536-206 Physiology (Optometry)

Note

1. This subject is only available to students enrolled in the BOptom course.
2. Experiments involving the use of animals are essential to this subject; exemption is not possible.

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Enrolment into the second year of the Optometry course.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject:

• illustrates how body systems act and interact to maintain homoeostasis - a constant internal environment;
• provides an understanding of cellular, subcellular and membrane structures and their importance in fluid distribution, functions of excitable cells (nerve and muscle), information transfer (electrical and hormonal) and metabolism, and
• demonstrates how organs and tissues interact leading to coordinated body function.

In particular, the subject matter covers:

• an introduction to Cellular Physiology covering the properties and characteristics of specialised cells such as neurones and muscle cells;
• how cellular specialisation results in hormonal, neural and organ systems subserving specialised body functions by studying organ function including the cardiovascular system, respiration, kidney function and the gastrointestinal physiology;
• control mechanisms, the endocrine paracrine and autocrine and neuronal processes, including an introduction to study of brain and its regulatory processes and
• a series of lectures focusing on how different processes integrate to sustain and modulate body function including control of the central nervous, respiratory, renal, reproductive, digestive, muscular, cardiovascular and haematological systems. Practical experiments will illustrate selected lecture material.

Assessment

Written laboratory reports of up to 6 pages each, a 2.5 hour written examination at the end of first semester and second semester. The final examination will be based on the whole year's work.