PCB 4723 - Comparative Physiology

College of Natural Sciences

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2018 (550)

Requisites

Pre- or Co-requisite PCB 4723L with a minimum grade of C and
(Prerequisite PCB 3043 with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite PCB 3043L with a minimum grade of C) and
(Prerequisite PCB 3063 with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite PCB 3063L with a minimum grade of C)

Course Description

This course is designed to teach animal physiology from a comparative perspective that focuses on the interplay between environmental conditions and physiological adaptation and highlights the many similarities and differences seen among different types of organisms. It also stresses the significance of homeostasis and addresses the interdependency between structure and function. This course emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach in which concepts from physics and chemistry are merged with concepts from biology. (Note: Credit is only given for (PCB 4723C) or (PCB 4723/PCB 4723L)).

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will analyze the central themes of animal physiology by:
    1. showing the interplay between structure and function.
    2. comparing and contrasting adaptation, acclimatization and acclimation.
    3. defining homeostasis and its importance.
    4. describing control systems.
    5. comparing and contrasting conformity versus regulation and their significance.
  2. The student will analyze physiological processes at the cellular level by:
    1. classifying the structure and function of membranes and transport processes across membranes.
    2. illustrating the electrical properties of membranes.
    3. comparing electrochemical gradients of membranes and their contribution to resting potentials, graded potentials and action potentials in neurons.
    4. illustrating and inspecting transmission of signals along and between neurons.
    5. investigating muscle contraction at the cellular level.
    6. comparing the osmotic potential of different cells and its significance.
    7. comparing and contrasting junctions between cells and their significance.
    8. outlining the formation, packaging, storage and secretion of cellular products.
  3. The student will evaluate the physiological processes that allow organisms to sense and respond to their surroundings by:
    1. summarizing the general properties of sensory reception, transduction and encoding.
    2. comparing and contrasting the major sensory modalities, including chemical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and visual and comparing them across a variety of animals.
    3. comparing how sensory information is sorted, filtered and processed.
    4. explaining the overall organization of the nervous system, the roles of the various components and comparing nervous systems across different types of animals.
    5. discussing some of the basic concepts associated with animal behavior and their correlation to physiology.
    6. discussing and illustrating the structure and function of muscle and explaining adaptations in muscular systems.
    7. performing experiments to analyze muscular and nerve function in human physiology.
  4. The student will evaluate the physiological processes that underlie gas exchange and circulation by:
    1. summarizing the gas laws and their relevance to gas exchange.
    2. describing gas exchange with the environment and comparing and contrasting the processes in air and water.
    3. comparing and contrasting the mechanisms used in the exchange of gas between the external environment and body tissues.
    4. summarizing the evolution of the circulatory systems and contrasting open and closed circulatory systems.
    5. discussing adaptation and acclimation in respiratory systems in response to changes in environmental conditions.
    6. describing the interdependence of gas exchange and blood pH.
    7. comparing and contrasting the circulatory systems across various animal groups.
    8. describing adaptation and acclimation of the cardiovascular system to environmental conditions.
  5. The student will evaluate the physiological processes associated with osmoregulation, ionic balance and excretion by:
    1. comparing and contrasting osmoregulators and osmoconformers and summarizing the physiological demands in saltwater, freshwater and terrestrial environments.
    2. describing the overall problem of osmoregulation and comparing and contrasting the physiological demands in saltwater, freshwater and terrestrial environments.
    3. comparing and contrasting types of osmoregulatory organs used throughout the animal kingdom.
    4. discussing the strategies for removal of nitrogenous wastes and correlating these strategies with environmental constraints.
    5. comparing the mammalian kidney with non-mammalian kidneys and invertebrate osmoregulatory organs.
    6. describing and illustrating the concept of a counter-current mechanism.
  6. The student will explain the physiological processes pertaining to the acquisition and use of energy by:
    1. comparing and contrasting feeding methods across the animal kingdom.
    2. identifying energy content of common foods.
    3. summarizing the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption and elimination as appropriate for a variety of organisms, and analyzing the connection between structure and function in terms of nutrient requirements and environmental constraints for each of these organisms.
    4. describing, comparing and contrasting nutrient requirements of various animals.
    5. assessing the effect of body size and temperature on metabolic rate, and discussing the methods of experimentally determining metabolic rate.
    6. describing and illustrating the effect of body size and temperature on metabolic rate of animals.
    7. comparing and contrasting the effects of temperature on ectotherms, heterotherms, and endotherms.
    8. investigating the cost of endothermy.
    9. discussing the adaptations involving metabolic rate such as torpor, aestivation and hibernation.
    10. comparing digestive systems in different types of animals.
    11. measuring metabolic rate and the environmental factors affecting metabolic rate.
  7. The student explain the physiological processes of endocrine and reproductive systems by:
    1. describing the chemical types of hormones and their general functions.
    2. describing the control of the endocrine system, the physiological effects of the hormones and the interactions of the various endocrine organs in mammals.
    3. describing the effects of hormones at the cellular level.
    4. comparing and contrasting vertebrate and invertebrate hormonal systems.
    5. comparing and contrasting reproductive physiology between major animal groups.
    6. evaluating the similarities and differences in endocrine and reproductive physiology of different animals.
  8. The student will evaluate the use of technology in modern physiology by:
    1. completing physiological experiments using data collection instruments and computers.
    2. comparing digital simulations of classical experiments in the virtual, electronic environment.
    3. identifying national and state educational standards that can be met by implementing digital laboratory experiments in the K-12 environment.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course, the College of Education student will, with a minimum of 75% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

C&I Approval: 05/16/2014, BOT Approval: 10/21/2014, Effective Term: Spring 2015 (495).
C&I Approval: 02/09/2018, BOT Approval: 04/17/2018, Effective Term: Fall 2018 (550)

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