LSM1104 General Physiology

2012-13 Semester 2
Prof Alex Y. K. Ip

Professor Alex Y K Ip
(Molecular and Environmental Physiology)
Department of Biological Sciences Blk S1A ROOM: 05 15A TEL: 6516-2702 Email: dbsipyk@nus.edu.sg

Organization Objectives
Connect between thermodynamics, bioenergetics and various physiological processes, especially those at the cellular level. Deal with the transformation of energy in cellular processes, focusing on the plasma membrane, muscle and neurons.

Evaluate the production and dissipation of heat in animals.

Learning Outcome Objectives

Know the basic physiological processes occurring in animals Understand how these basic physiological processes are integrated in animals to enable them to live in a variety of environment.

Workload for Prof Ips section

16 hours lectures + 18 hours (6 practicals, 3 hours each) practicals 40% CA (20% test Prof Kumar + 20% test Prof Ip) 60% Final exam

Topics
1. Introduction

2. Energy and thermodynamics

3. Feeding and digestion 4. Ionic gradient, electrical potential 5. Electrical signals and neurons 6. Cytoskeletons, motor proteins and muscle 7. Heat production and body temperature

Reading assignment
There are reading assignments for every topic, Q&A being the most important. You should also read the articles and visit the websites. You will score better in the exam if you go through them. Please go through the reading assignments before the lecture, and read through the relevant Q&A after the lecture. You are not required to submit lab reports but information covered can be tested in the CA and/or the final exam.

1. Reading assignments

2. Monitor your own learning 3. Weekly Q&A

4. Mind map

How to do well in Prof Ips section of LSM1104?

1. Dont sleep during class.

2. Take concise notes.

3. Dont just memorize but try to understand. 4. Ask questions during class.

Important Dates
April 8 (6pm) test (CA2) May 6 (9am)- Exam

There is only one supplementary test, and usually the supplementary test may have a format different from and can be more difficult than the original one. So, please make every effort to attend the first test if possible.

1968, Ying Wah College, HK

1975, University of Minnesota, MLPS, USA

Department of Zoology (1982)

NUS as the home of the mind where students develop intelligent behaviors and have significant contribution to the society in the future

Regurgitation Spoon feeding Memorizing

Receptive mode

Copying

Vs
Thinking

Search mode
Analyzing evaluating Questioning Synthesizing

Reflecting

Wonderment, Inquisitiveness, Curiosity

All thinking begins with wonderment ---Socrates---

Questioning and Problem Posing

What good question did I ask today?

What did I learn today?

Creativity is a function of questions

Understanding . . . grows from questioning oneself or from being questioned by others, such as teachers.
Sizer, T. Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School. 1984. Boston. Houghton Mifflin. page 117.

Learning is not passive listening

To understand the topic

To reformulate material
To use it

To analyse it, filter if necessary

To re-structure it, build connections

To question it, doubt

To search and weigh evidence

To reject those parts of it that dont stand scrutiny

Integrate/connect information

Organize/connect information

Select/filter information

Collect information

Learning = new information + new skills + new experience Learning =making new connections between information, skills and experience

Learning = un-learn + re-learn

The importance of controversy:

Each student must be attracted to some extent by two or more competing hypotheses and feel temporarily unable to make a choice between them, otherwise, for him, no problem exists.

If teachers are to teach reflectively, they must help students expose contradictions and inadequacies in their own thinking and action to their own critical examination.

Forked path: Critical thinking skills and strategies GOAL ? GOAL ? GOAL ? GOAL

?
? GOAL

?
GOAL

In a global information environment, the old pattern of education in answerfinding is one of no avail: one is surrounded by answers, millions of them, moving and mutating at electric speed. Survival and control will depend on the ability to probe and to question in the proper way and place.
M. McLuhan (probably written 30 or 40 years ago)

The role of questions in teaching, thinking and learning:

http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/thinking-some-purpose.cfm

Peng Kah Whye

http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/staff/peng_k.cfm

1988-freshman; work part-time as an RA

Scientist specialize in cancer research

Cambridge 1993-1996 Ph.D.working on gene therapy for cancer patients

Cancer research aiming for clinical trial

Dr Peng Kah Whye Professor at Mayo Clinic

Dr Peng said (2005):

I guess, at the end of the day, all the glamour and publicity are meaningless. They are nice for a while for the ego. The Nature paper few people will notice. But what drives me and keeps me going is my belief that I want to do good and make tomorrows world better than todays, for the next generation. To relief pain and suffering and offer hope to the cancer patients. So often, I want to hold their hands and channel my best wishes to them, for being brave to go on phase I clinical trials in which they know is not likely going to benefit them, but perhaps, the next generation.

End