536-202 Physiology (General Practical)

Note:

1. Special requirements: Dissecting instruments; white coat; recording paper (from the Level 3 Prep. Room); record book (No. 536 from the University Bookroom); laboratory manual (from the University Bookroom).

2. There are a limited number of positions in the subject. To be considered students must report to the Department by the second last week of the long vacation to provide a full preference list from the practical class times available. Students absent from Melbourne should communicate by letter.

Credit Points:

Coordinator:

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Corequisite/s:

Timetable:

Contact:

Objectives:

Students completing this subject should:

Comprehend:

• the way experimental methods can be used to answer physiological questions;

• the methods needed to study physiological mechanisms at the level of an individual organ;

• the design of experiments to analyse the mechanisms that maintain normal physiological behaviour in humans.

Develop:

• skills to accurately record physiological observations;

• the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from the results of physiological experiments;

• the ability to write clear and concise descriptions of experimental data and the conclusions that can be drawn from them;

• skills to place experimental data into the context of theoretical knowledge.

Appreciate:

• the difference between experimentally and theoretically derived knowledge;

• the reasons why experiments are carried out on isolated tissues and why other experiments are performed on living subjects;

• the importance of relating results obtained in living subjects to those obtained from isolated tissues and vice versa.

Content:

Experiments will be introduced that lead to an understanding of experimental design, report writing and the acquisition of data for testing physiological concepts. Experiments involving the use of animals are essential to this subject; exemption is not possible. Teaching will be computer based for experimental design, recording and computer-aided instruction.

Assessment: