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This course introduces you to human physiology – the understanding of body function. The central concept, essential to physiology, is homeostasis – the maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment in a constantly changing external environment. This course (along with its partner BI25B2) will consider how this is achieved at cell and whole body level. The focus in this course will be on the roles of the nervous and endocrine control systems. Specifically, it deals with: the physiology of the cell with special reference to nerve and muscle; cell-cell signalling; neuro-endocrine integration and some aspects of endocrinology; membrane potentials and action potentials in nerve cells; reflexes; central nervous system control of movement; the physiology and pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system; transduction of sensory information by receptors and processing of sensory information by the CNS; The composition and function of blood including its role in immunity.
The course consists of 3 lectures per week and 1 laboratory session per fortnight. It is examined by continuous assessment of submitted practical reports, a 1-hour mid-term MCQ examination and a 2-hour MCQ examination.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr G.T.A. McEwan (01224 437403) g.t.a.mcewan@abdn.ac.uk
This course aims to develop an understanding of the main ‘integrating’ systems of the body, the nervous system and the endocrine system, and to enable students to become confident in practical laboratory skills and computer data-handling.
1. To understand the principles of cellular and organismal homeostasis.
2. To describe the principal components of animal cells and discuss their contributions to cell homeostasis and function.
3. To explain the mechanisms of transport across animal cell membranes and discuss their roles in the regulation of cellular homeostasis.
4. To define the processes used to achieve cell-cell signalling and discuss their role in providing variability of response and function.
5. To describe the endocrine system and evaluate its inter-relationships with the nervous system.
6. To describe the organisation of the nervous system and explain the principles of action potential conduction.
7. To explain the excitation and contraction of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle.
8. To describe simple spinal reflexes and their functions.
9. To explain the fine control of movement through the central nervous system.
10. To describe the organisation and functions of the autonomic nervous system and explain the role of this system in controlling the internal organs of the body.
11. To explain the transduction of sound, other mechanical stimuli, chemicals and light by various sensory receptors, and discuss how sensory information is passed to the central nervous system.
12. To introduce the principal functions of blood, to discuss its importance for nervous and endocrine function and to discuss its role in the defence against pathogenic micro-organisms.
1. Introduction to the course. Dr Gordon McEwan
2. What is Physiology? Dr Gordon McEwan
Physiology is concerned with functions of living matter. This includes a hierarchical organisation from cells to tissue to organs to systems. These principal building blocks will be introduced together with the concept of homeostasis.
3. Membrane Transport 1. Movement across membranes. Dr Gordon McEwan
Introduction to the structural organisation of the cell, the functions of the organelles and some principles of energy metabolism. Energy is required to maintain gradients between compartments. Some principles of ion exchange across membranes will also be discussed.
4. Membrane Transport 2. Membrane transport proteins and cellular homeostasis. Dr Gordon McEwan
This lecture discusses multiple transport functions of the plasma membrane to maintain constant cell volumes, regulate intracellular calcium, and pump ions against their gradients. The origin of membrane potentials (especially for nerve cells) is also considered along with ion channel functioning.
5-6 Cell Signalling 1 & 2. Dr Gordon McEwan
Communication between cells relies on specific signalling mechanisms such as paracrine, endocrine or synaptic signalling. The target cells express receptors through which information can be transduced in order to activate intracellular enzyme cascades (second messengers). This eventually leads to gene activation and expression of novel proteins.
7. Introduction to Pharmacology. Dr Gordon McEwan
A drug can be defined as any chemical (either natural or synthetic) which interacts with biological material to alter its function in some way. The discipline of Pharmacology deals with the interactions beween drugs and cells, tissues and organs. Having considered the general mechanisms whereby chemical messengers mediate cell communication and signal transduction, this lecture will introduce the basic principles of pharmacology: receptors, agonists, antagonists, dose-response relationships.
8. Hormones 1. General features of hormone actions. Dr Steve Tucker
Chemical agents travelling in the blood stream are hormones, which regulate the activity of the physiological system. Some general features of hormone actions and comparison of the 3 main chemical classes of hormones will be covered.
9. Hormones 2. Pituitary and hypothalamus. Dr Steve Tucker
Pituitary gland and hypothalamus constitute the connection between nervous and endocrinal system. Anterior and pituitary gland function will be contrasted and details of the main hormones from each summarised. Endocrine axes, regulation and feedback loops/mechanisms will be discussed.
10. Hormones 3. Growth hormones and thyroid. Dr Steve Tucker
Growth hormone exerts multiple direct and indirect actions and are crucial for regulating growth and metabolism. Dwarfism or indeed gigantism can result from dysfunction. The thyroid secretes T3 and T4, iodine containing hormones crucial for regulating metabolic rate and maturation of skeleton and central nervous system. Malfunctions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism will also be discussed.
11. Hormones 4. Adrenal hormones. Dr Steve Tucker
Adrenal glands secrete fast-acting catecholamines such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which regulate rapid responses to stress/danger. They also produce corticoids, steroid hormones involved in long-term regulation of stress-response, electrolyte balance and sexual function. Aberrant production of these hormones results in characteristic syndromes, which illustrate the importance of their functions.
12. Nerve cells & connections 1. Organization of brain & spinal cord. Dr Stephen Davies
An understanding of how the nervous system works starts with recognizing what the various parts are. This lecture therefore covers: Surface structure of the brain including meninges, cerebellar cortex, cerebral cortex and its division into four lobes, cranial nerves; Gross internal structure of the brain including ventricles, white matter, grey matter, corpus callosum, thalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, basal ganglia and internal capsule; Gross structure of the spinal cord including dorsal horn, ventral horn, dorsal root, ventral root, dorsal column, lateral column, ventral column. Throughout, the relevant functions of these regions will be highlighted.
13. Nerve cells & connections 2. Axonal conduction. Dr Stephen Davies
Neurones exist to send electrical signals around the body. This lecture tells you how they do it. It covers: Types of glia including astroglia, olidodendroglia, microglia, ependymal cells; Structure of neurons including soma, dendrites, axon hillock, axon, myelin, nodes of Ranvier, presynaptic terminals; Transmission of action potentials including resting membrane potential, threshold potential, voltage-gated Na+ channels and depolarization, voltage-gated K+ channels and repolarization, propagation, refractory period, factors affecting velocity of conduction, myelination and saltatory conduction, compound action potentials.
14. Nerve cells & connections 3. Synaptic transmission. Dr Stephen Davies
Neurones usually talk to each other via synapses where the electrical signals are briefly turned into a chemical signal that is squirted onto the second cell and triggers a "new" electrical signal. This lecture describes how these chemical synapses work. It covers: Structure of a chemical synapse including presynaptic terminal, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, synaptic vesicles, synaptic cleft, postsynaptic thickening, anatomical types of synapse, range of neurotransmitters, ligand-gated vs G-protein linked receptors, presynaptic receptors, transmitter inactivation; Postsynaptic potentials including excitatory postsynaptic potentials, inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, temporal summation, spatial summation, synaptic integration; The neuromuscular junction as a model synapse including motoneuron, end-plate, end-plate potential, miniature end-plate potential, acetylcholinesterase, curare, eserine, myesthenia gravis.
15. Nerve cells & connections 4. Reflexes. Dr Stephen Davies
Motor control is essential for normal bodily functions. We will discuss the hierarchical nature of control mechanisms aiding the motor system and specifically discuss the organisation of the spinal cord with respect to reflex arcs and postural control.
16. Nerve cells & connections 5. Cortical control of movement. Dr Stephen Davies
Apart from the crude but fast reflexes, the CNS coordinates and modulates more sophisticated responses to external stimuli. Several brain structures participate in the fine control of movement. We will consider the motor cortex first and discuss its connections to the spinal cord and its physiology.
17-18. Physiology & pharmacology of autonomic nervous system 1 &2. Dr Stephen Davies
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulates the internal environment of the body (Homeostasis). This includes the viscera, the heart, blood vessels, all other smooth muscles of the body and exocrine glandular tissue. Anatomically and physiologically, the sympathetic nervous system associated with "Arousal" and "Fright and Flight" responses has origins in the spinal cord between thoracic level 1 and lumbar level 2, (thoracolumbar outflow). By contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system is associated with "tranquillity" and contains craniosacral outflow. The ANS has preganglionic neurones connecting the CNS to autonomic ganglia, and postganglionic neurones connecting the ganglia to effector organs. All preganglionic and parasympathetic postganglionic neurones use acetylcholine, and sympathetic postganglionic neurones use epinephrine as a neurotransmitter.
19. Muscle 1. Cellular structure of skeletal muscle. Dr Guy Bewick
Light and electron microscopic structure. Distribution and function of the major muscle proteins (myosin, actin, tropomyosin, troponin etc.). Contraction cycle and the role of ATP. Ca ions and its role in excitation-contraction coupling.
20. Muscle 2. Mechanical properties of skeletal muscle. Dr Guy Bewick
Isotonic and isometric contractions. Twitch and tetanus. Correlating the length-tension relationship with sarcomere length and the effect of load on the velocity of contraction. The metabolic basis of muscle activity, fatigue and recovery. The control of muscle tension; motor units; types of muscle fibres.
21. Muscle 3. Smooth and Cardiac Muscle. Dr Guy Bewick
Smooth muscle: Cellular structure. Single unit and multi-unit types of organisation. Excitation-contraction coupling. Stimuli causing contractions. Mechanical properties. Cardiac muscle: Structure of the heart. The cardiac action potential and temporal relationship to contraction. Cellular structure of cardiac muscle cells. Excitation-contraction coupling and relaxation. The long refractory period. Length-tension relationship; rate and force of contraction. Summary/comparison of muscle types.
22. Sensory systems 1. General features of the sensory systems. Dr Derryck Shewan
This lecture introduces some elementary features of sensory receptors, their transduction mechanisms in order to produce adequate stimuli and mechanisms for coding of stimulus intensity and duration.
23. Sensory systems 2. The somatosensory system. Dr Derryck Shewan
Different receptor types are used to communicate information about touch, pressure, vibration and temperature to the body. The coupling of these receptors to the different afferent nerve fibres and their information processing in spinal cord and central nervous system is discussed.
24. Sensory systems 3. Pain. Dr Derryck Shewan
Pain is a special case of somatosensory sensations. The central pain pathways in the medulla and midbrain are discussed together with different forms of pain such as referred pain, neuralgia or phantom limb.
25. Sensory systems 4. Physiology of the eye and visual pathways. Dr Derryck Shewan
After a brief introduction into the organisation of the retina and the optic of the eye, we will discuss the physiology of blink and pupillary reflexes, highlight normal and abnormal mechanisms of focussing, describe physiology of visual acuity in the retina and establish the mechanisms of processing visual information and colour in the lateral geniculate body and the visual cortex.
26. Sensory Systems 5. Physiology of the ear - hearing and balance. Dr Derryck Shewan
The structure of the auditory system is described with emphasis on the ear and the mechanisms of sound transduction in the cochlea. A complex network issues this information to the inferior colliculus and auditory cortex for processing and localisation. Hearing impairments include deafness, or hearing loss. A second system associated with the ear is the vestibular organ, a complex membranous labyrinth aiding balance. Tilting movements lead to otolith displacements and may also signal accelerations or gravity.
27. Sensory systems 6. The chemical senses - smell and taste. Dr Derryck Shewan
Organs of smell are located in the nose in a specific epithelial arrangement. Activation of cells uses receptors linked to second messenger cascades via G-protein activation. The limbic system is the main recipient of olfactory information in the brain. Taste is categorised into four modalities and, similar to the perception of smell, uses second messenger activation as the transduction mechanism.
28. Blood & Defence 1. General features. Dr Alison Jack
The chemical and cellular composition of the blood will be discussed together with the process by which blood cells are formed. We will also consider how blood is typed and the importance of matching blood before transfusion.
29. Blood & Defence 2. Homeostasis, hemoglobin and disorders. Dr Alison Jack
This lecture will centre on two main areas, blood homeostasis and the role of haemoglobin. We will discuss how blood clots after injury to prevent blood loss but how under normal conditions remains at the optimum viscosity to flow easily through vessels. We will also consider how haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body and why carbon monoxide is so dangerous. Abnormalities of these two processes, namely haemophilia and anaemia will also be covered.
30. Blood & Defence 3. The immune system. Dr Allison Carrington
We will discuss the body's natural immune system and it's response to infection or injury - namely inflammation. What triggers inflammation, how is it mediated and what good does it do? We will then compare this to the adaptive immune system - a sophisticated defence system which can remember and recognise the specific pathogens it has previously been exposed to.
You should bring a white lab coat to all laboratory-based practicals. For laboratory practicals you will be divided into two groups, A & B. Details of practical group membership will be placed on the College Teaching Facility notice boards. During laboratory practicals you will work in pairs within groups of four. Practical schedules will be provided at the start of the Course. These are available from Mrs Sheila Jones (Senior Technician, CLSM Teaching Facility Basement Labs (Zoology Building). Two practical reports (1 report per pair) will be produced and submitted during the course and these will be assessed (see Assessment). Each of these reports contributes 10% towards the final Degree assessment.
The practical work required in this course may present difficulties to students with special educational needs. For such students, alternative arrangements will be made. Any student with special needs should make these known to the Course Co-ordinator when registering for the class, and should then also discuss their needs with the Disabilities Co-ordinator, Dr Derryck Shewan, to ensure that they have the best possible outcome.
There is a regular programme of seminars given throughout the academic year by invited specialists from within the broad field of biomedical research.
These are usually held on Thursdays from 12noon -1pm in the IMS Building at Foresterhill (check the School or IMS websites for specific locations of seminars).
As you are studying within research-driven disciplines, we feel strongly that you should attend these whenever possible, with a view to broadening your appreciation of medical sciences. You will also be directed to attend any other relevant seminars when they arise.
Recommended text for course:
Silverthorn D.U. – Human Physiology; An Integrated Approach 5th Edition 2009, Pearson. ISBN 032160061-4
The University has strict regulations on plagiarism. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism read the University guide on plagiarism at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing
Copying or plagiarising another persons work, either from other students or published material in books or papers and submitted as your own for assessment is considered a form of cheating. This is considered by the University to be a serious offence and will be penalised according to the extent involved and whether it is decided there was an attempt at deliberate deception, or whether bad practice was involved. If you do use information or ideas obtained from textbooks or other published material you must give a precise reference to the source both at the appropriate point in your narrative and in a list of references at the end of your work. Direct quotations from published material should be indicated by quotation marks and referenced in the text as above.
You are expected to attend all lectures, laboratory classes and assessments and to complete all class exercises by stated deadlines. The minimum performance acceptable for the granting of a class certificate is attendance at 75% of the practical classes, and presentation of all set course work.
The course assessment consists of two components:
1. A continuous assessment component (30%). Marks within this component are derived from:
(a) Mid-term multiple choice examination paper (10%)
(b) Two completed practical schedules (20%)
2. A multiple choice degree examination paper (70%)
The main degree examination consists of a 2 hour paper with 100 multiple choice questions (ABCDE).
The mid-term examination will follow the same format as the degree exam but will consist of 50 multiple choice questions and will last for 1 hour.
The degree examination is set in the January diet of examinations. The re-sit degree examination is set in the August diet and your continuous assessment mark will be reconsidered at this and subsequent sittings. As with University regulations, class certificates are valid for two years only and extra sittings of an examination can only be considered if failure or absence from an examination is covered by a valid medical certificate.
The overall performance of the student will be expressed as a grade awarded on the common assessment scale (CAS) shown on the last page of this handbook.
Dr Guy Bewick
Dr Allison Carrington
Dr Stephen Davies
Dr Gordon McEwan
Dr Derryck Shewan
Dr Steven Tucker
Dr Alison Jack (AMJ), Medical Sciences
If students have difficulties with any part of the course that they cannot cope with alone they should notify someone immediately. If the problem relates to the subject matter you may be best advised to contact the member of staff who is teaching that part of the course. Students with registered disabilities should contact either the IMS based School Office (Miss Lyndsay McEwan l.mcewan@abdn.ac.uk) or the Old Aberdeen office associated with the teaching laboratories (Mrs Sheila Jones s.jones@abdn.ac.uk ) to ensure that the appropriate facilities have been made available. Otherwise, you are strongly encouraged to contact any of the following as you see appropriate:
Course student representatives.
Course co-ordinator, Dr Gordon McEwan
Convenor of the Student/Staff Liaison Committee, Dr Gordon McEwan
Adviser of studies.
School Disabilities Co-ordinator, Dr Derryck Shewan
Staff are based at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill. Therefore, we strongly encourage the use of email or telephone the SMS office. You may be wasting your time to travel to Foresterhill only to find staff unavailable.
Support Available to Students
The University is keen to help you successfully complete your studies. If at any time you feel you need assistance, there is a range of support services available to help you. These include support to assist with unexpected and/or exceptional financial difficulty, support for disabled students and academic learning support through the Student Learning Service. Further details about all these services area available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/studenthelpguide/.
We value students’ opinions in regard to enhancing the quality of teaching and its delivery; therefore in conjunction with the Students’ Association we support the operation of a Class Representative system.
The students within each course, year, or programme elect representatives by the end of the fourth week of teaching within each half-session. In this school we operate a system of course representatives. Any student registered within a course that wishes to represent a given group of students can stand for election as a class representative. You will be informed when the elections for class representative will take place.
What will it involve?
It will involve speaking to your fellow students about the course you represent. This can include any comments that they may have. You will attend a Staff-Student Liaison Committee and you should represent the views and concerns of the students within this meeting. As a representative you will also be able to contribute to the agenda. You will then feedback to the students after this meeting with any actions that are being taken.
Training
Training for class representatives will be run by the Students Association. Training will take place in the fourth or fifth week of teaching each half-session. For more information about the Class representative system visit www.ausa.org.uk or email the VP Education & Employability vped@abdn.ac.uk. Class representatives are also eligible to undertake the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award, further information about the co-curricular award is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers.
The University operates a system for monitoring students' progress to identify students who may be experiencing difficulties in a particular course and who may be at risk of losing their class certificate. If the Course Co-ordinator has concerns about your attendance and/or performance, the Registry will be informed. The Registry will then write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to ask you to contact their office in the first instance. Depending on your reason for absence the Registry will either deal directly with your case or will refer you to your Adviser of Studies or a relevant support service. This system is operated to provide support for students who may be experiencing difficulties with their studies. Students are required to attend such meetings with their Adviser of Studies in accordance with General Regulation 8.
Set criteria are used to determine when a student should be reported in the monitoring system. You will be asked to meet your Adviser if any of the following criteria apply for this course:-
either (i) if you are absent for a continuous period of two weeks or 25% of the course (whichever is less) without good cause being reported;
or (ii) if you are absent from two small group teaching sessions e.g. (laboratory/tutorial classes) without good cause;
or (iii) if you fail to submit a piece of summative or a substantial piece of formative in-course assessment by the stated deadline
If you fail to respond within the prescribed timescale (as set out in the e-mail or letter) you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course concerned and will accordingly be ineligible to take the end of course assessment or to enter for the resit. The Registry will write to you (by e-mail in term-time) to inform you of this decision. If you wish consideration to be given to reinstating you in the course you will be required to meet the Convener of the Students' Progress Committee.
Students who attend and complete the work required for a course are considered to have been awarded a ‘Class Certificate’. Being in possession of a valid Class Certificate for a course entitles a student to sit degree examinations for that course. From 2010/11 class certificates will be valid for two years and permit a total of three attempts at the required assessment within that two year period i.e. the first attempt plus up to two resits.
You will receive a University e-mail account when you register with the University Computing Centre. The University will normally use e-mail to communicate with you during term-time. These e-mails will be sent to your University e-mail account, which you can access using Eudora or SquirrelMail.
It is your responsibility to check your e-mail on a regular (at least weekly) basis and to tidy the contents of your e-mail inbox to ensure that it does not go over quota (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/email/mailquota.hti for guidance on managing your e-mail quota). It is recommended that you use your University e-mail account to read and respond to University communications. If you already have a non-University e-mail account that you use for personal correspondence, it is possible to set up automatic forwarding of messages from your University e-mail account to your personal e-mail address (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/local/mail.forward/) but, should you do so, it is your responsibility to ensure that this is done correctly. The University takes no responsibility for delivery of e-mails to non-University accounts.
You should note that failure to check your e-mail or failure to receive e-mail due to being over quota or due to non-delivery of an e-mail forwarded to a non-University e-mail account would not be accepted as a ground for appeal (for further information on appeals procedures, please refer to http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix5x17.hti).
TurnitinUK
TurnitinUK is an online service which compares student assignments with online sources including web pages, databases of reference material, and content previously submitted by other users across the UK. The software makes no decision as to whether plagiarism has occurred; it is simply a tool which highlights sections of text that have been found in other sources thereby helping academic staff decide whether plagiarism has occurred.
As of Academic Year 2011/12, TurnitinUK will be accessed directly through MyAberdeen. Advice about avoiding plagiarism, the University’s Definition of Plagiarism, a Checklist for Students, Referencing and Citing guidance, and instructions for TurnitinUK, can be found in the following area of the Student Learning Service website www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism/.
Absence from Classes on Medical Grounds
Candidates who wish to establish that their academic performance has been adversely affected by their health are required to secure medical certificates relating to the relevant periods of ill health (see General Regulation 17.3).
The University’s policy on requiring certification for absence on medical grounds or other good cause can be accessed at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x5.pdf
You are strongly advised to make yourself fully aware of your responsibilities if you are absent due to illness or other good cause. In particular, you are asked to note that self-certification of absence for periods of absence up to and including eleven weekdays is permissible. However, where absence has prevented attendance at an examination or where it may have affected your performance in an element of assessment or where you have been unable to attend a specified teaching session, you are strongly advised to provide medical certification (see section 3 of the Policy on Certification of Absence for Medical Reasons or Other Good Cause).
Feedback Framework
Feedback on assessment:
The University recognises that the provision of timely and appropriate feedback on assessment plays a key part in students learning and teaching. The guiding principles for the provision of feedback within the University are detailed in the Institutional Framework for the Provision of Feedback on Assessment available at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix7x8.pdf
Enhancing Feedback:
The University recognises both the importance of providing timely and appropriate feedback on assessments to students, and of enabling students to voice views on their learning experience through channels such as Student Course Evaluation Forms and Class Representatives. FAQs, guidance and resources about feedback can be found on the University’s ‘Enhancing Feedback’ website at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/clt/feedback
Appeals and Complaints
The University’s appeals and complaints procedures provide students with a framework through which to formalise their concerns about aspects of their academic experience or to complain when they feel that standards of non-academic service have fallen short of that which they expected.
The process has been designed to make the appeals and complaints process as accessible and simple as possible and to provide a robust, fair mechanism through which to ensure that all appeals and complaints are considered in the appropriate way at the appropriate level.
A major feature of the process is the emphasis it places on early or informal resolution. All students should note that there is an expectation that they will take responsibility for seeking resolution of their academic or non-academic concerns by raising and discussing them at the earliest possible stage with the relevant individuals in an academic School or administrative Service.
Further details of the processes for making an appeal or complaint, including where to find further help and support in the process, is given at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/appeals
Transcripts at Graduation
It is anticipated that students who commenced their studies in, or after, 2009/10, will receive a more detailed transcript of their studies on graduation. The increased details will include a record of all examination results attained. For students graduating in 2012/13 transcripts will show details of all CAS marks awarded, including marks which are fails. Where a resit has been required as a result of medical circumstances or other good cause (MC/GC) this will not be shown, but all other circumstances (i.e. No Paper ‘NP’) will be included.
MyAberdeen (the University of Aberdeen Virtual Learning Environment)
MyAberdeen replaces WebCT as students’ virtual learning environment. This is where you will find learning materials and resources associated with the courses you are studying.
MyAberdeen also provides direct access to TurnitinUK, the online originality checking service, through which you may be asked to submit completed assignments.
You can log in to MyAberdeen by going to www.abdn.ac.uk/myaberdeen and entering your University username and password (which you use to access the University network).
Further information on MyAberdeen including Quick Guides and video tutorials, along with information about TurnitinUK, can be found at: www.abdn.ac.uk/students/myaberdeen.php.
Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarism can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/sls/plagiarism.
Aberdeen Graduate Attributes
Graduate Attributes are a wide-ranging set of qualities which students will develop during their time at Aberdeen in preparation for employment, further study and citizenship.
There are four main areas of the Graduate Attributes:
• Academic excellence
• Critical thinking and communication
• Learning and personal development
• Active citizenship
Students have many opportunities to develop and achieve these attributes. These include learning experiences on credit-bearing courses and co-curricular activities such as work placements, study abroad and volunteering. In accordance with the University’s commitment to Equality and Diversity, students can request support with any aspect of the Graduate Attributes framework.
The ACHIEVE website offers resources that enable students to assess and reflect upon their present skills and development needs. The website also contains resources to help students to improve their skills and links to a range of university services such as the Careers Service and the Student Learning Service. Students can access ACHIEVE from their MyAberdeen site in the ‘My Organisations’ section. More information about Aberdeen Graduate Attributes and ACHIEVE can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes.
The Co-curriculum
The co-curriculum enhances a student’s employability and provides opportunities to develop and achieve Aberdeen Graduate Attributes. Co-curricular activities complement a student’s degree programme and include: work placements, study abroad, enterprise and entrepreneurship activities, the BP Student Tutoring Scheme, career mentoring and the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Award initiative. Below are examples of credit-bearing co-curricular activities. It is anticipated that these types of activity will be included on an enhanced transcript for students graduating in, or after, 2012/13
ERASMUS is an exchange programme funded by the European Commission which enables students to study or work in another European country as part of their degree programme. Eligible students will receive a grant to help with extra costs while abroad and a number of our partner institutions teach through English. For more information, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/erasmus/. The University also has opportunities for students to study in a non-European country as part of their degree through the International Exchange Programme. International partners include universities and colleges in North America, Hong Kong and Japan (www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-exchange.php). The University aims to ensure full academic recognition for study periods abroad, therefore the credits gained from study abroad will count towards the Aberdeen degree programme for students participating in both ERASMUS and the International Exchange Programme.
Work placements can also form an integral part of a degree programme and attract academic credit. Placements are available locally, nationally and internationally, lasting from a few weeks to a full year and are generally paid. Visit the Careers Service website for further placement information and to find available work placements.
Further information about the co-curriculum is available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/careers
School of Medical Sciences - Guide to Citing and Referencing
This guide should be used to assist you when completing any work for disciplines in the School of Medical Sciences. All work should include citations at appropriate places in the text, with a complete reference list at the end of the assignment. If diagrams/ graphs/ tables are copied or adapted from other publications/ websites, the sources must also be cited in the legend for that item, and included in your reference list.
Good citing and referencing not only improves the quality of your work, but it gives credit to the authors of original work, and makes it less likely that you can be accused of plagiarism. Further guidance on writing and plagiarism may be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/writing/ . When you submit work for marking, you are declaring that YOU are the author, that you have not copied it or plagiarised any material from other sources, AND that all sources of information have been acknowledged in your text. Students may be penalised by the University if found guilty of plagiarism.
Students are warned to be careful if using websites as sources of information. These may be inaccurate and are often not peer-reviewed. You are strongly encouraged to use advanced textbooks, peer-reviewed papers or reviews as the sources of your information in your work. Students are also advised to avoid quoting chunks of text in their work. Just because you put quotation marks around some text does not mean that you have not plagiarised it. Try and explain ideas and concepts in your own words.
The referencing style used here is Harvard, similar to that recommended by the University Library (see their factsheet for further information on referencing). Students must use this style of citing and referencing for all work. Other styles are not acceptable. Marks may be deducted if students do not cite or reference properly (see specific marking schemes for details).
Citing references within the text
You must provide citations in the text at the appropriate places by putting the author’s surname and year of publication in round brackets immediately after the relevant text (author, date method).
Author, date method
Jones et al. (1999) has argued that….
Studies have produced conflicting results…..(Bloggs, 2000; MacDuff et al., 1993)
Smith stated (1990)…..and then later work confirmed this (2003)…..
Bloggs (2001) investigated…..
One author (Bloggs, 2000)
Two authors (Smith & Jones, 1982)
Three or more authors (Chesterfield et al., 1995)
If the same author(s) wrote two or more papers in the same year Thwaites et al. stated (1990a)…..and then provided further evidence (1990b)…..
N.B. “et al.” should be in italics, as should all other Latin words/phrases in your text (e.g. in vitro). There is also a full stop after “et al.”, since it is an abbreviation of “et alia” (“and others”).
Listing your references at the end of your work
Your list of references must place the surnames of the first authors in alphabetical order. List all authors of a piece of work unless there are a large number.
Format of references at the end of your work
Book - whole Rang, H.P., Dale, M.M., Ritter, J.M. & Flower, R.J. (2007) Pharmacology. 6th Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Book – article or chapter within Johnson, D. & Smart, J.S. (1983) Advanced techniques in measuring athletic performance. In: S. Roberts, ed., Sports Science in the Laboratory. London: Macmillan, pp. 3-28.
Journal – article within Furchgott, R.F., Zawadzki, J.V. (1980) The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature. 288(5789), 373-6.
Website Department for Education and Employment (2000). Student loans: guidance on terms and conditions from April 2000. [online]. Available from: http://www.dfee.gov.uk/loan2000/index.html [Accessed 23rd March 2006]
