BIOL 3250

Comparative Animal Physiology

0.5 credits · Undergraduate

Fall 2026

Topics

Unifying principles in physiology (e.g. homeostasis)
Cellular basis of physiology
Chemistry, biochemistry and cytology of intra- and intercellular communication
Endocrinology, hormones and regulated behaviour
Neuronal signalling, conduction and operation of synapse
Electrical and pharmacological operations of neurons
Organization of the two nervous systems
Sensory systems: General and chemoreception, mechanosensing and hearing, electrosensing, vision
Neuromuscular junction anatomy and muscle function
Actin and myosin
sliding filaments, regulation of contraction and muscle diversity
Muscle fibre types, energy metabolism, and perfusion
Locomotion and skeletal systems, translating contraction into movement, moving in the environment
Basic animal behaviours
Thermoregulation (time permitting)
thermal strategies (ecothermy, coping with changing body
temperature and endothermy, controlling body temperature in changing environments)

We will use this free (0$) online Anatomy and Physiology textbook from OpenStax:
https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology. ↗
Source-linked resource

2026

a. Boron, W.F. and Boulpaep, E.L. 2015. Medical Physiology, 3rd ed. Revised. Saunders — Elsevier, Philadelphia PA. 1337 pp. (about ).
b. Biology 3250/3251 Laboratory Manual.

Sources