English

BB518: Physiological adaptation to environmental stress (10 ECTS)

STADS: 04017401

Level
Bachelor course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible

Email: fbj@biology.sdu.dk

Additional teachers

klp@biology.sdu.dk

Timetable

Group	Type	Day	Time	Classroom	Weeks	Comment
Common	I	Monday	10-12	U14	6,13-14
Common	I	Monday	12-14	U155	9
Common	I	Monday	12-14	T9	10-11
Common	I	Monday	12-14	U44	12
Common	I	Monday	14-16	U31	17
Common	I	Tuesday	10-12	U82	6
Common	I	Tuesday	10-12	U44	7
Common	I	Tuesday	10-12	U91	8-9
Common	I	Tuesday	10-12	T9	10-11
Common	I	Tuesday	08-10	T9	16
Common	I	Friday	11-13	U82	23	BB518 Spørgetime
H1	TL	Monday	08-12	Green Lab	15
H1	TL	Tuesday	12-16	Green Lab	11-12,14
H1	TL	Tuesday	14-18	Green Lab	13
H1	TE	Tuesday	12-16	U146	16-17
H1	TE	Tuesday	08-12	T9	18-19	Projekt
H1	TE	Tuesday	12-16	U155	20
H1	TE	Thursday	10-14	U146	16
H1	TE	Thursday	10-12	U51	17
H1	TE	Thursday	10-15	U161	20
H2	TL	Monday	13-17	Green Lab	15
H2	TL	Thursday	10-14	Green Lab	11-12,14
H2	TL	Thursday	08-12	Green Lab	13

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Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to have knowledge of zoology and evolution (BB525) and basal physiological mechanisms (BB511)

Course introduction

The physical, chemical and biological conditions in aquatic and terrestrial environments have large impact on the physiology of animals. Environmental changes can cause acute physiological disturbances and stress, which can be counteracted by compensatory mechanisms and ultimately lead to adaptation to the environment. The aim of the course is to give students a thorough knowledge of physiological reactions and adaptations in animals to biotic and abiotic environmental factors.

Students will obtain broad knowledge on how the environment influences physiology in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and acquire a deep understanding of how physiological adaptation is achieved.

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the course BB511 and gives an academic basis for a deeper understanding of differences in the physiology and distribution of species in nature.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:

Give the competence to participate in academic collaboration and organise own learning.
Give skills to organise and complete experimental studies, critically evaluate biological theories , and formulate, evaluate and solve biological problems.
Give knowledge and reflective understanding of biological scientific theory, of experimental methods and safety issues concerning these, of topical research issues and of their use in the discussion of biological problems.

Expected learning outcome

The learning objective of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:

Describe naturally occurring differences in important abiotic environmental factors.
Account for the factors that control the occurrence of species in nature.
Account for acute physiological disturbances resulting from changes in abiotic environmental factors.
Argue how physiological adaptation to environmental challenges is achieved.
Describe how biotic conditions such as choice of food, predation, pathogenic organisms and lifestyle influence the physiology of animals.
Analyse how compensatory mechanisms at molecular and cellular levels (protein modulation, gene expression, membrane transport etc.), organ level (heart, circulation, gills/lungs) and organismic level (metabolic rate etc.) become integrated to an overall adaptation strategy.
Judge the adaptation significance of evolutionary differences in physiological traits.
Interpret physiological data in relation to selected primary literature.
Use science literature to report a scientific topic/project.

Subject overview

The following main topics are contained in the course:

Influence of environment on the physiology (metabolism, respiration, circulation, nutrition/digestion, excretion, water balance, ionic regulation, immune defense) of vertebrates and invertebrates. Acute stress versus chronic stress. Evolutionary adaptation versus physiological adaptation/acclimation. Sensing of stressors and neural and endocrine responses to stressors. Physiological adaptation to changes in environmental factors (oxygen availability, CO2 conditions, temperature, water availability, salinity) and ways of life (activity level; diving, food types). Adaptation to extreme conditions (oxygen lack, deserts, polar environments). Influence of toxic compounds on physiology. Role of the immune system in the defense against diseases and environmental influences on the immune system.

Literature

Hill, R.W., Wyse, G.A. & Anderson, M. (2012): Animal Physiology, Third Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers. - Samt udvalgte særtryk..

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 30 hours
Skills training phase: 30 hours, hereof:
- Tutorials: 10 hours
- Laboratory exercises: 20 hours

Educational activities
The course includes a project (20 h) on a chosen topic, where the students search for and use scientific literature to prepare a written and an oral reporting of the chosen topic and its scientific experiments.Educational form

Language
This course is taught in English, if international students participate. Otherwise the course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.