Students

BIOL1210 – Human Biology

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-intensive, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kevin Danastas
kevin.danastas@mq.edu.au
Emily Don
emily.don@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
BIOX1210
Unit description Unit description

This unit is for anyone interested in humans, and how humans interact with the rest of the living world. BIOL1210 will give you an introductory overview of several fundamental topics essential for understanding the structure, function, and processes within the human body. The subjects covered in the unit include basic introductions to anatomy and physiology, cellular metabolism, reproduction, genetics, disease, and human evolution. To understand issues such as genetic engineering, cloning, assisted reproductive technologies, antibiotic resistance or the emergence of new human diseases requires a familiarity with modern biological knowledge. We aim to equip you with this knowledge and help to unlock a journey of self-discovery about incredible mysteries within your own body. 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.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Good Health and Well Being

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

Requirements to pass this unit

To pass this unit, you must achieve a total mark equal to, or greater than, 50%.

Attendance and Participation

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task will be applied each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 11.55 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 10 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 18/20. A 10% deduction is then applied to the total possible mark (20), resulting in the loss of two (2) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 16/20.

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted:

Annotated bibliography and lab book - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Reference List 20% No 02/05/2025
Lab book portfolio 30% No 06/06/2025
Final Exam 50% No Exam period

Reference List

Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 02/05/2025
Weighting: 20%

 

Summary of papers and correctly formatted reference list relevant to current issues in human biology with a comparison of human and AI outputs.

 
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

Lab book portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 06/06/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will create a lab book portfolio related to experiments conducted in class.

 
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

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: Exam period
Weighting: 50%

 

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
  • 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

Recommended text

The textbook for this unit is “Principles of Human Physiology” by Cindy L Stanfield, published by Pearson. Available electronically through the 'Unit readings - Leganto' Block in iLearn.

Week 1

Lecture recordings will commence in week 1. No workshops or practical classes in week 1.

Lectures 

There will be two lectures each week. No in-person lectures for this unit. Each week's lectures will be made available through iLearn. Lectures are often broken up into shorter chunks to make them easier to listen to, and are linked very closely to the textbook material so the supporting reading is very clear. All lecture notes will be available in the week-by-week sections on iLearn. 

Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Private queries can be sent directly to the unit convenor via the unit contact email on iLearn.

COVID Information

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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.

Changes from Previous Offering

Following student feedback, the number and length of workshops has been increased to allow for more engagement with peers and the teaching team.

To accommodate the increase in face-to-face time, the number of lectures has been revised. 

To enable students more time to focus on learning, understanding and reflecting on the content of our unit we have revised the assessment structure as follows. There are now only three assessments: an annotated bibliography, lab book and final exam. Although no marks are associated with attendance, all activities provide you with key content designed to help you understand content and complete the assessments.

Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook