516-012 Medical Biology

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Subject Description

The objectives are to develop an appreciation of Homo sapiens in terms of structure, evolution and interaction with the environment, an understanding of the cellular structures underlying normal body function, an understanding of the normal and abnormal development of the human embryo and a practical appreciation of the structure of the vertebrate body, including its microscopic structure and dissection. This subject comprises three major topics: Animal Biology - an introduction to the animal cell from molecular mechanisms to cell physiology; basic tissues and organ systems of the vertebrate body, human evolution, the biology of parasitic and venomous animals, ecology and evolution of human parasites, pathogens and their vectors; Histology - the light and electron microscopic structure of normal human cells, tissues and organs, and its relationship to function; Embryology - fertilisation and implantation, the structure of the placenta, the origin and development of the major organ systems, the embryological basis of birth defects.

Assessment

Animal Biology; A 2.5-hour written examination at the end of first semester (40%). Practical work is assessed continuously and must be rated as satisfactory for a pass to be given. Where performance is judged unsatisfactory, a student may be required to pass a 1-hour practical examination. Histology and Embryology; A 3-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 on Histology and Embryology from lectures in Semester 2 only (40% of final mark). Continuous assessment (10% of final mark) consisting of 3 tests (10 min. each) through the semester and a 25 minute practical examination on work covered during practical classes in Semester 2 (10% of final mark). These marks are then combined with the results of the Semester 1 exam (40%) to yield a final mark for the entire years work.

Prescribed Texts

• Alberts B, Molecular Biology of the Cell. 3rd ed., Garland.
• Dorit R L, Walker W F Jnr and Barnes R D, Zoology. Saunders, 1991.
• Junqueira L C and Carneiro J, Basic Histology. 7th or subsequent ed., Lange.
• Burkitt, Young and Heath, Wheater's Functional Histology. 3rd ed., Churchill Livingstone.
• Larson W J, Human Embryology. 2nd ed., Churchill Livingstone 1997.