1

MODULE: PHYSIOLOGY AND ADAPTATION IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS

MODULE NUMBER: BIO00003C

JACS CODE: C200

MODULE CO-ORDINATOR: Dr Richard Waites

CREDIT VALUE: 10

CREDIT LEVEL: 4

VERSION: January 2011

TEACHING CYCLE: Autumn, Spring, Summer 2011-2012

SUBJECT COMMITTEE: Cell and Organismal Biology

SUMMARY: This module concerns the basic physiology of plants and animals. Core topicsare water relations, gas exchange, nutrition and energy budgeting. In addition, the signalling systems,such as the nervous system and hormone networks, that regulate and integrate these systems will beconsidered. The focus on these central themes allows comparison of the strategies for overcomingcommon problems both within and between the plant and animal kingdoms.

AIMS:To provide an overview of the diversity of animals and plants, and their underlying physiologicalprocesses. The strategies for obtaining energy and nutrients will be compared across habitats and taxa.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. A knowledge of the major events in the evolutionary history of plants and animals and anappreciation of the characteristics of major animal and plant phyla

2. An understanding of the adaptive significance, organisation and function of the principal organsystems of animals, including the digestive, circulatory, excretory, thermoregulatory and skeletalsystems, and how these organ systems may vary with animal body plan, size and environmentalcircumstance.

3. An understanding of the adaptive significance, organisation and function of the principal organsystems of plants, including roots, stems, leaves, and flowers and how these organ systems varywith plant body plan and environmental circumstance.

4. An appreciation of the diverse physiological strategies that allow plant and animal life in differentenvironments.

5. An understanding of the major regulatory systems that integrate physiological responses in plantsand animals

PREREQUISITES:Students should have met the admissions standards required by the Department of Biology forenrolment on the course

2

SYNOPSIS: Autumn term

Lecture 1. Tree of life (RW)An overview of the diversity of plant and animal life.

Lecture 2. Animal guts (STS)The contribution of intracellular and extracellular digestion to degradation of ingested food; digestiveenzymes and types of guts; absorption of nutrients.

Lecture 3. Body fluids of animals (STS)The composition and function of extracellular fluids; diffusion and bulk flow of body fluids; comparativephysiology of animal circulatory systems, as exemplified by the closed system of vertebrates and opensystem of insects.

Lecture 4. Osmotic relations of animals (STS)The distinction between osmoconforming and osmoregulating animals; osmoregulation in fish andosmoregulation in terrestrial animals, both mammals and insects; filtration and secretion excretorysystems, as exemplified by vertebrate kidneys and insect Malpighian tubules.

Lecture 5. Skeletons (STS)Rigid skeletons (both exoskeletons and endoskeletons) and hydrostatic skeletons; the function ofskeletons in support, protection and muscle-based movement; variation in characteristics of the skeletonwith animal body size.

Lecture 6. Exchange of respiratory gases (CJHE)Gas exchange in aquatic and terrestrial animals; the relationship between respiratory surfaces andcirculatory systems; the organs of gas exchange - lungs of vertebrates, gills of fish and tracheae ofinsects.

Lecture 7. Energy budgets (CJHE)The use of oxygen consumption as an index of metabolic rate; variation in energy expenditure betweenspecies and with activity in both laboratory and field.

Lecture 8. Body temperature and thermoregulation (CJHE)The metabolic rate of endotherms and ectotherms; factors contributing to the stable body temperature ofmammals; temporary endotherms, especially insects.

Practical 1. Cell functional specialisation in Hydra (HVI) (2 hours)The students will investigate the different cell types in a hyrda at a structural and functional level.

Lecture 9. Control of Energy balance (CJHE)Appetite, satiation, reward, addiction, role of CNS and of neuro- and gastric peptides

Practical 2. Organ functional specialisation (CJHE and STS) (2 hours)The students will dissect locusts, squid, to investigate organ systems at a structural and functional level

3

Spring Term:

Lecture 10. Water in plants (TH) – change of staff since 2010-11Cuticles, root/shoot specialisation and vascularisation, stomata and transpiration. Drought adaptations.

Lecture 11. Gas exchange in plants (TH)CO2, stomata and the water/CO2 conflict. C4 and CAM photosynthesis.

Lecture 12. Light (TH)Specialisation for light acquisition- leaves, phyllotaxy, photoreceptors, stem elongation growth, wood.

Practical 3 Cell functional specialisation (RW) (2 hours)The students will investigate the different cell types in a leaf epidermis at a structural and functionallevel.

Lecture 13. Mineral nutrition (TH)N P K and micronutrients. Transporters and ion uptake. Root growth strategies for maximisingacquisition. Nodulation and Mycorrhization.

Lecture 14. Plant behaviour 1 (RW)Hormonal signalling and plant behaviour using root exploration of the soil as an example.

Lecture 15. Plant behaviour 2 (RW)Circadian rhythms and photoperiodism using leaf movements and floraltransition as examples.

Lecture 16. Plant sex and the sessile growth habit (RW)Pteropsida, megaspore and evolution of seeds - Gymnosperms, Angiosperms: double fertilisation, pollendispersal and SI, outbreeding, coevolution of insects and flowering plants, and mechanisms of pollinationsuccess.

Practical 4 Organ functional specialisation (RW) (2 hours)The students will dissect flowers and stems to investigate organ systems at a structural and functionallevel.

Lecture 17. Life histories (RW)Alternation of generations (plants, brown/green algae, animals and fungi). Double fertilisation in seedplants. Reproduction in flowering plants. Seed structure, function and evolution. Seed dormancy:physiology; breaking dormancy.

Lecture 18. Body plans and life styles (RW)The contribution of evolutionary history and ecological circumstance for shaping physiological systems ofplants and animals.

Lectures 19 / 20 Information lectures x 2 (1 hr each HVI, RW, TH), WEEK 10 Spring term

Summer Term

Synoptic activities

Workshop 1. Taxonomy diversity and classification (HVI and TH) Wk 4 summer termThis is a VLE-based workshop. An initial 1 hr session will explain the activity.

Workshop 2. Invent an organism (RW and HVI) Wk 4 summer term

4

The students work in groups, using the VLE to design a plant or an animal adapted to a specificallocated environment. Each group presents its proposed organisms to the class and explains thephysiological basis for the design. This requires a 1 hour session at the start of term to explain theactivity, and a 3hr session at the end for the results to be presented.

Supported learning

Session 1 (STS, CJHE)

Q and A revision session on autumn term animal biology aspects, to include working through examplequestions.

Session 2 (TH, RW)

Q and A revision session on spring term plant biology aspects, to include working through examplequestions.

KEY TEXTS:Animal part:-Sherwood, Klandorf and Yancey, Animal Physiology: From Genes to OrganismsandSchmidt-Nielson, Animal Physiology: Adaptation and Environment

Plant Part:-Irene Ridge, PlantsandSmith et al., Plant Biology

ASSESSMENT:

Formative: 1 hour closed paper, week 1 spring termSummative: 1.5 hour closed paper, weeks 5-7 summer term, weighted 85% of module mark.Coursework/VLE: 5% of module mark, on the VLE classification workshop

10% of the module mark on the Invent an Organism workshop, of which 5% is basedon a group mark for the presentation and 5% an individual mark for contributions to the VLE discussionboard.

Re-Assessment – August, duration 1 hour

LECTURERS AND ORGANISATION:P1 to come in the second half of termP2 to come in the second half of termP3 to come after L12P4 to come after L16

PROPOSED TIMETABLING SCHEDULE

AutumnWeek 2 L1Week 3 L2Week 4 L3Week 5 L4Week 6 L5Week 7 L6Week 8 L7Week 9 L8 P1Week 10 L9 P2Spring

5

Week 2 L10Week 3 L11Week 4 L12 P3Week 5 L13Week 6 L14Week 7 L15Week 8 L16 P4Week 9 L17 L18Week 10 L19 L20

SummerWeek 1Week 2Week 3 Workshop 1Week 4 Workshop 2

DEMONSTRATING:P1-P4 require two demonstrators for the first hour and a half.

MAXIMUM NUMBERS: B002/lab capacities, which ever is smaller (ie Approx 150)

Hazard rating Car park end Lake end Small labB, medium hazard 96 96 24C, high hazard 86 80 20

STUDENT WORKLOAD: Please enter students’ workload totalling 200 hours per 20 credit moduleLectures 18Practicals 8Workshops/supported learning 15Seminars 0Assessment 1.5Private Study 57.5

6

STAFF TEACHING COMMITMENTS: Please enter the total number of sessions attended by each staffmember:

Staff initials RW STS CJHE HVI TH

Lecture sess. 6 4 4 1 5

Practical sess. 2 1 1 1

Workshops - - - 2 1

SAFETY AND TIMETABLING INFORMATION: Please fill in an entry in the table below for eachteaching session in the module. Where possible group sessions that have identical entries in allcolumns. A key below explains the column headings.

Sess. TypeOcc. Haz. Max. Equipment Lecturers Description

L1-L9 A - L1, RW; L2-5, STS; L6-9, CJHE

9 Autumn term lectures- one perweek

P1 P12hrs

C D HVI Autumn term practical- secondhalf of term

P2 P22hrs

C D STS, CJHE Autumn term practical- secondhalf of term

L10-18 A - L10-13 TH, L14-18,RW,

9 Spring term lectures- one perweek

L19-20 L19-20 HVI, TH, RW 2 information sessionsintroducing summer workshops,both in week 10 of spring term

P3 P32hrs

1 C - H RW Spring term practical- second halfof term - to come after lecture 12

P4 P42hrs

1 C - D RW Spring term practical- second halfof term - to come after lecture 16

W1 A - VLE TH, HVI Summer term workshop introsession (in lecture theatre), early

W2 A - VLE RW, HVI Summer term workshop introsession early, presentationsession late-both in lecturetheatre

KEY: Sess: session number or group of sessions (e.g. 6, 8-13). Type: Type & Duration; L 1 hr-lecture, P 3 hr-practical class, S 1 hr-seminar, T 1 hr tutorial. Specifiy non-standard type or duration.Occ.: number of occurrences of the session (e.g. 3 occurrences, each taking one third of the class).Haz.: hazard rating: A, low hazard, lectures, 'paper & pencil' problem sessions, etc; B, mediumhazard, observational practicals where students move about but are not involved in C categoryactivities; C, high hazard, practicals involving potential hazard in overcrowded laboratories, e.g. nakedflames, hot liquids, glassware, pipetting. Max.: maximum number of students permitted in session,which may be less than the maximum number taking the module in, for example, a circus practical (seemaximum room capacities above). Equipment: essential equipment in limited supply: M microscopes, Ddissecting microscopes, C computers, S spectrophotometers, Ch chart recorders, H haemocytometers,Cm microcentrifuges, Cc cooled centrifuges, Cb bench centrifuges, G Gilson pipettes, specify otheritems. Lecturers: the initials of the lecturers participating in the session. Description: a brief descriptionof the session(s).