Animal Physiology
(Biology 390)

Class Materials and Schedule

Fall 2009
College of the Holy Cross

Department of Biology

Dr. Ken Prestwich

Rachael warms up! Photo by Mara.

Thursday Nov. 19: The review session will be Friday at 2 PM in room 108 (the big room -- note the difference from usual).

Website Contents

Course Information Sheet

Exam Schedule

Cl #1
9 / 2 (W)
Preface -- Introduction to Animal Physiology

Introduction to physiology and its central concept -- regulation

Cl #2
9 / 4 (F)
Part 1. Metabolism and Temperature

An overview of energy transformations -- General principles of bioenergetics

Cl #3
9 / 7 (M)

Finish overview of energy x-forms.
An overview of the biochemistry of metabolism -- the regulation of ATP concentration.

Class #3 PP -- bioenergetics continues

Lab Week #1: Plasma Glucose Regulation

Cl #4
9 / 9 (W)

The regulation of ATP concentration.
Catabolic pathways: Aerobic metabolism.

Class #4 PP -- bioenergetics continues

Cl #5
9 / 11 (F)

Aerobic metabolism and the RQ concept and its uses (aerobic metabolism notes)
Anaerobic metabolism

 

PP is same as previous class

Cl #6
9 / 14 (M)

Respiratory quotients (previous notes)

PP is same as previous class

RQ Problems (try these after class)

RQ Problem solutions

Lab Week #2: Measuring metabolism: Metabolic rate and body size.

Cl #7 
9 / 16 (W)

The regulation of metabolism and start activity metabolism.

Scope and Efficiency Problems

Study Questions on Metabolism

Solutions to scope and efficiency problems

Cl #8
9 / 18 (F)

Finish activity metabolism (notes above)

Cl #9
9 / 21 (M)

begin Ectothermy: temperature regulation and metabolism

Lab #3: Metabolism and temperature

Cl #10
9 / 23 (W)

Finish ectothermy.
Heliothermy.

PP same as above
Cl #11
9 / 25 (F)

Patterns of heliothermy.
Seasonal thermal acclimation in heliotherms.

Textbook Reading Assignment: Ch. 6--Temperature and Ch. 7--Temperature Regulation (entire unit)

-- END MATERIAL FOR EXAM #1 (Material ends with heliothermy and seasonal thermal acclimation in ectotherms.)

Cl #12
9 / 28 (M)

A few minutes to ask a few questions.
Endothermy

 
same as above + Euthermy PP

am #1 from 2 to 4 PM in our classroom. No lab.

Cl #13
9 / 30 (W)

finish endothermy: torpor & hibernation, Intermittent endothermy, seasonal acclimation

Same notes as previous class

Cl #14
10 / 2 (F)

The effect of large scale differences in body size. Scaling notes.

 

Cl #15
10 / 5 (M)
Part 2. The Physiology of Contractile Systems
A. Introduction and the Biochemistry of Contraction

Muscle morphology and the biochemistry of contraction


Lab #4: Muscle Function

Cl #16
10 / 7 (W)


Excitation - Contraction Coupling in skeletal muscle (SkM)
Begin EC Coupling in Smooth muscles

same as above plus

Cl #17
10 / 9 (F)

Smooth muscle EC coupling

No Class or Lab -- Columbus Day Break (Oct. 12 and 13)
Cl #18
10 / 14 (W)
Part 2: The Physiology of Contractile Systems
B. Elasticity and Contraction.

begin Skeletal muscle biophysics

Cl #19
10 / 16 (F)

Integrated skeletal muscle function

Finish integrated skeletal muscle function.
Some discussion of textbook questions dealing with muscle.(if time)

Cl #20
10 / 19 (M)

Finish integrated skeletal muscle function

 

Lab #5: Muscle Function (the one we didn't do the previous week)

Cl #21
10 / 21 (W)

Finish skeletal muscle recruitment.

 

Exam #2 will go through muscles.

Cl #22
10 / 23
(F)
Part 3: Excitable Cells

Resource -- Electricity for physiology students - (a review, hopefully)
Information, signals, and biological systems -- a broad, almost philosophical overview of signalling and information. 

The resting potential

Cl #23
10 / 26 (M)

The resting potential


RMP pp (last class)

Exam #2 (through muscles) from 2 to 4 PM in the lab period. (no lab)

Cl #24
10 / 28 (W)

Begin "Moving" potentials: the basics of passive and active changes in membrane potential.

RMP pp (last class)

Cl #25
10 / 30 (F)

The voltage clamp

 

same PP as previous class
Cl #26
11 /2 (M)

Transmission of bioelectrical potentials  

Lab #6: Neuronal function simulations and compound action potentials

Cl #27
11 / 4 (W)

Finish axonal transmission.

Cl #28
11 / 6 (F)

The basics of Synaptic transmission
An overview of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems

Textbook Reading Assignment for entire unit: Ch. 3 -- Circulations
Cl #29
11 / 9 (M)
Part 4: Circulation


Introduction to circulations
Basic Fluid Dynamics

PP -- Synaptic Transmission and Autonomic NS

Lab #7: EKG interpretation

Cl #30
11 / 11 (W)

Vasculature & Lymph

PP same as above + Cardiac Physiology

Cl #31
11 / 13 (F)

Finish vasculature
Cardiac physiology --
cardiac electrophys

PP same as above

Cl #32
11 / 16 (M)

Mechanical work of the heart.

PP same as above

Lab #8: Integrated physiology week 1

Cl #33
11 / 18 (W)

Summary diagram for the heart
How arteries alter cardiac output and influence cardiac work

Overall control of mammalian circulations (we'll probably start this)

Circulation Problems
Atherosclerosis Peripheral Resistance Fick Principle Problem
Solutions to atherosclerosis problems Solutions to peripheral resistance problems Solutions to Fick Principle problem

 

PP -- Cardiac Cycle diagram (above) + Operation of arteries + Overall circulatory regulation

Cl #34
11 / 20 (F)

Finish overall control of the circulation -- end of material for exam #3.

Part 5: The Regulation of Fluid and Ionic Balance

Begin Kidney anatomy, function, and the clearance concept

Cl #35
11 / 23 (M)
11 / 24 through 11 / 29 ---- THANKSGIVING VACATION 
Cl #36
11 / 30 (M)
Part 6: Respiratory Physiology
A. Overview and the comparative physiology of respiration & behavior of gases in watery solutions.

Overview of respiratory systems

A survey of animal respiratory systems -- means of dealing with the constraint of diffusion Q&A only -- sorry, but we must get through this to have a complete view of the respiratory system.

     
Part 6: Respiratory Physiology
B. Blood gas transport

The behavior of respiratory gases in watery solutions -- this is what we will spend most of our class time on!

S-N Text Reading Assignment
Ch. 2 -- Blood
 Oxygen transport problems
Fick's Principle and hemoglobin problem
   

 

Part 6: Respiratory Systems
C. The mechanics of breathing in mammals

The mechanics of breathing

Compliance Reference Materials

Static analysis of mammalian lungs

Lab #9: Respiration and Circulation, week 2 (Individual projects)

Cl #37
12 / 2 (W)
Cl #38
12 / 4 (F)
Cl #39
12 / 7 (M)
12 / 9 (W)
Study Period Begins
Comprehensive Final Exam Thursday December 17 from 2:30 to 5:30

Go to the top of the page


Lab Schedule

General Lab Information

SEPT. 7

Lab 1: Regulation of plasma glucose.

 

Cumulative Lab Results
bG lab assignment (discussed in lab)
 

SEPT. 14

Lab 2: Spirometry and the measurement of respiratory volumes. Resting metabolism.

 

 

Resource Materials for this Lab
Background (applies to lab #3 in part)
Protocol (applies to lab #3 in part)

 

SEPT .21
Lab 3: Temperature and metabolism
Animal Physiology Art. Cold room.© 2003 by Andrew Pina, CHC Biology '04.
SEPT. 28

 EXAM #1 -- 2 TO 4 PM -- Includes lecture material and 15 point lab exam.

OCT. 5

Lab 4: O 5 PM -- LAB -- AN INTRODUCTION TO USING BIOPAC SOFTWARE

Additional Resources
OCT. 12

 NO LAB -- Columbus Day Break

OCT. 19 L5. Muscle function -- emg and force. -- make-up of earlier missed lab. The nature of compound action potentials and Fourier transformations.
OCT. 26
 EXAM #2 -- 2 TO 4 PM-- Includes lecture material and 15 point lab exam.
NOV. 2   Lab 6: Neuronal simulations and compound extracellular potential -- the electroencephalogram (EEG).

Neuron simulation handout

Biopac handouts for EEG labs. Campus access only
NOV. 9

Lab 7: The measurement circulatory and respiratory parameters: blood pressure and the electrocardiogram (limb and chest leads).

 

Lab materials (these are long and we have copies in lab -- please use only as a screen-read pdf.
Campus access only

EKG 1

NOV. 16
Animal Physiology Art. Diving response experiment. © 2003 by Andrew Pina, CHC Biology '04.

  Lab 8: Begin integrated respiration and circulation

Measurement of Respiratory Volumes
(in lab)
Measurement of forced Expiratory Volumes
NOV. 23
EXAM #3 -- 2 to 4 PM -- Includes lecture material and 15 point lab exam.
NOV. 30

:Lab 9:Respiration and circulation, week 2. Regulation of breathing.

Respiration and circulation, week 2

Minute Volumes and Breathing Rates
(be sure to do this problem before lab)

Regulation of Breathing
(in lab)

Luke, Matt and Taylor -- our center, kicker and holder--after the Nov. 8 victory over Fordham. You can play football at a high level and do well in a tough course, if you work at it! Phys 2008.
DEC. 7 Lab 10 Reading EKGs.
Discussion of previous labs.

College of the Holy Cross The Biology Department Ken Prestwich's Homepage  Top of this page