Students

BIOL1210 – Human Biology

2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Michael Gillings
Tutor
Timothy Ghaly
Caitlin Kordis
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is for anyone interested in humans, and how humans interact with the rest of the living world. The subjects covered include basic anatomy, genetics, physiology, disease, reproduction, and human evolution. BIOL1210 will give you the ability to think critically about the major problems of our times, which are often biological in nature. To understand issues such as genetic engineering, global climate change, bioterrorism, cloning, assisted reproductive technologies, antibiotic resistance or the emergence of new human diseases requires a familiarity with modern biological knowledge. In particular, it is increasingly important for anyone involved in human health or medicine to understand ecological and evolutionary processes. We aim to equip you with this knowledge, and at the same time give you an appreciation for the mystery and diversity of life on this planet. The unit content is dealt with in such a way that students without prior studies in biology will not be at a disadvantage, however biology students are also encouraged to take this unit.

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: Demonstrate an understanding and working knowledge of key biological terms
  • ULO2: Explain physiological processes in the human body starting at the genetic level and working through the biochemistry, cell and tissue functions to a physical outcome
  • ULO3: Outline the complex interactions between organ systems that result in homeostasis
  • ULO4: Apply biological concepts to a range of contemporary issues
  • ULO5: Find scientific articles and critically evaluate the design and conclusions of biological experiments
  • ULO6: Summarize key findings related to complex biological topics

General Assessment Information

General Faculty Policy on assessment submission deadlines and late submissions: 

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.

All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero unless late submissions are specifically allowed as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn.

If late submissions are permitted as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn a consistent penalty will be applied for late submissions as follows: 

A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Writing Task 4% No Week 2
Online Quizzes 40% No Weekly
Final Exam 40% No Week 14
Reference List 16% No Week 8

Writing Task

Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 2
Weighting: 4%

 

A short writing task, consisting of a statement on human biology

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding and working knowledge of key biological terms
  • Apply biological concepts to a range of contemporary issues

Online Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 40%

 

Multiple Choice Quizzes covering lectures from the previous week

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding and working knowledge of key biological terms
  • Explain physiological processes in the human body starting at the genetic level and working through the biochemistry, cell and tissue functions to a physical outcome
  • Outline the complex interactions between organ systems that result in homeostasis
  • Apply biological concepts to a range of contemporary issues
  • Summarize key findings related to complex biological topics

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: Week 14
Weighting: 40%

 

A final invigilated exam will be held during the Formal Examination period at the end of semester. This may consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding and working knowledge of key biological terms
  • Explain physiological processes in the human body starting at the genetic level and working through the biochemistry, cell and tissue functions to a physical outcome
  • Outline the complex interactions between organ systems that result in homeostasis
  • Apply biological concepts to a range of contemporary issues
  • Find scientific articles and critically evaluate the design and conclusions of biological experiments
  • Summarize key findings related to complex biological topics

Reference List

Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 19 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 16%

 

Summary of papers and correctly formatted reference list

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding and working knowledge of key biological terms
  • Apply biological concepts to a range of contemporary issues
  • Find scientific articles and critically evaluate the design and conclusions of biological experiments
  • Summarize key findings related to complex biological topics

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

This Unit consists of three lectures per week. These lectures are available as live attendance, recordings of the live lectures, or as prerecorded mp4 files. All lecture recordings and lecture notes are available on the BIOL1210 iLearn page.

Completion of all assignments and engagement with all lecture materials is strongly recommended, since it will be difficult to pass the unit without fulfilling these requirements.

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Additional Information - Offshore students; COVID policies

Off-shore students

Off-shore students must email the convenor as soon as possible to discuss study options.

 

COVID Information and on-campus classes

On-campus teaching continues to be scheduled for Session 1, 2022. Masks are compulsory for all classes in indoor spaces and social distancing will be implemented wherever possible. Students will also be required to sanitise surfaces before and after use.

 Students are requested to minimise the risk of spreading COVID to themselves and others in accordance with the university and NSW Health guidelines: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs and https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe.

 Any further requirements or changes to units in relation to COVID will be communicated to students via iLearn.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
01/02/2022 Just added late assignment, offshore student and COVID policies

Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook