536-202 Physiology (General Practical)

Note

1. Experiments involving the use of animals are essential to this subject; exemption is not possible.
2. Students require: Dissecting instruments; white coat; record book (No. 536 from the University Bookroom); laboratory manual from the Physiology Practical Laboratories (Room 306).
3. 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

Prerequisites

Three of: 25 points of 100-level Chemistry; Physics 640-121 and 640-122 or 640-141 and 640-142 or 640-161 and 640-162; Biology 600-141 and 640-142; Mathematics 618-121 or 618-141 or 618-161); Psychology 512-100; or Statistics 619-100. Combined courses students who are taking a full year's course load require only two Science subject pairs to be eligible for selection into second year Physiology.

Corequisites

Physiology 536-201.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Experiments will be undertaken that lead to an understanding of experimental design, report writing and the acquisition of data for testing physiological concepts. Teaching will be computer based for experimental design, recording and computer-aided.

Emphasis is given to comprehending:

• 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.

Students will develop:

• skills to accurately record physiological observations, and 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.

Discussions in workshops will:

• place experimental data into the context of theoretical knowledge;
• explore the difference between experimentally and theoretically derived knowledge;
• cover ethical issues;
• cover reasons why some experiments are carried out on isolated tissues and why other experiments are performed on living subjects and
• explore the importance of relating results obtained in living subjects to those obtained from isolated tissues and vice versa.

Assessment

Continuous assessment of report writing, pre-practical tests and a 1-hour examination at the end of semester.