Last modified: 23 Jul 2025 15:46
Have you ever wondered how your body functions? Imagine it as a complex machine, where each part plays a critical role. Physiology is the science that explores how these parts work and interact to ensure the organism functions optimally.
This course introduces the fundamentals of animal physiology, focusing on the similarities and differences in various animals across the tree of life. Through engaging lectures, you will gain a theoretical understanding of the processes that underpin cellular, tissue, and organ functions and their communication.
Hands-on practicals are designed to help you apply these concepts and develop laboratory skills. By studying examples from different animal phyla, you will appreciate the universal processes fundamental to all animals and recognise the unique adaptations within different groups.
Assessments are structured to consolidate and apply your knowledge, allowing you to delve deeper into a topic of interest through a group poster project. Over six weeks, students work collaboratively in small groups to research a topic of their choice, develop a research poster, and present their findings. This project builds essential skills in teamwork, scientific inquiry, and communication, while offering an opportunity to explore a subject area of personal interest.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
|
||
This course takes a comparative approach to the study of animal physiology, aiming to understand the mechanisms of animal body functions from cells to the whole organism. It builds on the introduction to evolutionary relationships and structures from Diversity of Life 2 and serves as a bridge to the more advanced Comparative Physiology 2.
The course covers various topics:
| Description | Value |
|---|---|
| Students should possess a Howie laboratory coat and safety glasses. Further details of requirements can be found on the course's MyAberdeen page. The cost listed here is approximate. | 23.0000 |
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 35 | Feedback Weeks | 40 | |
| Feedback |
Students will be provided with a list of topics from which they select one. Individual research will be required and students are expected to produce an informative poster as a group (4-5 people) and to present it in a poster session. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Developed expertise with one topic through independent research evidenced by communicating the key messages in the form of a poster |
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the structures and mechanisms involved in physiological processes to inform a comparative framework |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 55 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Exam (MCQ format) split into two parts: assessment of lecture content (25%) and practical content (30%). Held in exam period. Duration: 2 hours. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
On-campus MCQ-test during term time. Duration: 1 hour. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Assesment - week 50-52 Feedback - Three weeks after submission |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Developed expertise with one topic through independent research evidenced by communicating the key messages in the form of a poster |
| Procedural | Apply | Recognize system components in vivo and carry out lab techniques appropriate for investigating physiology, and report findings in an appropriate format |
| Conceptual | Understand | Demonstrate an understanding of the structures and mechanisms involved in physiological processes to inform a comparative framework |
| Factual | Understand | Describe the mechanisms for the fundamental physiological processes in animals |
We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.
