Comparative Animal Physiology
A rigorous course in which physiological processes of
vertebrates and invertebrates are studied at the cellular, organ,
organ
system, and whole animal levels of organization. The unifying
themes of
the course are the phenomenon of homeostasis
(whereby an animal
maintains its organization in the face of environmental
perturbations)
and the relationship between structure and function. The student
will
examine these phenomena in the laboratory by dissection and
physiological experimentation. Topics include digestion and
nutrition,
metabolism, gas exchange, circulation, excretion, neurophysiology,
and
muscle physiology.