Module BIOL2231: ANIMAL BIOLOGY

Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences

BIOL2231: ANIMAL BIOLOGY

Prerequisites

• Introduction to Whole Organisms and the Environment (BIOL1082).

Corequisites

• Evolutionary Biology (BIOL2241).

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To promote an appreciation of the organization, development and characteristics of behaviour, and of the comparative physiology of animals in relation to the environment.
• To build on introductory studies of whole organisms and the environment at level 1.

Content

• Animal Behaviour: Evolutionary basis of instinctive and learned behaviour.
• Types of learning.
• learning in nature.
• Development of behaviour, imprinting and sensitive periods.
• Organization of behaviour.
• hormones and behaviour, motivation.
• Genes and selection.
• behaviour genetics and heritability.
• Biological rhythms.
• Orientation and navigation.
• migration.
• Habitat selection, territory and home range.
• Introduction to Environmental Animal Physiology.
• Temperature relationships of animals.
• poikilothermy and homoiothermy, ectothermy and endothermy, thermoregulation.
• Thermal stress and tolerance.
• Acclimatization, metabolic compensation.
• Torpor, hibernation and diapause.
• Water and air as respiratory media - their physical properties and effects on functioning of respiratory surfaces.
• Comparative aspects of adaptations of respiratory surfaces, circulatory systems, respiratory pigments and oxygen equilibrium curves.
• Physiology and behaviour of diving birds and mammals.
• Water and ion balance in marine and freshwater environments.
• Osmoregulation and water balance.
• Osmoregulators and osmoconformers.
• Advantages and problems of living on land.
• Water and ion balance of animals well adapted to terrestrial lifestyle.
• Strategies for water conservation.
• Movement in different media.
• influence of physical properties of aquatic and terrestrial environments.
• Locomotion in fluids: air/water (similarities and differences).
• Reynolds numbers.
• Drag and turbulence.
• Lift and thrust.
• Flight in birds and insects.
• Swimming and buoyancy in fishes.
• Transition from locomotion on water to on land: support requirements.
• Hydraulic skeletons, exoskeletons and endoskeletons.
• Differences of movement on land with movement in fluids.
• Limb structure, mode of movement and elastic structures in mammals.
• Neurobiology.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module each student should be able to: Appreciate, from an evolutionary context, the manner by which behaviour is initiated, organised and regulated.
• Appreciate the behavioural mechanisms by which animals find a place to live.
• Appreciate the varied physiological mechanisms used by animals to exploit a wide range of habitats.
• Appreciate the challenges imposed by life in extreme environments and how these are met by the adaptions of animals.
• Understand the experimental procedures used to investigate animal behaviour and comparative physiology.

• Extract, compile and review relevant scientific information from various sources and evaluate them critically.
• Interpret and critically analyse sample experimental data and present the results effectively.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching and learning in this component is primarily through the means of lectures.
• Group and presentation skills will be acquired during the poster sessions.
• Observation and interpretation skills will be acquired in practical sessions.
• Knowledge and understanding will be assessed by a written examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Group data interpretation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University