboratory demonstration session, 1 student-led session on ethics.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination paper (70%) and in-course assessment - 1 essay, 1 laboratory report and 1 viva (30%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

BM 4005 - HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
Credit Points
15
Course Coordinator
Professor M A Cotter

Pre-requisites

PY 3002

Notes

The practical work required in this course may pose difficulties to students with some disabilities. If this arises alternative arrangements will be made. Any student wishing to discuss this further should contact the School Disability Co-ordinator.

Overview

This course will build on course PY 3002 (Integrated Physiology) and will provide a detailed coverage of Human Physiology covering issues related to muscle, cardiovascular physiology and the impact of exercise, training and disease states.

Structure

6 week course, Thread I - 3 one-hour lectures per week, 2 eight hour practicals and 3 problem solving sessions over the period of the course.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

BM 4007 - MEDICAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY A
Credit Points
30
Course Coordinator
Dr Berndt Mueller

Pre-requisites

BM 3006, MB 3003, BM 3501,
BM 3502 and BC 3804 or IM 3802.

Co-requisites

BM 4507, MB 4050.

Overview

The formal teaching comprises two options each 15h contact time. Each option will cover seperate areas of Biochemistry working from the original literature under the supervision of 1-3 members of staff.

Structure

Two essays will be written and examined. All students are required to prepare for, and to attend, a reading party in the week prior to term. Tutorials will be held at regular intervals with the tutor appointed by the Head of School.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 2 elements (33%), in-course assessment in the form of two essays, 4 elements (67%) in the form of a single three hour exam paper.

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.

BM 4507 - HONOURS MEDICAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY B
Credit Points
60
Course Coordinator
Dr A Schofield

Pre-requisites

BM 3006, MB 3003, BM 3501, BM 3502 and BC 3804 or IM 3802

Co-requisites

BM 4007, MB4050

Overview

The core element of the course is a research project that involves 9 weeks laboratory work, starting one week prior to the beginning of Semester 2, and production of a thesis. Assessment is on the basis of the performance in the laboratory, the thesis, and the project seminar. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 25 hours in the laboratory each week. Two research tutorials will be organised by academic staff and will be assessed by examination at the end of the Semester. Tutorials will be held at regular intervals with the tutor appointed by the Head of School.

Structure

9 weeks @ 25 hours per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 @ 2 hours, 1 @ 3 hours and 1 @ 4 hours examination at end Semester 2 (70%); in-course assessment (30%).

Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.