Course Information Document - 3A & 3B
Human Biology/Human Life Sciences 3A & 3B
Welcome to Year 3 of your programme. Courses at this level
should be rewarding and enjoyable, but they require a clear commitment from you
and your active
participation and attendance.
We recommend that you read this Course Information Document at the start of Year 3.
In addition, there is important information about regulations, assessment and progression (including DD to Honours progression) in the Life Sciences Handbook: Regulations & Advice; again, you should read this document at the start of the year and you must refer to it as necessary.
Please keep this Course Information Document for future reference after you graduate; you may need to provide course details for further study or other training.
While the information contained in the document is correct at the time of printing, it may be necessary to make changes. Check your online timetable, Moodle and your email messages regularly.
Dr Katherine Price, 343 Sir James Black Building, Ext:
2805
email: Katherine.Price@glasgow.ac.uk
Dr Katherine Price, 343
Sir James Black Building, Ext: 2805
Dr Dalia Malkova, New Lister Building, Tel: 0141 201 8690
email: Dalia.Malkova@glasgow.ac.uk
A very large number of staff contributes to this course.
Contacts you may find particularly useful are listed here. The
majority of other staff can be found via the University Web Pages,
although occasionally there will be external speakers.
|
Name |
|
|
Professor Ron Baxendale |
|
|
Dr Shona McQuilken |
|
|
Dr Dalia Malkova |
|
|
Dr Alison Parrett |
|
|
Dr Katherine Price |
|
|
Dr Emma Reid |
Dr Teresa Thomas, University of Birmingham
The Life Sciences Office is located in
Room 354 of the Sir James Black Building. Opening hours for enquiries are: Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 4:30pm.
The Year 3 programme for Human Biology Honours and Human
Biology and Nutrition Honours consists of two component courses:
Human Biology 3A - 60 Credits taught throughout Semester 1
Human Biology 3B – 60 Credits taught throughout Semester 2
The final year programme for the Human Life Sciences Designated degree consists of two component courses:
Human Life Sciences 3A - 60 Credits taught throughout Semester 1
Human Life Sciences 3B – 60 Credits taught throughout Semester 2
The Human Biology course is organised into two-week blocks of teaching on specific topics, with transferable skills sessions running throughout the year. Students on the Human Life Sciences programme follow the same course but may have some sessions separately. Your online timetable indicates which sessions you should attend for the course you are enrolled on. The course structure, including block themes, is outlined below.
|
Human Biology 3A / Human Life Sciences 3A |
Human Biology 3B / Human Life Sciences 3B |
All year |
||
|
Week 0 |
Introductory week |
Week 0 |
N/A |
Tutorials Transferable Skills |
|
Week 1 |
Block 1 Cellular Physiology |
Week 1 |
Block 6 Senses |
|
|
Week 2 |
|
Week 2 |
|
|
|
Week 3 |
Block 2 Nutrition |
Week 3 |
Block 7 Gastrointestinal System |
|
|
Week 4 |
|
Week 4 |
|
|
|
Week 5 |
Block 3 Musculoskeletal System |
Week 5 |
Block 8 The Lifecycle |
|
|
Week 6 |
|
Week 6 |
|
|
|
Week 7 |
Block 4 Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems |
Week 7 |
Block 9 Experimental techniques and Mini-project |
|
|
Week 8 |
|
Week 8 |
|
|
|
Week 9 |
Block 5 Endocrine and Renal Systems |
Week 9 |
Block 10 Molecular Methods |
|
|
Week 10 |
|
Week 10 |
|
|
|
Week 11 |
Revision |
Week 11 |
Revision and Mini-Project Presentations |
|
BIOL4228
Human Biology 3A
2023-24
60
In this course, you will explore the scientific principles
that underlie investigations into the function of the human body from a
molecular and cellular level to a whole body level.
Human Biology 3A is intended to build on the Level-2 Life Sciences courses,
developing a balanced understanding of the biology of the function of the human
body. As well as a programme of laboratory practicals,
there will be discussion of the relevance of human biology to society,
including current research, clinical applications and
inter-disciplinary links.
Normally, this course is only open to students admitted to
Level-3 of a programme for which this is a compulsory course. The course may
also be available to visiting students, at the discretion of the School's Chief
Adviser.
The aims of the course are:
· To provide a broad-based knowledge and understanding of Human Biology;
· To develop basic practical skills relevant to techniques used in human biology research;
· To develop skills relating to the systematic acquisition and analysis of factual information and data;
· To develop the ability to solve problems and to critically analyse, interpret and discuss factual information and data;
· To provide opportunities to practise and improve written and oral communication skills.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Discuss the central facts and the experimental basis of current scientific thinking about human biology from cellular physiology to whole body approaches;
· Appraise the use of modern technologies for the study of human biology;
· Critically describe how fundamental laboratory techniques, including physiological measurements, are used to study human biology;
· Apply appropriate methods, including statistics, to analyse experimental data;
· Communicate experimental, interpretative and ethical aspects of science, using oral presentations, written work and digital technology;
· Identify and critically evaluate relevant scientific literature.
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the
components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
The course will be assessed by means of a 1-hour
examination (10%) in the winter diet, a 3-hour examination (50%) in the spring
diet and in-course assessment (40%) including laboratory reports (15%), a group
work assignment (10%) and a reflective portfolio (15%).
Not applicable for Honours courses
December and April/May
More than 180 mins
BIOL4229
Human Biology 3B
2023-24
60
In this course, you will explore the scientific principles
that underlie investigations into the function of the human body from a
molecular and cellular level to a whole body level.
Human Biology 3B is intended to build on the Level-2 Life Sciences courses,
developing a balanced understanding of the biology of the function of the human
body. As well as a programme of laboratory practicals,
there will be discussion of the relevance of human biology to society,
including current research, clinical applications and
inter-disciplinary links.
Normally, this course is only open to students admitted to
Level-3 of a programme for which this is a compulsory course. The course may
also be available to visiting students, at the discretion of the Life Sciences
Chief Adviser and Course Coordinator.
The aims of the course are:
· To provide a broad-based knowledge and understanding of human biology;
· To develop basic practical skills relevant to techniques used in human biology research;
· To develop skills relating to the systematic acquisition and analysis of factual information and data;
· To develop the ability to solve problems and to critically analyse, interpret and discuss factual information and data;
· To provide opportunities to practise and improve written and oral communication skills.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Discuss the central facts and the experimental basis of current scientific thinking about human biology from cellular physiology to whole body approaches;
· Appraise the use of modern scientific technologies for the study of human biology;
· Critically describe how fundamental laboratory techniques, including physiological measurements, are used to study human biology;
· Plan and carry out an experiment and apply appropriate methods, including statistics, to analyse experimental data;
· Identify and critically evaluate relevant scientific literature.
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the
components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
The course will be assessed by means of a 3-hour
examination (50%) in the spring diet and in-course assessment (50%) including a
molecular methods assignment (10%), a literature review (15%), a science
communication task (10%) and a mini-project assessment comprising individual
and group components (15%).
Not applicable for Honours courses
April/May
More than 180 mins
BIOL3027
Human Life Sciences 3A
2023-24
60
In this course, you will explore the scientific principles
that underlie investigations into the function of the human body from a
molecular and cellular level to a whole body level.
Human Life Sciences 3A is intended to build on the Level-2 Life Sciences
courses, developing a balanced understanding of the biology of the function of
the human body. As well as a programme of laboratory practicals,
there will be discussion of the relevance of human biology to society,
including current research, clinical applications and
inter-disciplinary links.
Normally, this course is only open to students admitted to
Level-3 of a programme for which this is a compulsory course.
The aims of the course are:
· To provide a broad-based knowledge and understanding of Human Life Sciences;
· To develop basic practical skills relevant to techniques used in human life sciences research;
· To develop skills relating to the systematic acquisition and analysis of factual information and data;
· To provide opportunities to practise and improve written and oral communication skills.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Discuss the central facts and the experimental basis of current scientific thinking about human biology from cellular physiology to whole body approaches;
· Critically describe how fundamental laboratory techniques, including physiological measurements, are used to study human biology;
· Apply appropriate methods, including statistics, to analyse experimental data;
· Communicate experimental, interpretative and ethical aspects of science, using oral presentations, written work and digital technology;
· Identify and critically evaluate relevant scientific literature.
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the
components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
The course will be assessed by means of a 1-hour
examination (10%) in the winter diet, a 3-hour examination (50%) in the spring
diet and in-course assessment (40%) including laboratory reports (15%), a group
work assignment (10%) and a reflective portfolio (15%).
No
December and April/May
More than 180 mins
BIOL3028
Human Life Sciences 3B
2023-24
60
In this course, you will explore the scientific principles
that underlie investigations into the function of the human body from a
molecular and cellular level to a whole body level.
Human Biology 3B is intended to build on the Level-2 Life Sciences courses,
developing a balanced understanding of the biology of the function of the human
body. As well as a programme of laboratory practicals,
there will be discussion of the relevance of human biology to society,
including current research, clinical applications and
inter-disciplinary links.
Normally, this course is only open to students admitted to
Level-3 of a programme for which this is a compulsory course. The course may
also be available to visiting students, at the discretion of the Life Sciences
Chief Adviser and Course Coordinator.
The aims of the course are:
· To provide a broad-based knowledge and understanding of Human Life Sciences;
· To develop practical skills relevant to laboratory techniques;
· To develop skills relating to the systematic acquisition and analysis of factual information and data;
· To provide opportunities to practise and improve written and oral communication skills.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Discuss the central facts and the experimental basis of current scientific thinking about human biology from cellular physiology to whole body approaches;
· Critically describe how fundamental laboratory techniques, including physiological measurements, are used to study human biology;
· Communicate experimental, interpretative and ethical aspects of science, using oral presentations, written work and information technology;
· Plan and carry out an experiment and apply appropriate methods, including statistics, to analyse experimental data;
· Identify and critically evaluate relevant scientific literature.
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the
components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
The course will be assessed by means of a 3-hour
examination (50%) in the spring diet and in-course assessment (50%) including a
molecular methods assignment (10%), a literature review (15%), a science
communication task (10%) and a mini-project assessment comprising individual
and group components (15%).
No
April/May
180 minutes
We expect you to attend all lectures so you can you hear
explanations and learn a particular lecturer’s viewpoint and the emphasis given
to a specific topic. Lectures are also intended to act as a guide through the
enormous quantity of published scientific literature in that area. They should
provide you with the central facts of the subject.
Lecture slides are made available at the discretion of individual lecturers. Usually these will be uploaded to Moodle before the lecture. Audio recordings of lectures will be made available when venue facilities allow, again at the discretion of the lecturer. Please see the University of Glasgow lecture recording policy for more information.
You are expected to be present for the whole of each
laboratory. Laboratory classes are designed to reinforce the knowledge gained
from lectures and to develop practical skills relevant to some areas of Human
Biology. These skills will be vital for final year research projects, as well
as for many Life Science careers. You should keep a record of all lab notes and
results, as the contents of labs may be assessed in examinations. Laboratory
notes for laboratories that take place on Level 10 in the Boyd Orr building
will be provided on Lt kuracloud, unless instructed
otherwise. For labs elsewhere, please see moodle for
information on the specific sessions.
Anatomy facility Rules and Regulations
For ALL classes held in: the Anatomy Museum, Dissection Room 1, the Thomson Clinical Anatomy Laboratory, Jeffray Laboratory, Bryce Laboratory and Cleland Laboratory, the Anatomy facility Rules and Regulations apply at ALL times (e.g. Even when a lab space is only used for a lecture). During this course you will come into contact with human cadaveric specimens. It is therefore expected that students behave professionally. Practical sessions in the Anatomy Facility at the University of Glasgow that involve the use of human cadaveric material are carried out under the Anatomy Act 1984 as amended by The Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006. You must ensure that you are familiar with the Rules and Regulations and abide by them at all times while on the premises. You will be requested to sign a Rules and Regulations document online before registering on relevant courses on Moodle in order to confirm that you have read and understood it and that you are aware that any breach of regulation may result in disciplinary procedures. If any of the restrictions apply to you and/or if you have any concerns about your ability to adhere to any aspect of these rules, you must discuss this with the course co-ordinator and/or Professor of Anatomy as a matter of urgency.
You are expected to attend and participate in all workshop
and seminar sessions. These can all be assessed by means of coursework and
examination questions. These sessions are designed to be interactive therefore
will require student participation; this will often require preparatory work
and may require you to bring devices and resources to the session. Please check
Moodle for specific instructions for each session.
Due to the interactive nature of these sessions, they are not suitable for recording.
Tutorials are normally held every two weeks. You will be
allocated to an academic tutor who will arrange tutorial times with your group.
The tutorial programme aims to support learning of course material and
development of graduate attributes. Tutorials in Semester 1 will also support
you with the reflective portfolio assessment. Preparation for tutorials is
expected, and there may be a short post-tutorial exercise to complete. This
will be based on your preparatory work. Please check Moodle for instructions
specific to each session.
Coursework assessments are identical for Human Biology and
Human Life Sciences. A Class Test is held during the December exam diet for
Human Biology 3A and Human Life Sciences 3A. This will cover the work of the
class up to the end of block 3 and will last one hour. The questions will be
similar in style to those used in the end of course exam and is designed to
give you practice of written exams and an opportunity for you to check your
progress and understanding.
There is a Class Test for the Molecular Methods block in Semester 2. Please see Moodle for updates on this.
Instructions for each of your other assessments will be announced on Moodle. There are also support sessions for some assignments during the course which will help you understand what is expected and offers the opportunity for you ask questions. It is important that you check Moodle regularly for information on assessments.
During the year, you will be given feedback on your work
in a variety of different forms – including, but not restricted to, the form of
a grade which constitutes part of your course grade (i.e.
summative). Feedback may be written or verbal feedback, e.g.
in the form of written comments on your work or immediate verbal information
provided during a lab, lecture, tutorial or meeting with staff member. Fellow
students can also provide feedback to each other; for example, in this course
you will participate in peer‐assessment of laboratory reports.
A prize will be awarded to the best performing student in
Level-3 Human Biology. A certificate will be awarded, in addition to an award
of £100. The prize will be recorded on the respective student’s Higher
Education Achievement Record (HEAR). The prize will be awarded based on results
of the whole course – i.e. examinations and
coursework. Occasionally the prize may be awarded jointly. It may be withheld
if it is felt by the final exam board that there is no suitable nominee.
There are two 3-hour examination papers in May, one for
each course (Human Biology / Human Life Sciences 3A and Human Biology / Human
Life sciences 3B). Each exam will include short-answer, data‑interpretation and extended answer style questions. Past
examination papers and a practice paper will be available on Moodle.
At Level-3 you are expected to do additional reading to
supplement lecture material. There are no set textbooks, as Human Biology
encompasses a wide range of disciplines in which advances are constantly being
made, so much of the course reading material is from original research papers
and review articles. Staff may advise on resources during their sessions.
Additionally, to assist you in identifying suitable books and other resources
to support your learning there are online reading lists, one for Human Biology
3A and one for Human Biology 3B, that are updated throughout the year.
Resources suggested include e-books, tutorials, videos
and websites. The link will be available via the Moodle site, or search “Human
Biology” via the library reading list search page, http://readinglists.glasgow.ac.uk/index.html.
Please note that the reading list is extensive. The majority of entries are recommended suggestions only. A small proportion of resources are considered essential (this means they are required to prepare for a teaching session and can be directly examined). These will be clearly indicated in the reading list and instructions for any preparatory reading will be on Moodle.
All coursework should be submitted electronically via
Moodle. Please see Moodle for for instructions on
individual assessments. Coursework submission deadlines are given in the table
below.
|
Assessment Name |
Assessment Type |
Assessment Deadline |
Target Grades and Feedback Return
Date |
|
Stem Cell tutorial (Reflective Portfolio) |
Research summary |
5/10/23 10pm |
26/10/23 |
|
Nutrition in the news tutorial (Reflective Portfolio) |
Critical summary |
19/10/23 10pm |
9/11/23 |
|
Glycaemic Index Lab report |
Lab report |
23/10/23 10pm |
13/11/23 |
|
Collaborative wiki |
wiki |
15/11/23 10pm |
6/12/23 |
|
Muscle Fatigue Lab report |
Lab Report |
23/11/23 10pm |
14/12/23 |
|
Critical appraisal tutorial (Reflective Portfolio) |
Critical appraisal |
30/11/23 10pm |
21/12/23 |
|
Class test |
Online test SAQs & Essays |
December exam diet |
Registry deadline tbc |
|
May Exam |
Exam |
April-May exam diet |
Registry deadline tbc |
|
Assessment
Name |
Assessment
Type |
Assessment
Deadline |
Target
Grades and Feedback Return Date |
|
Literature Review |
Literature Review |
8/2/24 (provisional) |
|
|
Science Communication Assignment |
Choice of formats |
19/2/24 (provisional) |
|
|
Mol meths class test |
Online test, SAQs |
18/3/24 (provisional) |
After May Exam Diet |
|
Mini-project presentation |
Group presentation |
21/3/24 (provisional) |
After May Exam Diet |
|
Mini-project report |
Lab report |
27/3/24 (provisional) |
After May Exam Diet |
|
May Exam |
Exam |
tbc |
Registry Deadline tbc |
|
Assessment |
Human
Biology 3A |
Human
Biology 3B |
|
Glycaemic Index Lab Report |
5% |
|
|
Muscle Fatigue Lab Report |
10% |
|
|
PBL Group Assignment |
10% |
|
|
Reflective Portfolio |
15% |
|
|
December Class Test |
10% |
|
|
Literature Review |
|
15% |
|
Science Communication Assignment |
|
10% |
|
Molecular methods test |
|
10% |
|
Mini-project group presentation |
|
5% |
|
Mini-project individual report |
|
10% |
|
Degree Exam (Apr/May Diet) |
50% |
50% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
The major route for delivering information to students is
via email and the appropriate Moodle site. These should be checked regularly
and frequently for new information on the course, examinations
and timetables. You will automatically be enrolled onto the Moodle sites for
Human Biology 3A and 3B.
You are strongly advised to acquire skills in computing
and Information Technology (IT), in general. The University provides
introductory IT courses. You should ensure you are confident in word
processing, use of spreadsheets and databases. You should also be able to use
relevant programmes to prepare presentations and have a basic knowledge of a
statistical programme.
Computers are available for use in the Sir James Black Building and Joseph Black Building with a series of useful programmes installed.
The University has an excellent Careers Service situated
on Level 2 of the Fraser Building. Most information is available via their
website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/careers/contact/,
including an events programme and details of how to make individual
appointments with a Careers Adviser. Examples of the types of careers open to
Human Biology graduates are industrial and hospital technical laboratory work,
paramedical services, teaching, science communication and scientific
publishing. As well as a wide variety of general graduate careers. Many recent
Human Biology graduates have continued in Higher Education, entering MSc and
PhD programmes, or professional courses including medicine, physiotherapy
and teaching.
There is an SRC supported student Physiology & Human
Biology Society which organises social events and academic opportunities
for students studying the Human Biology or Physiology degrees as well as those
with an interest in the area. The society is free to join and you can become a
member via the SRC website --> https://www.glasgowunisrc.org/organisation/7930/
(standard membership is for UofG students, associate is for those outwith UofG).
The Physiological Society exists to promote the
advancement of physiology and encourages the exchange of scientific information
between physiologists. As a Human Biology student, you are entitled to apply
for a Student Associate Membership. Student Associates receive copies of the
Society’s quarterly Magazine and Programmes of the Meetings. The Physiological
Society Magazine includes news of developments in the wider world of
physiology, readable articles on physiological topics written for non-specialists
and features as varied as Physiology & the Media and Physiology &
Music.
The five component courses which make up the final year of
your programme are:
1 x project or dissertation course (40 credits)
1 x the core course for your programme (20 credits)
3 x Honours options (3 x 20-credits)
|
Semester |
Day |
Course block |
Suffix on Course Name |
|
1 |
Monday |
Core block |
"…4X core" |
|
1 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
1 |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
1 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
1 |
Friday |
S1 option block |
"…4Y option" |
|
2 |
Monday |
S2-A option block |
"…4A option" |
|
2 |
Tuesday |
S2-B option block |
"…4B option" |
|
2 |
Wednesday |
S2-E option block |
"…4E option" |
|
2 |
Thursday |
S2-C option block |
"…4C option" |
|
2 |
Friday |
S2-D option block |
"…4D option" |
You should devote THREE days per week to the research
phase of the project, normally all day Tuesday,
Wednesday AM and all day Thursday during 10 weeks of Semester 1. The remaining
half day can be undertaken Monday and/or Friday and/or Wednesday PM, depending
on your own taught course timetable and the nature of your project.
You take three Honours options in total: one in Semester 1
and two in Semester 2.
The Semester 1 options are usually taught on Fridays, and you choose one option from the 4Y list.
Semester 2 options are arranged in five blocks, one for each day of the week (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E options). You choose two options from these five blocks, but no more than one for any block.
Once enrolment opens in August, you choose the options that you wish to study in final year. Please note that the list of offered Honours options changes slightly each year as options are introduced, withdrawn or moved to a different block; therefore, options you see in your MyCampus My Requirements report may not be available for you to choose when you reach final year.
You do not have a free choice when choosing options. The
following factors determine which options you can take.
1. Each programme specifies which options are compulsory and recommended for that programme. You must choose options which satisfy the stated Requirements for your programme.
2. In addition, each option specifies restrictions on admission (“Requirements of Entry” or “Enrolment Requirements”) to ensure that only students with the necessary academic background can enrol on that option. A few options allow any Life Sciences final-year student to enrol while other options only accept enrolment from students registered for a particular programme or set of programmes (for example Behavioural Ecology 4B option specifies the following: “Normally, only available to final-year Life Sciences students in the Animal Biology group programmes”).
3. A few options require you to apply in advance during Year 3. You cannot take one of these options if you have not been approved in advance. Currently, these are:
· Tropical Marine Biology (with Field Course) 4Y option
· Marine Mammal Biology (with Field Course) 4Y option
· Ecology & Conservation of African Ecosystems (with Field Course) 4Y option
· Investigating Biological Function 4B option
4. Most options limit the number of students that may enrol. For many options, the limit is around 30 students but some options have a lower or higher limit on class size. Enrolment is on a first-come, first-served basis.
5. An option may be cancelled if too few students wish to do it or if there are other circumstances which mean an option cannot run.
You undertake a piece of
independent work in final year, either a project or a dissertation. University
regulations stipulate that you MUST
obtain at least D3 in the “independent work” course for an Honours degree to be
awarded.
During Year 3, you
choose which type of final-year project you would like to do. There are four
types of project within the Life Sciences portfolio:
·
Investigative (both laboratory-based “wet”
projects and traditional “dry” projects)
·
Dissertation
·
Outreach (both School and Public Engagement)
·
Internship *
* Although the Internship type of project is available
in theory to students on any programme, this will depend on internships being
offered which are suitable to the programme. Until now, internships have only
been available to students in Physiology & Sports Science.
The type of project you are allocated determines which project course
you enrol on in MyCampus.
It may not be possible
to allocate projects in line with your aspirations but
staff seek to maximise each student’s preference. Your grades from Year 3 may
be taken into account when project allocations are
being made.
If you are a student in the Animal
Biology Group (Marine & Freshwater Biology or Zoology), you are encouraged
to think up possible projects yourself. However, you must find a member of
staff willing to act as your supervisor.
Please refer to the current session’s
Project Course Information Document for more information.
The structure of the final-year curriculum is more complex
than Year 3. Therefore, it is very important that you use the guidance in
MyCampus My Requirements to enrol on appropriate courses. Read the information
carefully and ensure than none of the sections on My Requirements are labelled
“Not Satisfied”.