PNB 2250
Animal Physiology
Online Animal Physiology - Summer 2017
Alternative Summer Session 1 – May 30 – July 14
Course and Instructor Information
Course Title: Animal Physiology (PNB2250) Online
Credits: 3 credits
Professors:
Kristen Kimball, M.S., M.E.M. ()
Donnasue Graesser, Ph.D. ()
On campus office: TLS 19
WebEx Availability: Live access to instructors will be available through WebEx
· Day 3 of each unit (time TBD) with unit Professor
· If you cannot make any live office hours, feel free to use the “Ask the Instructors” discussion forum
· Instructions for using WebEx posted on HuskyCT
Course Textbook
Sherwood, Klandorf, Yancey
Animal Physiology: from genes to organisms
Information about the textbook is found at the link below:
http://www.cengagebrain.com/course/2373838
Three options are given, a very expensive option for the hard-cover text alone, a very inexpensive (just over $30) option for e-text access for 120 days, and a special deal for UCONN – hard copy plus access to e-text for $115.
Course Description
A broad systems approach will provide background required to understand synthesis of physical and chemical sciences relative to life processes in animals. PNB 2250 may be used toward the PNB major and may be used as the PNB requirement for a Biological Sciences major; and also serves as prerequisite for higher level PNB courses. The prerequisites for PNB 2250 are Biology 1107 and Biology 1108.
Course Objectives
1) To provide students with an understanding of the physiological principles of vertebrate animals at both an organ-system level, as well as cellular and molecular mechanisms.
2) To integrate knowledge of individual body systems in order to understand the overall physiologic functioning of animals.
3) To compare and contrast the physiologic functions of various animal species, including humans.
4) To understand how various species of animals have adapted their physiological mechanisms in response to environmental conditions, at a cellular, organ-system, and organismal level.
Course Outline (Tentative Dates)
Please note: This course is run on a very intensive schedule, and time management will be critical. It is your responsibility to complete the work when it is available. A few portions of the course are self-paced and asynchronous, but most of the assignments are to be completed in a very narrow time frame. Each learning unit is scheduled for 3 days, and while you can pace yourself within each unit, the materials for the unit will only be accessible 3 days in advance of the start date. For example, the material for Unit 2, which is scheduled to begin on June 12, will be accessible on June 8. Each exam will only be available for a 24-hour period. In addition, due dates are strictly adhered to, and no late assignments will be accepted. Furthermore, note that TIME for due dates = EXACTLY THAT TIME and not one second later! 11:59 PM is 11:59:00, not 11:59:01. This is true for all assignments and tests.
Orientation / Review / Orientation
Review: Basic principles of taxonomy/evolution / Module
TBD / May 30 – 31
(T-W)
Unit 1 / Homeostasis and Integration
❏ Readings Chapter 1
❏ Unit 1 Lessons
❏ Quiz due June 3
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 1 due June 3 / Chapter 1 / June 1 - 3
(Th/Fr/Sat)
Unit 2 / Membrane Physiology
❏ Readings Chapter 3
❏ Unit 2 Lessons
❏ Quiz due June 7
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 2 due June 7 / Chapter 3 / June 5 - 7
(M/T/W)
Unit 3 / Neuronal Physiology
❏ Readings Chapter 4
❏ Unit 3 Lessons
❏ Discussion Board Post
❏ Quiz due June 10
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 3 due June 10 / Chapter 4 / June 8 - 10
(Th/Fri/Sat)
Unit 4 / Communication Systems
❏ Readings Chapter 5
❏ Readings Chapter 7
❏ Unit 4 Lessons
❏ Quiz due June 14
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 4 due June 14 / Chapter 5
Chapter 7 / June 12 - 14
(M/T/W)
Unit 5 / Circulatory Systems
❏ Readings Chapter 9
❏ Unit 5 Lessons
❏ Discussion Board Post
❏ Quiz Due June 17
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 5 due June 17 / Chapter 9 / June 15 - 17
(Th/Fri/Sat)
EXAM 1 / ❏ Unit 1
❏ Unit 2
❏ Unit 3
❏ Unit 4
❏ Unit 5 / TBD (tentatively Monday June 19)
Unit 6 / Respiratory Systems
❏ Readings Chapter 11
❏ Unit 6 Lessons
❏ Quiz Due June 22
❏ DYA Blog Post for Unit 6 due June 22 / Chapter 11 / June 20 - 22
T-W-Th
** This week units are offset to accommodate exam
Unit 7 / Excretory Systems (Renal)
❏ Readings Chapter 12
❏ Unit 7 Lessons
❏ Quiz due June 25
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 7 due June 25 / Chapter 12 / June 23 - 25
(Fri/Sat/Sun)
** This week units are offset to accommodate exam
Unit 8 / Fluid and Acid-Base Balance
❏ Readings Chapter 13
❏ Unit 8 Lessons
❏ Discussion Board Post
❏ Quiz due June 28
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 8 due June 28 / Chapter 13 / June 26 - 28
(M/T/W)
Unit 9 / Digestive Systems
❏ Readings Chapter 14
❏ Unit 9 Lessons
❏ Quiz due July 1
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 9 due July 1 / Chapter 14 / June 29 – July 1
(Th/Fri/Sat)
Unit 10 / Muscle Physiology
❏ Readings Chapter 8
❏ Muscle Phys. Exercise due July 8
❏ Quiz due July 8
❏ NO BLOG POST / Chapter 8 / July 3 – 8
(Mon-Saturday)
(Double the time for this unit--take time off for holiday!)
****Assignment due Saturday July 8
Unit 11 / Energy Balance and Thermoregulation
❏ Readings Chapter 15
❏ Unit 11 Lessons
❏ Discussion Board Post
❏ Quiz due July 8
❏ DYA blog post for Unit 11 due July 12 / Chapter 15 / July 10 - 12
(M/T/W)
EXAM 2 / ❏ Unit 6
❏ Unit 7
❏ Unit 8
❏ Unit 9
❏ Unit 10
❏ Unit 11
❏ Comprehensive Questions / TBD (tentatively Friday July 14)
Course Requirements and Grading
Summary of Course Grading:
NOTE: This is tentative and subject to change! But it gives you an idea of how assignments are weighted.Course Components / Possible Points
Exam 1 (Units 1-5) / 300 points
Exam 2 (Units 6-11 and comprehensive component) / 400 points
Discussion Board / TBD
Quizzes (11 units, 10 points each) / 110 points
Design Your Animal Blog / TBD
Muscle Physiology Assignment / TBD
Total possible points / TBD
Exams (700 points)
Two hour-long, multiple choice exams will be given. The tentative exam dates are June 19 and July 14. The first exam is worth 300 points and will cover Units 1-5. The second exam is worth 400 points and will cover Units 6-11, as well as several comprehensive questions from the first half of the semester. Exams will be delivered through ProctorU web-proctoring service. Please see section below for more information.
Discussion Board (Total Points TBD)
No points will be earned for late posts. Remember that “late” = one second after the posted time!
Quizzes (11 units, 10 points per quiz = 110 points)
Each unit will be followed by an online quiz, to be taken on the course HuskyCT site. Quizzes are due on the third day of each unit at 11:59pm. You will have 2 attempts to take each quiz, and each attempt will time-out one hour after you begin the quiz. All due dates for the quizzes are posted, and there will be no make-ups or late quizzes accepted. Remember that “late” = one second after the posted time!
Design Your Animal Blog (Total points TBD)
Each student will design a type of animal and choose an environment/climate in which that animal lives. Four times during the semester, you will post to your DYA blog on HuskyCT. Your post will describe general physiology and adaptations that your animal might make based on the information you learned in the preceding units. Your blog posts will be guided by questions asked during each unit.
Muscle Physiology Assignment (Points TBD)
During the 10th unit, scheduled over the holiday week in July, students will complete a written critical thinking assignment on specific topics in muscle physiology. You will use your text-book to guide you through this assignment. Content on the Unit 11 quiz and final exam will be derived from this assignment.
Grading Scale:
Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn during the semester, according to the following point scale. Each letter grade corresponds to a minimum number of points earned out of 1000 points. You will have the opportunity to earn additional bonus points during the semester, but the maximum number of points you can earn is 1000. Because bonus points are available, there will be absolutely no rounding up of grades. For example, 919.99999999 points does not meet the minimum requirement of 900 points for an A.
Minimum Points / Letter Grade / Minimum Points / Letter Grade / MinimumPoints / Letter Grade / Minimum Points / Letter Grade
920 / A / 870 / B+ / 770 / C+ / 670 / D+
900 / A- / 820 / B / 720 / C / 620 / D
800 / B- / 700 / C- / 600 / D-
<600 / F
Due Dates and Late Policy
All course due dates are identified in the syllabus. Deadlines are based on Eastern Daylight Savings Time; if you are in a different time zone, please adjust your submittal times accordingly. The instructor reserves the right to change dates accordingly as the semester progresses. All changes will be communicated in an appropriate manner. Remember that “late” = one second after the posted time!
Feedback and Grades
We will make every effort to provide feedback and grades within 48 hours after an assignment is due. To keep track of your performance in the course, refer to My Grades in HuskyCT.
ProctorU Exam Proctoring
Exams will be administered through ProctorU Web-proctoring service. Further information about ProctorU can be found here: https://proctoru.com/portal/uconn In summary, for each exam, you will log on to the ProctorU web site, and be connected to a proctor who will verify your identity, and observe you and your computer screen as you take your exam.
· Go to https://proctoru.com/portal/uconn to register for your exams. You must register for an exam time by 3 days before the exam. If you miss this deadline, you will be charged $5.00 for a non-scheduled exam. If you wait until an hour before you take your exam, you will be charge $8.75 for a rush exam.
The exam dates are TENTATIVELY June 19 (Exam 1) and July 14 (Exam 2). You can take the exam at any time during that 24 hour period of midnight-11:59pm. The exam must be started and completed in this 24 hour time frame. Exams submitted after 11:59:00 pm will receive a grade of zero. Remember that “late” = one second after the posted time! Furthermore, if you choose to be away from home during an exam, be absolutely certain you have adequate wifi/internet access. Vacation is NOT a valid excuse to miss an exam!
· The proctor will verify your ID, so please have your UCONN ID, driver’s license, or passport. The proctor will also verify your ID with a 4- question multiple choice identity-check quiz on information gathered from the public records. You have to get 2/4 questions correct on this quiz to take the exam.
· Test your equipment well before your exam date, so that you can trouble-shoot if necessary. www.proctoru.com/helpdesk
· Technical requirements include:
o High speed internet access (any browser)
§ NOTE! Using your mobile device (e.g. phone) as a wireless hot spot is NOT SUPPORTED due to inconsistent bandwidth.
§ Otherwise, any high speed internet connection is allowed as long as it meets minimum download and upload speed requirements. Check out your connection using the helpdesk url given above.
o Web-cam, Audio and Microphone
· Other things you will need:
o Identification (UCONN ID, driver’s license, passport)
o Reflective surface (blacked-out cell phone or table, CD, mirror)
· Please read the ProctorU handout carefully and thoroughly and contact your instructor or ProctorU help with any questions. DO NOT wait until the day of the exam to familiarize yourself with this technology!
Student Responsibilities and Resources
As a member of the University of Connecticut student community, you are held to certain standards and academic policies. In addition, there are numerous resources available to help you succeed in your academic work. This section provides a brief overview to important standards, policies and resources.
Student Code
You are responsible for acting in accordance with the University of Connecticut's Student Code Review and become familiar with these expectations. In particular, make sure you have read the section that applies to you on Academic Integrity:
● Academic Integrity in Undergraduate Education and Research
● Academic Integrity in Graduate Education and Research
Cheating and plagiarism are taken very seriously at the University of Connecticut. As a student, it is your responsibility to avoid plagiarism. If you need more information about the subject of plagiarism, use the following resources: