Students

BIOL2220 – Systems Physiology

2021 – Session 2, Special circumstances, Other

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Jane AL Kouba
jane.alkouba@mq.edu.au
Contact via biol2220@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(BIOL2230 or BIOL257) or (20cp from (BIOL1110 or BIOL115) and ((BIOL1210 or BIOL108) or (BIOL1310 or BIOL114) or (BIOL1320 or BIOL122) or (BIOL1610 or BIOL116))) or ((PSYU1104 or PSYC104 or PSYU1101) and (PSYU1105 or PSYC105 or PSYU1102)) or ((ANAT1001 or HLTH108) and (ANAT1002 or HLTH109))
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit considers the maintenance of body homeostasis. We investigate the cardiovascular system including an examination of the electrical and mechanical functions of the heart, its interaction with the blood vessels, and the hormones and the autonomic nervous system that control heart function. Next we study the role of the renal system in the control of the chemical composition of the body, water balance and body fluid volume. An overview of the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal systems will follow. Practical classes involve measuring physiological parameters such as blood pressure and electrical conduction through the heart (the ECG) in humans.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain how the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis
  • ULO2: Relate specific structural features of organs to essential system functions
  • ULO3: Interpret physiological processes using equations of physical, chemical, and electrical properties
  • ULO4: Analyse data, and synthesise and communicate the implications of experimental results
  • ULO5: Perform experiments safely with human subjects and accurately collect data, demonstrating adherence to Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee sanctioned protocols
  • ULO6: Identify situations in which organ systems interact to produce a co-ordinated response

General Assessment Information

Please note that this unit cannot be completed fully online. It will run online in August and September 2021 but experimental activities will run on-campus in October-November 2021.

Assessment details 

A hurdle requirement is an activity for which a minimum level of performance or participation is a condition of passing a unit. The hurdle requirement in BIOL2220 in 2021 is that you must complete and submit all three practical assignments.

 

Assignment due dates and marks 

 

% total mark

Date due for internal students

Date due for   external students

Eight online quizzes

20

See quiz timetable below

Mid-semester test on cardiovascular and renal systems

15

Offered in allocated practical sessions in week 7 (6,7 or 8 September 2021)

2nd of October 2021 (morning of day 1 of second external practical block)

Practical assignments 1 and 2  

10

Friday of the week following completion of practical

ECG assignment – week 3 prac, deadline 20 August 2021

Blood pressure prac – week 4, deadline 27 August 2021

 

3 September 2021

Practical assignment – permeability and osmolarity 3

5

29 September 2021 (post mid semester break)

Final exam

50

Exam period – date to be determined

 

 

Practical classes and assignments

Practical classes will run in mixed mode (online and on-campus). Online will be delivered by Zoom.  First block of practicals will be offered online. Second block of practicals you will be able to come on campus and perform all practical aspects of the practicals. You will find detailed information concerning online and on-campus sessions (for internals and externals) on iLearn. You will be assigned a practical time slot and you are expected to attend all practical classes.  There are written assignments associated with the ECG, Cardiovascular System (Posture) and the Permeability practical classes. There will also be an online quiz that will include the content of the Digestion practical.

The details of each of the three practical assignments are in the practical manual which can be accessed through iLearn.  The completed assignments must be submitted to Turnitin by 11.59 on due dates seen in the table above. No paper copies will be accepted.

Mid-semester Test

This test will include 35 multiple choice questions to be completed in 50 minutes. All of the cardiovascular section, the first three renal lectures (lectures 1-12) and the material presented in the completed practical classes may be included in the test. You must complete the test individually.  During the test you will see only one question at a time.  You will have only one chance to answer each question.  You may not go back in the quiz to correct any answers.  Think carefully before answering and budget your overall time carefully. 

Online quizzes

All eight quizzes are in the form of multiple choice questions and will be available from 1pm on the Thursday until Wednesday midnight of the following week. The time limit to complete each quiz will vary with the number of questions. Only one attempt at each quiz is allowed. Similar to the mid-semester test you will see only one question at a time.  You will have only one chance to answer each question.  You may not go back in the quiz to correct any answers.  Think carefully before answering and budget your overall time carefully.

 

Quiz timetable 

 

Quiz

Content

Week

Quiz opens 1pm

Quiz closes 23:59

Q1

Content of lectures 1-4

2

5 August 2021

11 August 2021

Q2

ECG practical class

 

3

12 August 2021 (internals and externals)

18 August 2021 (internals and externals)

Q3

BP practical class  and L8- L9

5

26 August 2021

1 September 2021

Q4

CV revision L1 to L9

6

2 September 2021

8 September 2021

Q5

Renal revision

8

30 September 2021

6 October 2021

Q6

Respiratory revision

10

14 October 2021

20 October 2021

Q7

Digestion revision

11

21 October 2021

27 October 2021

Q8

Digestion practical

12

30/10

5/11

 

Final Exam

The exam is a two hour paper with multiple choice questions, and short answer questions All the lecture and practical material is examinable.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Practical class assignments 15% Yes see assessment information
Eight online quizzes 20% No see assessment information
Final Exam 50% No scheduled in exam period
Mid-semester test 15% No 2nd of October for externals

Practical class assignments

Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: see assessment information
Weighting: 15%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

There are three assignments based on practical classes. These are to be completed in the week following the practical, and submitted to Turnitin. This is a hurdle and students have to submit all three assignments to be able to pass the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain how the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis
  • Interpret physiological processes using equations of physical, chemical, and electrical properties
  • Analyse data, and synthesise and communicate the implications of experimental results
  • Perform experiments safely with human subjects and accurately collect data, demonstrating adherence to Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee sanctioned protocols
  • Identify situations in which organ systems interact to produce a co-ordinated response

Eight online quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: see assessment information
Weighting: 20%

 

A number of online quizzes will be undertaken throughout the semester.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain how the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis
  • Relate specific structural features of organs to essential system functions
  • Interpret physiological processes using equations of physical, chemical, and electrical properties
  • Analyse data, and synthesise and communicate the implications of experimental results

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: scheduled in exam period
Weighting: 50%

 

The final exam will be held in the formal examination period, and will be based on all lecture and practical material.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain how the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis
  • Relate specific structural features of organs to essential system functions
  • Interpret physiological processes using equations of physical, chemical, and electrical properties
  • Analyse data, and synthesise and communicate the implications of experimental results
  • Identify situations in which organ systems interact to produce a co-ordinated response

Mid-semester test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: 2nd of October for externals
Weighting: 15%

 

a mid-semester test will be undertaken online before the mid-semester break.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain how the cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis
  • Relate specific structural features of organs to essential system functions
  • Interpret physiological processes using equations of physical, chemical, and electrical properties
  • Identify situations in which organ systems interact to produce a co-ordinated response

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures and practicals

There will be two lectures each week. Because of the need for social distancing there can sadly be no on-campus lectures for Systems Physiology this semester. Each week's lectures will be made available through ECHO on the iLearn site by 10am Monday at the start of each week of semester.

For external students practical classes will be offered as blocks in weeks 2 and 8 of the semester.  These will also operate remotely and be accessible online. .  When you enroll in the unit you will be assigned to one of these sessions for your practical class.  Zoom links will be added to iLearn and it is important that you attend the online practical in your allotted time so that we can balance the student load across the classes.  

You will find online lectures in ECHO on an “Introduction to Neurophysiology” and the “Autonomic Nervous System”. The background information contained in these lectures is required for understanding of concepts introduced in BIOL2220 so it is essential that all students who have not completed BIOL257 study these lectures in week one. These lectures will also be a helpful revision tool for students who have completed BIOL257.

Unit Material and Textbooks

The textbook for this unit is “Principals of Human Physiology” by Cindy L Stanfield, published by Pearson. You can subscribe to the new digital version (6th addition) at

http://www.pearson.com.au/9781292156491

and you do not need MyLab/Mastering.

 

iLearn

Your iLearn site will contain everything you need for this course, including discussion forums and class announcements.  You should check this site regularly. You should also check your university email regularly for important announcements.

Past exam papers, and the final exam in 2021

The final exam will take place on-campus unless further instructions are given that it should run online.  To help you prepare for the final exam you may wish to look at past exam papers.  These can be accessed from the library using this link.  

https://multisearch.mq.edu.au/primo-explore/search?search_scope=Past%20Exam%20Papers&vid=MQ&query=any,contains,BIOL247

Note that the structure of the exam in 2021 will be similar to, but not identical to previous years.

Unit Schedule

Lecture schedule 2021

Week Lecture topics
1 1. Overview of the cardiovascular system. 2. Electrical activity of the heart.
2 3. Generation of the heartbeat. 4. Regulation of contraction of cardiac muscle.
3 5. Physics of the circulation. 6. Components of the circulation and their specific functions.
4 7. Function of the microcirculation/control of blood flow. 8. Regulation of cardiac output. 
5 9. Short term regulation of arterial blood pressure. 10 Structure and function of the renal system.
6 11. Production of urine by the nephron. 12. Excretion as the outcome of filtration, reabsorption and secretion.
7 13. Water balance: the control of ECF osmolarity. 14. Sodium balance: the control of ECF volume and blood pressure.
  Study break
8 15. Structure and function of the respiratory system. 16. The process of breathing.
9 17. Alveolar ventilation and perfusion. 18. Gas exchange
10 19. Control of respiration. 20. Nutrition
11 21. Function and organisation of the gastrointestinal system. 22. Motility of the gastrointestinal system
12 23. Secretion in the gastrointestinal system. 24. Digestion and absorption of food. 
13 25. Catch up and revision
   

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2021.04 of the Handbook