1. BISC 445 ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY OF ANIMALS
Julian Christians
Office: SSB 8101
Office hours: Monday, 11:30-12:30
TA: Rodrigo Solis Sosa
Office hours by appointment

3. What is environmental physiology?
Physiology is about mechanisms.
Environmental physiology is about physiological responses to environmental challenges.
Environment = physical, chemical and biotic
abiotic

4. What is environmental physiology?
Willmer et al. 2005;
Fig. 5.20
Willmer et al. 2005; Fig. 5.16

5. Why study environmental physiology?
Evolution of health and disease
Medicine
Physiology
Evolution
Environmental
physiology
Toxicology
Response to
environmental
change
Ecology

6. Course outline Four general principles Evolutionary processes Oxygen
Temperature
Water and ions
Deep sea
Will NOT focus on humans or mammals

7. Course objectives Proximate causes: How? Ultimate causes: Why?
I want you to:
Understand four basic physiological principles, and be able to illustrate these with examples, and relate new material to these principles.
Be able to distinguish between evolutionary responses (adaptation) and within-individual responses.
Understand the importance of modern evolutionary approaches to the study of environmental physiology.
Proximate causes: How?
Ultimate causes: Why?

8. Course objectives I want you to be aware of:
Mechanisms available for response to environmental challenges (including different responses at different time scales).
General mechanisms frequently involved in a variety of responses.
Some incredible examples of physiological responses to environmental challenges.
A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus

9. Mark distribution Final exam: 40% 2 x Midterm exams: 25% each
Tutorial presentation: 10%
Exams will be based on tutorial and lecture material.

10. These PowerPoint slides are NOT lecture notes

11. Tutorials- what’s the point?
To study “primary literature”
To practice critical thinking
To practice presenting scientific material in a clear, jargon-reduced way.
To gain “public speaking” experience in a non-threatening environment.
To study other examples that illustrate the “4 general principles” and other material presented in lecture.
Make them interesting!
YOU are responsible for rescheduling!

12. Important dates Monday, February 3: Midterm #1
Monday, March 10: Midterm # 2
Tuesday, April 22, 8:30-11:30am:
Final exam

13. Textbooks One copy of each on reserve:
Willmer, P., Stone, G., & Johnston, I Environmental Physiology of Animals.  Second Edition. Blackwell. ISBN (aka Willmer et al.)
Moyes, CD & Schulte, PM Principles of animal physiology. Pearson Benjamin Cummings. ISBN  (aka Moyes and Schulte)

14. Why are you taking this course?
What other courses (Biology or other) have you liked best?
Does this course relate to your career/grad school goals? If so, how?