Animal Function and Environmental Adaptation

Aim

The student will increase her/his understanding of how animals adjust their organism to thrive and survive in the environment they live in. They will do this by by applying the essential principles of physiology covered in an earlier basic physiology course such as NBIB29 Fysiologiska principer. For every environmental scenario the student will be able

• to identify the fundamental concepts implicated by discussion with fellow students
• to understand the fundamental concepts by explaining them orally in tutorial sessions
• to integrate all mechanisms involved in a multi-faceted response of the entire organism by writing a concise essay outlining all the steps of the physiological response

In consequence, the student will improve her/his ability

• to articulate and explain scientific concepts orally and spontaneously
• to write briefly and precisely on the progression of biological processes
• to describe quantitatively the outcome of physiological responses

Content

The weekly themes are the following: 1) dealing with high and low temperatures, 2) dealing with high altitudes, 3) dealing with life under water, 4) dealing with scarce resources (fasting and starvation), 5) dealing with stress (animal welfare), 6) dealing with environmental pollutants, 7) dealing with the embryonic environment and 8) dealing with disease and parasites. In this fashion, all themes will require the integration of two or more physiological systems. For instance theme 4 on dealing with scarce resources incorporates topics of digestive physiology, endocrinology and even kidney physiology when water is scarce. Theme 5 on stress has also numerous consequences on the cardiovascular system (heart failure, for example) but also on reproduction and the theme will require an important consideration of nerve physiology as well. Theme 6 on dealing with environmental pollutants incorporates topics of reproductive physiology (gender bender pollutants), metabolism and kidney physiology.