Environmental Physiology (BIOL 631.81) Spring 2004

When:  Monday 6:45-9:45 PM

Where:  Bond 316

 

Instructor:  Paul Rosenblum

Office:  Duckett 119

Telephone:  953-7928

Home telephone:  958-9584

E-mail:  paul.rosenblum@citadel.edu

Office hours:  Monday 6:00-6:45 PM

 

Course objectives:  To study the physiological and biochemical adaptations in animals in response to varying environmental parameters including temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

 

Text:  Willmer, P., et al., (2000) Environmental Physiology of Animals, Blackwell Scientific

 

Grading:  Your course grade will be based on four take home exams (each weighted equally and making up 70% of your grade), journal presentations (15% of your grade), and laboratory work (15% of your grade).  All grades will be assigned as follows:  0 - 59 = F, 60 - 69 = D, 70 - 79 = C, 80 - 89 = B, 90 - 100 = A.

 

Lecture and Exam Schedule

Date                        Topic                        Chapter

01/05                        Introduction                        2                     

                                                Problems and Solutions to Them

                                                Physiological Strategies

                                                Reflex Arcs

 

01/12                        Energy and Metabolism                        6

                                                Common Metabolic Pathways

                                                Enzyme Kinetics

 

01/12                        Take Home Exam #1

 

01/26                        Hydromineral Balance and Nitrogenous Waste Excretion                        4 & 5

                                                Mechanism of Transport

                                                Organs for Hydromineral Balance

                                                Energetics of Hydromineral Balance

                                                Nitrogenous Wastes

 

02/02                        Gas Exchange, Delivery, and pH Balance                        7

                                                Fick’s Law

                                                Design of Gas Exchange Organs

                                                Design of Circulatory Systems

                                                Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Transport

                                                pH Balance

 

02/02                        Take Home Exam #2

 

02/09                        Body Temperature                        8                     

                                                Effects on Enzyme Activity

                                                Effects on Membrane Fluidity

                                                Heterothermy and Homeothermy

 

02/16                        Adaptations in Marine Environments                        9

 

02/23                        Adaptations in Freshwater and Changeable Environments                        10 & 11

 

02/23                        Take Home Exam #3

 

03/01                        Adaptations in Terrestrial Environments                        13

 

03/08                        Adaptations to Extreme Environments                        14

                       

03/08                        Take Home Exam #4

 

The remainder of the semester will be a combination of laboratory experiments and journal presentations.  I am still working out the details of this part of the course and will get them to you as soon as possible.

 

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