Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor
Brian Atwell
Contact via 9850 8224
E7B 244
Tutor
Belinda Fabian
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MBiotech or MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or GradCertConsBiol or MSc
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
All living things share a series of basic cell processes that are vital to life as we know it: these include membrane integrity, transport and energy transduction, enabling microorganisms, fungi, plants and animals to grow, develop and reproduce. However, these processes have evolved from their prokaryotic origins in eukaryotes, now varying qualitatively across taxa. For example, at the cell level, signal amplification, hormonal regulation, sensory responses, photosynthesis, locomotion and immune responses are examples of adaptations that are genetically distinct in either plants or animals. Within the life cycle of a single organism, expression of these gene combinations determines the way that organisms develop and acclimate to their immediate environment. This unit will explore the full range of adaptations across Kingdoms and how specific gene combinations are expressed to enable life to flourish. Such events will be viewed primarily through the prism of physiology but with reference to morphology, gene expression and metabolism.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Assessment for this unit consists of a mixture of quizzes, a written assignment, a short test and a final exam. Submission of all assessments and completion of all tests is essential for adequate progress, since all assessment tasks are required to master the content of this unit. Most importantly, it will be essential to keep pace with the quizzes, as marks accrue weekly throughout the semester.
Students must receive at least a PASS (≥ 50%) for the in-session assessment tasks (weighting of 60%) and must also achieve at least a PASS (≥ 50%) in the final exam (weighting of 40%) in order to pass this unit.
All assessments will be graded and marks returned to students within three weeks of the assessment due date. Marks will be available on Gradebook in iLearn. Feedback on the written assignment will be provided through Turnitin when the marks are released.
Weekly ‘lecture’ quizzes:
Quiz questions will be inserted into the lecture slides each week, based on the lecture material. Quizzes will be open on iLearn each week from 9 am Monday to 9 am Wednesday. Once you start the quiz you have 12 minutes to complete it and you are only allowed one attempt. These questions are designed in part to ensure you have covered the lecture material before the practicals so you have the best opportunity to learn from the practical exercises. There are a total of 12 weekly quizzes, starting in Week 2. The quizzes will be automatically marked and the marks and correct answers will be released once the submission window has closed.
Weekly ‘practical’ quizzes:
These quiz questions will be based on the material covered in the practicals. Questions will be available on iLearn in the last 15 minutes of the practical sessions. Answers must be submitted before you leave the practical session and you are only allowed one attempt. These questions are designed to test your understanding of the practical exercises. There are a total of 10 practical quizzes. The quizzes will be automatically marked and the marks and correct answers will be released once all of the practical sessions for that topic (including externals) have finished.
Written assignment:
Students will choose a physiological process from a list provided and write a 1000-word report (including references in Harvard style) on its control points, impact on overall cell function and response to the environment. A rubric which outlines the assessment criteria will be made available on iLearn.
This report is due by 11:59 pm Sunday 7 May 2017 (end of Week 8) and must be submitted through the Turnitin link in the Week 8 section of iLearn (no hardcopy is required). Students are reminded that Turnitin is plagiarism checking software and all assignments must comply with the Academic Honesty Policy of the university, which can read at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html.
Apart from plagiarising other external sources of material, be aware that your work will be cross-checked against other students’ work. We encourage you to discuss ideas with your fellow students but you must write original work for submission. Assignments can only be submitted to Turnitin once, so make sure your assignment is finalised before you submit.
Mid-semester test:
The mid-semester test will be closed book, will take 50 minutes and will be held in the Tuesday lecture timeslot in Week 7 (Tuesday 11 April 2016) in the regular lecture theatre. The test will consist of short-answer questions and cover all lecture and practical content up to and including Week 6 (i.e. lectures 1-12 and practicals 1-5). Calculators without text retrieval capacity will be allowed into the exam room.
Final examination:
The final exam will be closed book and three hours duration and held in the official university examination period at the end of the session. The exam will consist of short- and extended-answer questions. The short-answer questions will be drawn from the sample short answer questions made available each week on iLearn. Calculators without text retrieval capacity will be allowed into the exam room. For further information please see the university examination policy at: https://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/schedule_4.html
Discussion group:
Discussion with the unit convenor of principles arising from the unit. This will require an overarching understanding of the significance of the full range of physiological processes of living things discussed in this unit. The aim is that students should be able to integrate diverse processes, drawing upon content of both lectures and practicals.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Weekly quizzes | 15% | No | Weekly by Wednesday 9 am |
Practical quizzes | 15% | No | Weeks 2-12 in practicals |
Mid-semester test | 10% | No | Tuesday lecture in Week 7 |
Written assignment | 15% | No | 11:59 pm Sunday 7 May 2017 |
Discussion group | 5% | No | Week 13 |
Final exam | 40% | No | Exam period |
Due: Weekly by Wednesday 9 am
Weighting: 15%
Online quizzes & problem solving covering lecture material
Due: Weeks 2-12 in practicals
Weighting: 15%
Online quizzes to be completed during practical sessions
Due: Tuesday lecture in Week 7
Weighting: 10%
Short-answer questions
Due: 11:59 pm Sunday 7 May 2017
Weighting: 15%
1000-word report explaining a physiological process, its control points, impact on overall cell function and response to the environment - details to be advised
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 5%
Discussion of principles arising from the unit
Due: Exam period
Weighting: 40%
Short answer & higher order questions
Lectures
There are two lectures each week: Monday 10-11 am in E7B T4 and Tuesday 2-3 pm in W5A T1. Lecture slides will be made available on iLearn, generally before the lecture. Since some topics in this unit are not dealt with in the textbook, it is important to attend all lectures. Students who do not attend all lectures often find it difficult to manage the quiz regime and therefore to pass the unit. Remember that you have quizzes embedded in each lecture that must be answered as an assessment by the Wednesday after the lecture.
Practical sessions
Practical sessions are held in E8A 120 (the RED lab) each week, commencing in Week 2. There are no practical sessions in Week 7 due the Good Friday public holiday. Practical sessions are compulsory and a roll will be taken. You are required to attend the practical timeslot in which you are enrolled unless prior arrangements are made with the Unit Convenor or you risk missing that week's practical session and the associated assessment marks. The laboratories have a capped student load. There are eight practical timeslots of which you must attend one:
You need to bring a lab notebook, pencils and pens with you to the practical sessions for making notes and drawings of what you observe. A calculator would also be an advantage. Textbooks will be referred to during lab classes so having it on hand will help.
You need to bring a lab notebook, pencils and pens with you to the practical sessions for making notes and drawings of what you observe. A calculator would also be an advantage. Your textbook will be referred to during lab classes so having it on hand will help.
Safety
Students are required to bring a lab coat to all practical sessions. Lab coats can be purchased from the campus shop (there are no lab coats available for loan in practical sessions). Closed in shoes are required for practical classes. If you do not have closed in shoes you will not be allowed into the lab and will therefore miss out on that week’s practical material and associated assessment marks.
Technology
A computer with internet access is required to access iLearn which contains the unit materials and assessments. If you do not have a computer at home then computers with internet access are available in the Library for all students to use. We expect you to log on to iLearn several times each week so you can:
Remember that we can check your individual log-ins in iLearn so best that you make this a habit.
There are 16 desktops in the practical labs but probably 32 students. The lab-based quizzes will require internet access. You can easily complete the quizzes using a smartphone or tablet connected to the university Wi-Fi. However, if you do not have a convenient way of doing these quizzes with your own device, then locate yourself at a desktop computer.
Practical notes will be available online but are kept deliberately short in order to make printing off these notes practicable. You may use a tablet in the practical sessions but paper notes are often more convenient in the reality of wet surfaces, lots of equipment and risk on things toppling overboard.
Textbook and readings
The recommended textbooks for this unit are:
These will be available for purchase from the Co-op Bookshop on-campus. Limited copies will be available in the Reserve Section of the library. We recommend textbooks but do not insist on them. However, these are classical texts which are in at least their fourth edition and there will often be good second-hand copies to be found. We are confident that the principles described in these texts are enduring and they will be decades (at least) before they are no longer relevant to the living world.
Week |
Start date |
Topic |
Notes |
Weekly quiz (due Wed 9am) |
Practical quiz |
1 |
27 Feb |
Introduction to molecules, cells and evolution |
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No |
No practical |
2 |
6 Mar |
Gaining the substrates for metabolism |
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Yes |
Yes |
3 |
13 Mar |
Primary energy metabolism |
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Yes |
Yes |
4 |
20 Mar |
Using energy (carbon) |
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Yes |
Yes |
5 |
27 Mar |
Symbiosis |
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Yes |
Yes |
6 |
3 Apr |
Cell division |
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Yes |
Yes |
7 |
10 Apr |
Growth |
Mid-semester test in Tuesday lecture |
Yes |
No practical |
Break |
17 Apr |
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Break |
24 Apr |
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8 |
1 May |
Development & cell types - plants |
Written assignment due 11:59 pm Sunday 7 May 2017 |
Yes |
Yes |
9 |
8 May |
Development & cell types - animals |
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Yes |
Yes |
10 |
15 May |
Hormones |
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Yes |
Yes |
11 |
22 May |
Response to external stimuli |
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Yes |
Yes |
12 |
29 May |
Defence |
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Yes |
Yes |
13 |
5 Jun |
Movement/intracellular signalling |
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Yes |
No |
Exam period |
12 to 30 June |
Final exam |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, 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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
Absences from lectures and practicals that lead to missed assessments must be covered by a medical certificate (this needs to be lodged through Ask.mq.edu.au) unless otherwise discussed with the unit convenor. Any assignments submitted after the due date will incur penalties for late submission. Extensions will only be granted in extenuating circumstances with supporting documentation. Matters of a personal nature can be raised in strict confidence with the unit convenor.
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.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Date | Description |
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31/01/2017 | General supplementary exam information added |