BIPN 100 - A1 Introduction

Class Culture

  • Respect
  • Inclusivity
  • Health
  • Honesty
  • AIO
  • Transparency

How to Succeed in BIPN 100

  • Attend lectures and take notes.
  • Practice Learning Outcomes: Learning outcomes are key.

Instructor Information

  • Instructor: Marc Marino
  • Email: m2marino@ucsd.edu with [BIPN 100] in the subject line
  • Office Hours: Humanities & Social Sciences 1133/Zoom
  • Welcome Survey available on Canvas!
  • Unstructured "pop-in" time to discuss:
    • Confusing lecture content
    • Studying techniques
    • Discussion assignments
    • Grading concerns
    • Careers in biology

Instructor Assistants

  • Graduate IA: Angelica Rock
    • Email: aerock@ucsd.edu
    • Office Hours: TBD
    • Contact Regarding:
      • Discussion Assignments
      • Discussion Section
      • Course Content
  • UGIA: Laura Liang
    • Email: l9liang@ucsd.edu
    • Office Hours: N/A
    • Contact Regarding:
      • Course Content
      • Studying tips
  • UGIA: Suprita Mantravadi
    • Email: smantravadi@ucsd.edu
    • Office Hours: N/A
    • Contact Regarding:
      • Course Content
      • Studying tips

Lecture Details

  • Attend in-person lecture for active-learning activities!
  • Podcasts will be uploaded after each lecture
  • Take notes in your own words
  • You should be able to define bolded terms
  • Exams and quizzes will only cover content covered in lecture
  • Textbook is optional
  • Mastering A&P is optional
  • Engage with active-learning exercises

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply, identify, and connect a concept to a real-world example (i.e., case study).
  • CALCULATE (CALC): Use equations to calculate real-world measures (problem sets):
    • V=IRV = IR
    • Vm=61log(P<em>K[K+]</em>out+P<em>Na[Na+]</em>out+P<em>Cl[Cl−]</em>inP<em>K[K+]</em>in+P<em>Na[Na+]</em>in+P<em>Cl[Cl−]</em>out)Vm = 61log( \frac{P<em>K [K^+]</em>{out} + P<em>{Na} [Na^+]</em>{out} + P<em>{Cl} [Cl^-]</em>{in}}{P<em>K [K^+]</em>{in} + P<em>{Na} [Na^+]</em>{in} + P<em>{Cl} [Cl^-]</em>{out}} )
  • Compare and Contrast (CC): Know similarities and differences between categories or components of a mechanism (table).
    • Chunking allows you to encode information into meaningful groups.
  • Describe (Desc): Describe connections/how things work:
    • Structures (e.g., neurons)
    • Mechanisms (e.g., depolarize)
    • Functions (e.g., to support cell-cell communication)
  • Diagram (DIAG): Draw, label, and identify components of a graph, diagram, or physiological reading (diagram/graph).
  • Sequence (seq): List a series of events that make up a mechanism (flowchart). Understand how each step triggers the next.

Syllabus Evaluation Highlights

  • Learning will be assessed via three types of assignments: problem sets, quizzes, and exams.
  • Grading Breakdown:
    • Lecture Attendance: 27 (7 Dropped), Mon/Wed/Fri, 0.05% per assignment, 1% Total
    • Pre-Lecture Quizzes: 26 (6 Dropped), Due before lecture, 0.05% per assignment, 1% Total
    • Discussion Attendance: 10 (2 dropped), Monday or Tuesday, 0.125% per assignment, 1% Total
    • Problem Sets: 9 (1 dropped), Wednesdays at 11:59 PM, 0.25% per assignment, 2% Total
    • Quizzes: 6 (lowest grade dropped), Fridays at 11:59 PM, 2% per assignment, 10% Total
    • Midterm Exams: 2 midterms, E1: April 25th, E2: May 16th, 25% per midterm, 50% Total
    • Final Exam: 1 final, June 11th, 35%, 35% Total

Lecture Policies

  • Lecture is MWF and is 50 minutes long.
  • Typically ~30 min of straight lecture and 20 min of Q&A + Problem Solving.
  • Attendance will be taken with a time-locked/geolocked canvas quiz.
  • The quiz will be graded for completion and will usually only be one question.
  • Access & Submission: Released minimum 24 hours before lecture in the “Assignments” and "Quizzes” tabs on Canvas.
  • Pre Lecture Video: Each lecture will have ~20 min of pre-lecture recording and an adjoining pre-lecture quiz.
  • The quiz will be graded for accuracy: 1-3 questions to ensure you watched the recording.
  • Access & Submission: Released minimum 24 hours before lecture in the “Assignments” and "Quizzes” tabs on Canvas.
  • Lecture attendance and pre-lecture quizzes are only 1+1= 2% of your grade, but they are highly recommended and designed to improve your learning.

Discussion Section Policies

  • Discussion sections will start week 1. You may attend any of the 3 discussion sections given space constraints.
  • They will meet in-person.
  • Discussion section attendance is only 1% of your grade, but they are highly recommended and designed to improve your learning of lecture content.
  • D01: M 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM York 4080A
  • D02: M 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM York 4080A
  • D01+D02: M 3:30 PM - 4:50 PM York 4080A
  • D03: W 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM Pepper Canyon Hall 120
  • D04: W 5:00 PM - 5:50 PM Pepper Canyon Hall 120

Discussion Problem Sets

  • Access & Submission: Released on Monday mornings at 12 AM under the “Assignments” tab on Canvas.
  • Grading: Graded for completion, not accuracy. As long as a good faith effort has been made then points will be given.
  • Due the following week Wed 11:59 PM (e.g., ~9 days to work on them).

Quizzes

  • Access & Submission: Released on Wednesday mornings at 11 AM under the “Assignments” and "Quizzes” tabs on Canvas.
  • Grading: Graded for accuracy. The purpose of the quizzes is to give you examples for T/F and Multiple choice questions found on the exam. It is also to tell you how well you are doing studying/memorizing/synthesizing the course content.
  • Due Fridays 11:59 PM (e.g., ~1.5 days to work on them).

Exam Dates

  • Exam 1: 4/25/2025 Friday 7:00p-8:50p MOS 0114
  • Exam 2: 5/16/2025 Friday 7:00p-8:50p MOS 0114
  • Final Exam: 06/11/2025 Monday 3:00p-5:59p FAH 1301

Themes in Physiology - Introduction to Neurons

  • BIPN 100 - Lecture 1
  • Learning Outcomes:
    • Compare & contrast, apply structure-function-mechanism relationships
    • Compare & contrast, apply types of homeostatic feedback
    • Compare & contrast, diagram neuron structures and functions
    • Compare & contrast 3 types of neurons
    • Apply material from introductory biology courses: diffusion, membrane transport, cell structure

Lecture Outline

  • I. Themes in Physiology
  • II. Neuron Structure and Function

I. 5 Themes in Physiology

  1. Energy
  2. Information flow
  3. Evolution
  4. Structure, function, & mechanism
  5. Homeostasis

Structure-Function-Mechanism

  • Emergent Properties: whole > sum of parts
  • Structure-Function-Mechanism - What? Why? How?
    • Anatomy: the study of body structures and their physical relationships among body parts
    • Physiology: the study of how living organisms perform their vital functions
    • Pathophysiology: study of body functions in a disease state
    • Doctors link homeostatic dysregulation to disease states. In BIPN 100, we will hypothesize diagnoses when physiological mechanisms fail.
  • Structure-Function relationships exist across levels of biological organization
    • PHYSIOLOGY
    • ECOLOGY
    • CELL
    • MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
    • BIOLOGY
    • CHEMISTRY
    • Atoms → Molecules → Cells → Tissues → Organs → Organ systems → Organisms → Populations of one species → Ecosystem of different species → Biosphere
  • Biological systems utilize compartmentalization: cells, tissues & organs can specialize & isolate functions
  • This course covers 5 physiological organ systems

Homeostasis

  • Homeostasis: “similar condition” aka homeodynamics
    • Maintenance of stable internal environment
    • Dynamic steady state
    • Regulated variables: factors kept within an acceptable, normal range
      • Set point: optimum value/level of regulated variable
      • Normal range
  • Internal and external environments
    1. ICF: intracellular fluid
    2. ECF: extracellular fluid
      • Includes ISF: interstitial fluid between cells
    3. External environment

Homeostasis: Feedback Control

  • I). Control Theory (feedback control - system output controls the system)
    • A). Controlled Variable (CV) – what is controlled
    • B). Setpoint – value that CV should be at
    • C). Controller – affects CV (makes it go up or down)
    • D). Sensor – measures CV
    • E). Integrator – compares CV with the setpoint and controls the controller (to bring the CV towards the setpoint)
  • II). Negative feedback example – air conditioner
    • Air Conditioner (controller)
    • Temperature (CV)
    • Thermometer (sensor)
    • Thermostat temp - setpoint (integrator)
  • Control Signs
    • (+) = input causes output
    • (-) = input causes output (“inversion”)
    1. Holds system at the setpoint (maintains homeostasis)
    2. Has an odd number of inversions
  • III). Positive feedback
    1. Disrupts homeostasis
    2. Has zero or an even number of inversions
    3. Usually terminated by an endpoint

Types of Feedback

  1. Negative feedback control: homeostatic, keeps system at/near setpoint by opposing or removing signal (ex: blood pressure)
  2. Positive feedback control: response reinforces stimulus, further moving stimulus away from normal value until event (ex: uterine contractions)

Homeostasis - Law of Mass Balance

  • Law of Mass Balance: amount of a substance in the body remains constant
    • Any gain must be offset by an equal loss
    • Load: Amount of substance in the body (ex: oxygen/CO2 load)
      • Input via intake from environment (O2) or internal metabolic processes (CO2)
      • Output via excretion (elimination via lungs, feces, urine) or via metabolism, creating new load

Nervous System

  • Major Organs
    • Brain
    • Spinal cord
    • Peripheral nerves
    • Sense organs
  • Functions
    • Directs immediate responses to stimuli
    • Coordinates or moderates activities of other organ systems
    • Provides and interprets sensory information about external conditions

Neuron Structure and Function

  • Neurons are eukaryotic cells
    1. Membrane-bound organelles
    2. Endomembrane system
      • ER and Golgi modify proteins
      • Cytoplasmic vesicles: transport important molecules
      • Plasma membrane: receptors, channels
        • Separation of electrical charge
        • Electrochemical gradient: electrical and chemical gradients → potential energy
    • Neurons are excitable cells
      1. Dendrites: thin, branched processes
        • Function: receive incoming information
        • Dendritic spines: Thin spikes or mushroom-shaped knobs, increase surface area
      2. Soma/Cell body: contains organelles necessary for cell function
        • Axon Hillock: specialized region where action potentials are initiated
      3. Axon: long extension from the soma
        • Function: transmit outgoing electrical signals
        • Axonal transport moves vesicles down/up axon
        • Action potentials conduct down axon
      4. Axon Terminal: enlarged button-shaped end of axon
        • Function: stores and secretes chemical messenger molecules in response to electrical signal
      5. Synapse: junction between axon terminal of presynaptic neuron and postsynaptic target cell
      6. Ion channels: membrane proteins with selective permeability for particular ions
        • Ions: molecules with a net electrical charge
        • Gated channels open and close in response to signals.
        • Open channels or pores are usually open.
      7. Sodium-Potassium Pump: Na+−K+−Na^+-K^+-ATPase, carrier membrane protein, maintains resting membrane potential

Neurons Communication

  • Neurons do cell-cell communication
    • Structure ⇋ Function
    • Cell-cell communication via electrochemical signaling
      1. Intracellular communication via electrical signal
      2. Intercellular communication via chemical and/or electrical signals
  • Neurons can be classified by their location and function in the nervous system
    • Central Nervous System (CNS): brain and spinal cord
    • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): nerves and ganglia
  • Neurons can be classified by their location and function in the nervous system
    1. Afferent neurons: PNS, send information toward CNS
    2. Interneurons: CNS, integrate inputs and communicate with other interneurons and efferent neurons
    3. Efferent neurons: carry info to effector organs (muscle, glands, etc), away from CNS

Neuron Types

Type of NeuronFunctionLocation of Cell Bodies?
AfferentReceive sensory info
InterneuronIntegrate sensory info to produce response
EfferentSend motor/autonomic messages