BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr I Stewart

Pre-requisites

SM 1001; SM 1501; CM 1015 or CM 1016; CM 1510

Co-requisites

SM 2001; BI 20M3; BI 20B2

Notes

This course is restricted to students on the degree of BSc Biomedical Sciences. 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. Specific learning objectives are given for each practical. Other resources used are anatomical models. The course concentrates on the study of the locomotor system (limbs and back), the respiratory and cardiovascular system, alimentary system and nervous system as they are arrayed in the thorax and abdomen.

Structure

2 two-hour practical classes per week and 1½-hour tutorial/short talk per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written and practical examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%). 4 in-course assessments, each worth 10% of final total. Each in-course assessment using questions in same style as those to be included in final exam and carried out under exam conditions.

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

Formative Assessment

1 in-course assessment using questions in same style as those to be included in final exam and carried out under exam conditions. Carried out prior to summative in-course assessment.

Feedback

Model answers provided to students immediately after each in-course formative or summative assessment, and marked scripts returned to provide continuous feedback as to performance.

Weekly list of sample questions provided in hard copy with model answers provided the following week.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr I Stewart

Pre-requisites

BM 2009

Co-requisites

BI 2506; BI 25M6; BI 25B2.

Notes

This course is restricted to students on the degree of BSc Biomedical Sciences. 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. Specific learning objectives are given for each practical. Other resources used are anatomical models. The course concentrates on the study of the reproductive and urinary systems (pelvis and perineum) and the nervous systems (head, neck and brain).

Structure

2 two-hour practical classes per week and 1½-hour tutorial/short talk per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written and practical examination (60%) and in-course assessment (40%). 4 in-course assessments, each worth 10% of final total. Each in-course assessment using questions in same style as those to be included in final exam and carried out under exam conditions.

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

Formative Assessment

Weekly list of sample questions provided in hard copy.

Feedback

Model answers provided to students immediately after each in-course summative assessment, and marked scripts returned to provide continuous feedback as to performance.

Model answers provided the following week for weekly sample questions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr D Scott

Pre-requisites

BI 20B2 and BI 25B2 (other relevant courses may also be considered by the course coordinator)

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. Students will also be given some instruction on intravenous fluids, the relevance of respiratory pharmacology and physiology, and the physiology of blood. In addition, the course will also provide more in-depth study of various types of cardiovascular pathophysiologies such as: diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke and atherosclerosis. Students will also receive training in the ethical and health & safety aspects of blood sampling, recruitment of human subjects in research trials and how scientific discoveries are applied in clinical situations.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week and 1 all day practical.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 one and a half hour written examination (70%) and in-course assessment - (30%). Continuous assessment comprises: 1 laboratory report, 2 case studies.

Resit: 1 one and a half hour essay examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Case-study exercise with feedback in preparation for summative assessments.
- PRS-based revision sessions allow students to practice for MCQ tests and receive feedback on their performance.

Feedback

- Practical reports and case studies will be marked with written comments.
- Case study questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Students are given general feedback on performance during PRS revision sessions.
- Model answers for case studies and practicals also placed on MyAberdeen.
- Feedback on laboratory practical performance also given verbally during classes.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr D Scott

Pre-requisites

BI 20B2 and BI25B2 (other relevant courses may also be considered by the course coordinator)

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. It will explore pain, opioids and narcotic analgesics and drugs depressing CNS function (e.g. cannabinoids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics), as well as discussing the issues/mechanisms of tolerance and addiction.

We will review applications of various drugs that affect the nervous system and explore how they were discovered and developed, how they are applied in everyday life, what the potential disadvantages of them might be, and also what the future holds for the development of novel drugs used to treat diseases/disorders of the nervous system. We will briefly also review the differences in how medical scientists and psychologists view what goes wrong during such diseases and disorders.

Finally, the course will explain various basic concepts in physiology and pharmacology and show how we statistically analyse data from experiments using novel drugs and what conclusions we can draw from such investigations.

Structure

4 one-hour lectures per week, 2 three-hour data-handling practicals over 6 weeks.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 one and a half hour essay examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%).
Continuous assessment comprises: 1 data handling/statistical analysis exercise , one 1500 word essay, 2 case studies.

Resit: 1 one and a half hour essay examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Practice exam essay allows students to write under exam conditions and receive feedback on their performance.
- Case-study exercise with feedback in preparation for summative assessments.
- PRS-based revision sessions allow students to practice for MCQ tests and receive feedback on their performance.
- Problem-solving sessions using real pharmacological data will provide feedback as to whether the students are understanding the topics covered within the lecture elements of the course and also if they understand how and why the data are analysed in specific ways. Feedback is given gradually during these sessions, ensuring that all students understand what is covered in that session before we move on to the next.

Feedback

- Practical reports, case studies and essays will be marked with written comments. Model answers are also supplied via MyAberdeen.
- Case study questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Written comments will be provided on the mock exam question.
- Students are given general feedback on performance during PRS revision sessions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr P Teismann

Pre-requisites

BI 20B2, BI 25B2

Overview

This course builds on the basics of nervous system function covered in level 2 and BM3502. 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

3 one hour lectures per week and 1 all day practical.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 one and a half hour essay examination (70%) and in-course assessment (30%).
Continuous assessment comprises: 1 laboratory report, 1 abstract.

Resit: 1 one and a half hour examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen.

Feedback

- Practical report and abstract will be marked with written comments.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R H Scott

Pre-requisites

BM 3502

Co-requisites

None.

Overview

This course provides (1) a recap and extension of third year material 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: methods for cell imaging, electrophysiology and genetic manipulation, endocrine signalling; neuronal growth, epithelial transport, calcium signalling, psychophamacology, development of animal models of neurodegenerative disease and oxidative stress in neurovascular dysfunction.

Structure

12 week course, Thread II.
2-7 one hour lectures per week and one 6 hour practical. One 1 h research seminar per week.

Assessment

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

Continuous assessment comprises: 1 laboratory report, 1 viva & 1 essay (2000 words).

Formative Assessment

Student-led presentations on aspects of using animals in biomedical sciences.

Feedback

- Practical reports and essays will be marked with written comments.
- Viva examination with comments and recommendations from the examiner.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr B Mueller

Pre-requisites

MB 3006; BC 3503 and MC 3504 or GN 3502 or BM 3501 with either PA 3802 or PY 3803 and 30 other credit points at level 3.

Co-requisites

BM 4509; MB 4050.

Overview

In Biochemistry Option 1 - Receptors and Cell Signalling, the structural and functional features of the different families of membrane bound receptors important for human development and health will be discussed and the cell signalling pathways of some of these will be covered in detail. The mechanism of action of members of the nuclear receptor superfamily will be discussed as well.

In Biochemistry Option 2 - Biochemistry of Human Diseases, biochemical processes that open the ways to a rational design of methods for preventing and treating illness will be explored. Two important human diseases are explored: cancer, the second highest cause of death in the UK, and prion diseases, a group of rare diseases that have an interesting biochemical basis. You will build on previous knowledge of molecular and cell biology to develop an understanding of the nature of these diseases.

Additional insight into further fundamental aspects of Molecular Biology will be achieved by independently researching and writing two essays.

Structure

This course consists of two modules with 15 hours of contact time each, in the form of lectures or tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written paper (66.7%), in-course assessment consisting of two essays (2000 words) (33.3%).

Formative Assessment

- Mock exam with personal tutor allows students to practice for essay based exams and receive feedback on their performance.
- Case-study exercise with feedback in preparation for summative assessments.
- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen.
- Problem-solving sessions with personal tutor.

Feedback

- Essays will be marked with written comments.
- Problem solving questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Tutorial sessions will provide feedback on course content.
- Comments will be provided on the mock exam question.
- Feedback on problem-based learning exercise.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Prof Graeme F. Nixon

Pre-requisites

PY 3002

Co-requisites

None

Overview

The physiology of adaptation consists of complex interactions involving several major physiological systems. In order to truly understand physiological adaptation, you must first study individual systems and how they regulate normal body function.

This course considers major systems and their role in physiological adaptation. This includes:
1) Skeletal muscle and the way in which it responds and adapts during exercise.
2) The skeleton and bone integrity which provides structural support in normal conditions but adapts to changing conditions.
3) Understand how normal body function is maintained by blood flow and regulation of the cardiovascular system, and how this adapts to different conditions.
4) Nervous system control of skeletal muscle also directly controls skeletal muscle activity and is important in physiological adaptation.

Additionally, disease greatly affects the ability of the body to adapt. The effects of different pathological conditions will be discussed for each physiological system examined.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week. 1 all day practical training session (8 hours) for practical exam (1 hour) . Two 2 hour tutorials on problem solving.

Assessment

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

Continuous assessment comprises: 1 objective structured practical exam, 1 problem solving exercise and 1 essay (1000 words).

Formative Assessment

- Practice problem solving allows students to write under exam conditions and receive feedback on their performance.
- Practice essay allows students to receive feedback on their performance.
- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen.
- Problem-solving sessions.

Feedback

- Practical exam will be marked with written comments.
- Problem solving questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Written comments will be provided on practice exam essay.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J. Martin Collinson

Pre-requisites

AN 3301

Co-requisites

None

Overview

This course provides (1) a recap and extension of third year material 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: methods for cell imaging, electrophysiology and genetic manipulation, endocrine signalling; neuronal growth and development, stem cells in development and regeneration, human reproductive biology and gene therapy.

Structure

4 one hour lectures per week and one 6 hour practical. One 1 hr research seminar per week and one 2 hr tutorial.

Assessment

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

Continuous assessment comprises: 1 laboratory report, 1 viva, 1 essay (2000 words).

Formative Assessment

- Practice exam essay allows students to write under exam conditions and receive feedback on their performance.
- Case-study exercise with feedback in preparation for summative assessments.
- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen.
- Problem-solving sessions.

Feedback

- Practical reports and essays will be marked with written comments.
- Tutorial sessions will provide feedback on course content.
- Written comments will be provided on the mock exam question.
- Feedback on problem-based learning exercise.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A Mavroeidi

Pre-requisites

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 4.

Overview

This course is designed to provide advanced knowledge and insight, based on current scientific research, in the issues associated with the process of aging. Common diseases that are highly prevalent in the elderly will be investigated and lifestyle approaches that could affect those diseases will be considered.

Structure

3 one hour lectures per week, 2 all day (7 hour) practicals and 1 (all day - 7 hour) tutorial (problem solving).

Assessment

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

Continuous assessment comprises: 2 laboratory reports

Resit: 1 two-hour essay examination (70%) and previous continuous assessment (30%).

Formative Assessment

- Practice exam questions on MyAberdeen
- Problem-solving sessions

Feedback

- Practical reports will be marked with written comments.
- Problem solving questions will be discussed during a lecture/feedback session.
- Tutorial sessions will provide feedback on course content.
- Feedback on problem-based learning exercise.

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Dr D Shewan

Pre-requisites

BM 3501, BM 3502

Co-requisites

BM 4004, BM 4005 or AN 4003, PY 4302 or AN 4302 or BM 4301.

Overview

A 10-week research project is undertaken alone or in pairs in which the student learns laboratory or literature research techniques. Each student is assigned to a research team usually on the Foresterhill site, but occasionally projects may be offered by associated teams outwith the University, for example at Robert Gordon University. Each student independently submits the outcome of the project as a thesis. An oral account of the project is presented to SMS staff and fellow students. Students gain extensive experience of literature research procedures, data acquisition and data manipulation. Students are assessed on both their performance throughout the whole project and the quality of the written thesis.

Structure

For literature-based projects, minimum of 2hr tutorial each week for 10 weeks plus all day (9am-5pm) Powerpoint presentations session.

For laboratory-based projects,maximum 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, for 10 weeks plus Powerpoint presentations session.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment of day-to-day performance throughout project duration (25%)

Supervisor assessment of project report of up to 5000 words (laboratory project) or 10,000 words (literature project) (25%).

Independent second marker's assessment of project report (50%).

Formative Assessment

Practice oral presentation of research data.
Practice scientific writing.

Feedback

Tutorial sessions provide feedback on research and/or practical/technical abilities.
Feedback on draft thesis provides tuition in scientific writing.

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Professor K Docherty

Pre-requisites

MB 3006, BC 3503 and MC 3504 or GN 3502 OR BM 3501 with either PA 3802 or PY 3803.

Co-requisites

BM 4008, MB4050

Overview

The core element of the course is a research project that involves 10 weeks laboratory work and production of a thesis. Assessment is on the basis of the performance in the laboratory, the thesis, and the project seminar. 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

Research project : 10 weeks with minimum of 6 hours per day, 4 days a week in laboratory
Two research tutorials: 4 hours.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 2 two-hour examinations (2 elements each) and 1 four-hour examination (3 elements) (63.6%); in-course assessment (36.4%) consisting of: Laboratory work (1 element); Honours thesis (2 elements) (5,000 words) and Thesis defence (1 element).