- Course Code
- BI 20B2
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr G T A McEwan
Pre-requisites
BI 1004, BI 1507, CM 1013 or CM 1014 and CM 1509. Students without these qualifications, may be admitted at the discretion of the Head of School.
Overview
This course introduces you to human physiology - the understanding of body function. The central concept, essential to physiology, is homeostasis - the maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment in a constantly changing external environment. This course (along with its partner BI 25B2) will consider how this is achieved at cell and whole body level. The focus in this course will be on the roles of the nervous and endocrine control systems. Specifically, it deals with: the physiology of the cell with special reference to nerve and muscle; cell-cell signalling; neuro-endocrine integration and some aspects of endocrinology; membrane potentials and action potentials in nerve cells; reflexes; central nervous system control of movement; the physiology and pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system; transduction of sensory information by receptors and processing of sensory information by the CNS; The composition and function of blood including its role in immunity.
Structure
12 weeks - 3 lectures per week and 1 three-hour lab session per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour MCQ examination (70%) and in-course assessment of laboratory practical reports and mid-term MCQ examination (30%).
Resit: 1 two-hour MCQ examination (70%) and in-course assessment of laboratory practical reports and mid-term MCQ examination (30%).