General Description:

The objective of General Physiology is to assist in developing an understanding of those physiological and biochemical processes which contribute to the maintenance of dynamic equilibriums in cells and how those processes relate to the organismal level in plants and animals. Approached from general and comparative points of view, the course will seek to relate cellular processes to the organismal level and contrast the differences in these processes as they occur in different organisms.

Insofar as is practical, the laboratory will coincide with the lecture material. In addition to amplification of lecture topics, the lab will attempt to continue the development of skills associated with collection of data, and with the analysis, interpretation, and communication of these data.

Prerequisites:    Biology 210 and one year of chemistry, preferably 121 and 211.

Instructor:                                          Office Hours:

Jeffrey C. Carrier, Ph.D.                     Tue & Thur: 10:00-11:00; T, W: 1:30-2:00; R: 10:00 - 11:30

266 Putnam Hall                                   -OR- by appointment

Office:  629-0389                               

E-Mail: jcarrier@albion.edu                

Textbook/supplies:

	1. Text: Hill, R.W., G.A. Wyse, and M. Anderson. 2008. Animal Physiology (Ed. 2).
	Sinauer Associates, Inc. CA. ISBN 978-0-87893-317-4.
	2. Additional required and optional readings will be placed on reserve at the main desk of the library.
	3. Basic dissecting instruments will be required and a lab coat will be helpful.

Grading/examinations:

Grades for the semester will be determined as follows:

2 one-hour exams @ 100 pts. each =	200 points
Final exam =	150 points
Quizzes, homework, etc. =	50 points
LECTURE TOTAL =	400 points
+ LAB TOTAL =	300 points
COURSE TOTAL =	700 points

 

FINAL GRADE DETERMINATION

(in accordance with the Biology Department "standard" scale)

GRADE	POINTS	%
4.0	648	92.5%
3.7	627	89.5%
3.3	599	85.5%
3.0	578	82.5%
2.7	557	79.5%
2.3	529	75.5%
2.0	508	72.5%
1.7	487	69.5%
1.3	459	65.5%
1.0	420	60.0%
0	<420	< 60.0%

Exams include multiple choice questions, problems, and essay questions as appropriate. Hour exams are generally not cumulative. The final will cover the entire course.

 

Classroom Expectations and Guidelines:

The following is the Albion College statement regarding class attendance: “Regular attendance in all classes is expected. Every absence from class is inevitably a loss—usually one which can never be made up. A student has the responsibility to inform his or her faculty member, whenever possible in advance, of an absence due to serious or prolonged illness, and verification of absences due to emergency reasons, may be obtained from the Office of Residential Life.”

In Biology 341, attendance in classes - lab and lecture - is mandatory. Failure to attend lectures will result in an automatic deduction of 10 points per absence (two absences are permitted without penalty). Absence from laboratory will result in a loss of 50 points per absence, and any and all assignments resulting from the lab, such as research papers and lab reports, will not be accepted. There are exceptions such as a verifiable medical absence, provided the Health Center and the Dean of Students has been notified, or an approved, prearranged absence (medical school interviews, graduate school interviews, and certain campus activities where your attendance might be necessary). In those cases involving illness or medical emergency, or where prior arrangements have been approved, in advance, most in-class assignments may be made up. There are several labs, however, where, regardless of the reason for missing the lab, make-ups will not be possible (such as stress test EKG’s which may involve scheduling times in conjunction with off-campus clinical facilities). Papers or other assignments that may be due while you are away for any reason other than a medically related absence must still be submitted by the due date; there are no exceptions. Absences from classes for medical reasons should be reported to the Dean of Students who, in turn, will notify your professors.

Quizzes are generally unannounced and cannot be made up. Class assignments, whether take-home or lab write-ups, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE. The use of computers for generation of class assignments is encouraged and applauded. However, prudent attention should be given to proper data backup including duplicate disks and periodic printing of draft hard copy. Failure to turn in an assignment because of electronic failure by a computer - networked or stand alone - or a printer is not regarded as an acceptable excuse in this class! Rather, it is an indication of last-minute preparation of assignments and, as such, will not be rewarded by extensions. Written assignments are not accepted in electronic format alone, or by e-mail, but must be accompanied by hard copy, identical in all respects to the electronic version.

Cell phones and .mp3 players are inappropriate for use in the classroom. All phones are to be turned off prior to entering the classroom. Laptop computers are appropriate for taking notes, but the use of laptops to check e-mail or browse the web during the class is distracting to others and an infringement upon their right to learn, and is therefore totally inappropriate and forbidden.

It is my policy that letters of recommendation for medical school, graduate school, or job placement cannot be provided until a student has completed an upper level, lecture/laboratory course of mine beyond Biology 210.

 

Academic Dishonesty:

“As an academic community, Albion College is firmly committed to honor and integrity in the pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, as a member of this academic community, each student acknowledges responsibility for his or her actions and commits to the highest standards of integrity. In doing so, each student makes a covenant with the college not to engage in any form of academic dishonesty, fraud, cheating, or theft.” Faculty members may indicate penalties for academic dishonesty in the syllabus.”
 

Albion College policies regarding academic dishonesty, as described in the student handbook, will be strictly enforced. In Biology 341, any acts of dishonesty will result in failure of assignments involved, failure of the course, and/or further disciplinary action as determined by the Dean of Students’ Office. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated, including any form of PLAGIARISM. This means that, while group assignments can be done by the members of the group, individual assignments are to be done by individuals and direct quotes, regardless of the length of the quote, must be enclosed within quotation marks and the reference cited. That includes figures and figure legends. Also, any and all sources of information for lab papers and other assignments must be cited properly. The correct way to cite sources is described in detail in the lab manual.

Further explanations of academic dishonesty and the penalties for academic dishonesty can be found in the student handbook in the section that deals with Academic Integrity and Responsibility, and all students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with those policies.

Accommodations:

“Disability Statement: If you have a disability and may require accommodations or modifications in class instruction or course-related activities, please contact the Learning Support Center (LSC) staff who can arrange for reasonable accommodations for students who provide documentation of their disability/condition. If you are presently registered with the LSC and have requested accommodations through the LSC for this semester, please plan to meet with me as early as possible to discuss the best way to implement these accommodations in this class. The LSC is located on the third floor of the Seeley Mudd library or call 517-629-0825.”
 

Academic Skills Center:

THE ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTER, located in the Seeley Mudd Building of the Library, supports student success at Albion College through the Learning Support Center, the Quantitative Skills Center, and the Writing Center. The ASC also coordinates academic peer tutoring services and educational technologies for enhancing student learning. For information, visit the ASC website at http://www.albion.edu/asc.

• THE LEARNING SUPPORT CENTER offers individualized assistance with college-level study strategy and skill development. Students frequently utilize the center to improve grades, reading speed or comprehension. In addition, the Learning Support Center provides assistance and accommodations to students who have documented learning disabilities. For more information, contact Pam Schwartz, Learning Support Specialist, (x0825; pschwartz@albion.edu).

• THE QUANTITATIVE SKILLS CENTER provides a wide range of support to students in many subject areas. Students are free to drop in for occasional help from trained student tutors or to make appointments for on-going tutorial sessions. QSC staff members are available to assist you with the use of mathematics, statistics, spreadsheets, or graphing calculators in any course. The center also offers workshops on topics such as partial derivatives in chemistry and preparing for graduate school exams. For more information, contact the QSC Director, Karla McCavit, (x0824; kmccavit@albion.edu).

• THE WRITING CENTER provides trained peer consultants prepared to work with writers at every stage of the writing process--from getting started brainstorming to writing drafts, and from organizing ideas to revising or final editing. Writing consultants support students by responding to writing in process, not by proofreading, editing, or writing students' papers. Both drop-in tutoring and scheduled appointments are available during the Writing Center's afternoon and evening hours. For more information, contact the Writing Center (x0828; writing@albion.edu) or the Director, Scott Hendrix (shendrix@albion.edu).