516-023 Medical Biology

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Subject Description

The objectives are to develop 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 microscopic structure of the vertebrate body. Major topics covered: 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. These subjects are a continuation of the Histology and Embryology components of first year Medical Biology.

Assessment

A 3-hour written examination at the end of the semester (60% of final mark), continuous assessment (15% of final mark) consisting of 3 tests (10 mines each) through the semester and a 30-minute practical examination at the end of the semester (25%) on material from second year.

Prescribed Texts

• 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.