PHY2021: Body Systems Physiology

11 online Moodle tests (your best 8 are counted) - 25%
5 Lab Reports - 20%
4 Online Learning Tasks - 5%
Final theory exam - 30%
Final prac exam - 20%

is about why we need such a nervous system, the division and difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and where all the nerves that lead to various organs are found in the brain and spinal cord (you're not meant to memorise all the positions). The main neurotransmitters, how they are synthesised, released and broken down, and their receptors are also covered for the ANS. These main concepts are applied to situations such as control of the bladder, heart and sexual response. There's also a bit about energy storage and release at the end.

is an introduction into the structure and function of the heart, and goes through the cardiac cycle, how the heart contracts, blood flow through the heart and body, blood pressure and pulse, the role of the various blood vessels, and how these are all controlled. The knowledge here is applied to situations such as exercise and injury. Towards the end, there is also a bit on some heart diseases and their proposed causes, which is also meant to be an application of the knowledge you've learnt.

This unit is largely divided into five sections:

is mainly a revision from first-year biology about homeostasis (what else?) and its role in allowing organisms to function. It also covers cell-cell communication and signalling, and goes into a little bit of detail about the various ways in which extracellular molecules interact with the cell membrane.

Homeostasis: Wayne Sturrock
Autonomic nervous system: Marianne Tare
Cardiovascular: Roger Evans
Respiratory: Farshad Mansouri and Ross Young
Renal: Kate Denton and Yvonne Hodgson

No. However, there were lots of practice questions and sample exam questions on Moodle, for both the theory and prac exams.

5/5

Yes, with screen capture

is an introduction into the structure and function of the kidney, and goes through how substances are filtered from the blood into the kidney and how the kidney selectively reabsorbs substances. Water and sodium balance form a major component of the theory for this section, and the hormones, receptors and mechanisms by which this is achieved are covered. Also covered is a bit of acid-base homeostasis, and applications of water and sodium balance to various situations in the body.

This was also a very enjoyable unit. At the beginning of the unit, we were told "The more you understand, the less you have to memorise", and understanding the principles to apply to specific situations was a focus and a real highlight for me. All of the lecturers taught with this focus in mind, and it was probably the only thing keeping me awake throughout the lectures (as they were all at 8am or 9am).

The labs didn't reach this lofty standard, but were still decent. It's mostly done in groups of three or four (just whoever happens to be sitting at your table). When you perform the experiments, the data is logged into a computer at your table, and you email the data to yourselves. Then, you use the data to complete the lab reports (which are more like worksheets). These are usually due on the Friday two weeks after the relevant lab. The labs mainly reinforce the theory. On a couple of occasions, there will be a tutorial session a week after the lab, where the lecturer will go through the prac. Taking notes here is well worth it, as it really helps you to answer the worksheet questions well, and helps with prac exam revision.

I didn't really use the textbook much either, except for a little during SWOTVAC. I actually found the lecture notes and the lectures themselves more coherent than the textbook.

In terms of assessment, the online tests are reasonable, if you have your lecture notes in front of you. There are usually one or two more difficult questions in each test, just so everyone isn't getting 100% for that component. However, your best 8 marks out of 11 are counted, so it's not too difficult to get a pretty decent score for this section.

The prac reports are a little time consuming (expect to spend at least three hours if you want to do them well), but aren't overly difficult either. Almost all the questions you'll have to answer will come either from the theory, or will be explained by the demonstrators/lecturers at some point during the lab.

The online learning tasks are a really awesome revision tool. There are four of these, and each examines how a different body system works to maintain homeostasis in a specific situation (when I did it, it was when the body is exercising). The good thing about these is that as long as you put in a decent effort into answering all the questions, you'll get the 5% regardless of whether you're right or not. Suggested answers are provided after you submit each task. These are also a bit time consuming, it took me just over a full day to get through all of them.

The theory exam is divided into three sections. There's the MCQ, the short answer responses (I'd say you're expected to write around a page for each), and the extended responses (I'd say around two pages for each). For the short answer responses, you answer 5 out of 9 questions (there's usually two questions on each topic except for Homeostasis, you pick one of them). For the extended responses, you answer 2 out of 4 questions (one for each topic excluding Homeostasis.) It isn't particularly difficult, but you do have to know each system fairly well in order to be able to write the longer response questions.

The prac exam is just divided up into sections from each prac. If you go over the lab reports you've made in the semester, you should be well on your way to getting a good mark. For both exams, there are a fair number of revision and sample questions on Moodle. Taking a look at these is a good idea.
On the whole, this unit exceeded my expectations, and was the best biology unit I've done, by far.

is an introduction into the structure and function of the lung, and goes through the airways from the trachea down to the alveoli, how breathing is actually accomplished, how we can measure breathing capacity, the roles of some cells in the lungs, how gas exchange with the blood is accomplished, and how the body can regulate breathing. Throughout, the case studies of various lung diseases are used to help with understanding the concepts. Towards the end, there are applications such as being underwater or on a high mountain.

E. P. Widmaier, H. Raff, K. T. Strang, Vander's Human Physiology - the mechanisms of body function (12ed. in Sem 1, 2013)

Not compulsory to buy. Did not use much during semester.

3 x 1 hour lectures per week
1 x 3 hour lab per week (There are only about 6 labs, and 2 weeks where the lecturer will go through the theory behind the prac (which usually takes around 1 hour). So, you effectively get 4 weeks off.

Semester 1, 2013

Unknown at this point.