BIOLOGY 550- Advanced Comparative Physiology (Spring 2026)

Dr. Robin L. Cooper
RLCOOP1@uky.edu
Office: Morgan building-226
Tel: 257-5950
Office Hours:
WWW Home page (go to)

Text: Comparative Animal Physiology by Philip C. Withers: 1992 by Brooks/Cole Publishing Co. Inc. ISBN 0-03-012487-1

Course Prerequisites:
· Successful completion of BIO 350 or its equivalent.
· Successful completion of 1 semester of calculus (Math 113 or 123)
· Successful completion of 3 semesters of chemistry (Chem 105, 107 and organic).

Week 1 pages 14-27 [PDF]

Week 2: pages 58-80 [PDF]

Week 3:

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COURSE OBJECTIVES and TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:

This course in animal physiology will take an integrative approach in presenting the subject matter. This means that we will consider the entire animal when discussing a particular physiological system (i.e. the complete cardiovascular system during exercise). There are two major ingredients that will greatly assist students in their success in this course; (1) Completion of the textbook and supplemental reading material prior to attending each class (2) students engaging themselves in the classroom discussions throughout the semester. The maximum number of students in this course is limited to 20. Therefore, students will be required to think critically, express themselves orally and provide provocative and intellectual discussion to the data and topics that are presented.

Students should emerge from the course with a firmly founded understanding of: 1) An advanced understanding of the fundamental concepts of physiology; 2) how the scientific and experimental process is used to deduce these basic concepts; and 3) how organisms across the animal kingdom utilize similar and different physiological functions as fundamental adaptations to their existence within the environment. As a means towards that end, it is often necessary to memorize certain terms, and certain anatomical details. Knowing these terms and the anatomy is useful, but not as important as understanding the concepts. Terms, anatomy and fundamental informational content is only a means to an end, not an end goal in and of itself. The end goal instead is to understand how different organisms use similar and different physiological methods as a means towards homeostatic regulation.

Each of you may or may not choose to become professional physiologist in the future. Thus, the goal in this course is for you to retain knowledge of the basic fundamental concepts which you can apply in any future endeavor in the biological sciences.

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE