536-203 Physiology (Integrative Physiology)

Note

1. Experiments involving the use of animals are essential to this subject; exemption is not possible.
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

Prerequisites

Physiology 536-201, 536-202.

Corequisites

Physiology 536-211 or 536-212.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Experiments will be performed which build on concepts taught in Physiology 536-202. Emphasis will be given to the study of areas of physiology that relate to coordinated function (including brain, endocrinology and exercise physiology).

Students completing this subject should:

• understand experimental design including the use of appropriate statistical methods in both the design and the analysis of physiological experiments;
• understand the reasons for careful selection of appropriate controls in physiological experimentation
• comprehend the relationship between psychophysical experiments and experiments on isolated nervous tissues in the analysis of the behaviour of the nervous system;
• appreciate the way in which experiments on human subjects should be carried out to derive useful physiological information;
• understand the principles of physiological experimentation on anaesthetised animals.

Skills to be covered will include:

• experimental design taking into account different experimental approaches and the ways in which such approaches can be integrated;
• accurate recording of physiological observations;
• statistical analysis of physiological data;
• developing the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from the results, and place those conclusions into the context of theoretical knowledge and
• concise and unambiguous writing.

Assessment

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