34.1
comparative physiology
syllabus

Course: 1 hour lecture / 1 hour workshop: 2 credits
Instructor: Dr. J. Polle (Course Head), D. Brogun

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Office: 425 NE (New Ingersoll Hall)
Office Hours:
Dr. J. Polle: Tuesday Morning, 11:00AM-12:00PM
D. Brogun: Friday, 1:15PM-2:15PM
Semester Recess: Please make an appointment

Phone: (718) 951-5000 Ext 2025
Email: jpolle@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Website: www.dunaliella.org/jpolle

Note: An online bulletin board exists for this course. Students are reponsible to check the bulletin board on a regular and timely basis.

SUMMARY:

Physiological processes will be compared at the cellular and whole organism levels among a broad variety of organisms ranging from bacteria, plants, fungi, and animals, including humans.

COURSE/LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

The objectives for each topic covered in the course are given in the reader. Also, every workshop module states goals for the specific module.

CLASS PREPARATION:

The course syllabus provides students with an overview of the topics that will be covered in this course. It is expected that students prepare themselves before they come to class. This includes, for example, reading of relevant chapters in the textbook and required PDFs online before the class.

For each of the workshops students must complete the 'Pre-class Assignment'. Students must submit their completed 'Pre-class Assignments' for grading at the beginning of each workshop. Note that only handwritten assignments will be accepted (otherwise 0 points for the entire assignment). Late submissions will not be accepted and result in 0 points for the assignment.

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance for the workshops is mandatory. Signing in for workshops is mandatory. Be on time, as absence from workshops or late arrival will result in 0 points for that session.

ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?

Contact the instructor as soon as possible, if there are any questions or problems. Do not wait until it is too late. If you fail to inform your instructor, this will be held against you.

REQUIRED READING:

Textbook: Animal Physiology by Moyes & Schulte, 2nd Edition

Workshop Reading: Additional Reading for Workshops in PDF format (students see class calendar, requires login information)

SUGGESTED READING IN ADDITION TO READER:

Most of these books are available in the library!

Essential Biology by Campbell and Reece

Biology by Campbell and Reece, Benjamin/Cummings

Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger, Sinauer

Fundamentals of Physiology: A Human Perspective by L. Sherwood, Thomson (Brooks/Cole)

Biology: Concepts and Applications by C. Starr, Thomson (Brooks/Cole)

Biology 34.1 Comparative Physiology
Online Study Materials (Students only)

BASIS FOR GRADING:

Basis for grading will be:

• One Midterm (counting maximal 33 points)
• One Final Exam (counting maximal 34 points)
• Pre-class Workshop Assignments
  (maximal 1 point for each assignment if submitted at the beginning of each workshop; empty sheet, late submission, or no submission = 0 points; assignment partially completed = 0.5 points, entire assignment completed = 1 point)
• Workshop Attendance
  (maximal 1 point for attendance of a workshop; full credit for each workshop attendance will only be given if student is not tardy and does not leave early; absence or late arrival = 0 points, leaving early results in no points for that workshop)
• Workshop Participation
  (Participation will be monitored and graded by your team leader at the end of each workshop: no participation = 0 points, poor participation = 0.5 points, maximal 1 point for each workshop with full credit only if student is not tardy and does not leave early meaning that only active and sustained participation will result in full credit for that session; absence, late arrival, leaving early, or disrupting sessions = 0 points)

Exams will be composed of multiple-choice questions and interpretation of diagrams and figures. The exam and final grades will not be curved. At the discretion of the instructor additional elements may be included on each examination, which—if answered correctly—will result in extra credit points being added to that examination grade. The midterms will be given during regular class hours in the assigned classroom. For finals, please, see the schedule of classes.

GRADING SCALE:

At the end of the semester an anonymous survey about the course will be distributed with the final exam. Although this survey will not be graded, it must be submitted to the instructor. Failure to submit the survey to the instructor will result in the grade 'INC', until the survey is submitted.

RULES FOR TAKING EXAMS:

1. You should arrive early and bring at least one working #2 pencil with you.
2. No student can begin the exam after the first student has finished the exam and left the room.
3. Students that leave the room for any reason during the exam must first turn in their exam paper for grading!
4. There are no make-up mid-term examinations in this course. If a student is absent from a scheduled exam for any reason and can supply correct and proper evidence (doctor's note, etc.), the student may be allowed to take a special, comprehensive final examination which will cover all the material required in the course.
5. No questions will be answered during the exam.
6. Read the questions carefully before attempting to answer them.
7. Cheating will result in 0 points.

RULES FOR WORKSHOPS:

1. Be punctual.
2. Sign in upon arrival and turn in the handwritten pre-class assignment.
3. Participate.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• No recording of the lecture or workshop without prior permission of the instructor!
• Photographs or videos may not be taken during the lecture or workshops!

ONLINE MATERIALS:

• The first review and a partial review for the final are available online