ZOOLOGY 3

Department of Mathematics, Sciences and Technology

Education
FACULTY OF EDUCATION

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
 Module Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an understanding of how the animal body works.

• Human digestive system, human excretion, respiration and sense

organs.
• Genetics application
 Animal physiology
• Animal physiology focuses on the function of tissues, organs and
organ system of multicellular animals

• The animal physiologist tends to focus on Physical and Chemical

(mechanisms that operates in living organisms at all levels ranging
from subcellular to the integrated organism
 Main focus in animal physiology
Demonstration of understanding of how animal bodies work (animal
physiology) and genetics application.
• Be able to show how they have been shaped by selective forces during
evolution
• Homeostasis -a self-regulating process by which a living organism can
maintain internal stability while adjusting to changing external conditions
• This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes
many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept
within certain pre-set limits

✓Example: If the internal body temperature climbs too high, the body will
respond by sweating to cool it off.
Conformity and regulation
• Conformers- The body of the organism depends upon the changes in
its external environment
✓E.g body temperature
• Regulators- The organisms are capable of controlling their internal
environment irrespective of their external surroundings to an extent.
✓E.g When the external environment is hot, the body sweats to cool
itself down and maintain a steady internal temperature. When it's
cold outside, the body shivers to stay warm.
 Lecture 2
Animal physiology (Structure function)
Structure- Functional relationship
Physiology: organs and organ system in living organisms
✓Similar selective pressure results in similar features due to adaptation
Level of body complexity:
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organisms
Cells

• Smallest unit of life

• Smallest unit of organisation
✓Examples: gametes, neurons, RBC ( red blood cells)
Lecture 3
17 May 2024
Topic: Body Tissues
Tissues
• Tissues- cells with similar structure and functions
4 types of tissues
1. Epithelial tissues
• Epithelial tissues are formed by cells that cover surfaces (e.g. skin)
and line tubes and cavities (e.g. digestive organs, blood vessels,
kidney tubules and airways).
• Epithelial tissue layer are attached by basement membrane.
There are different types of epithelial tissues;
• Number of layers they form and the shape of the individual cells that
make up those layers.
• Simple epithelium refers to a single layer of cells
• Stratified epithelium refers to two or more layers of cells.
General functions

• Provides a barrier between the external environment and the organ it

covers.
• Specialised to function in secretion and absorption.
• Protects organisms from microorganisms, injury, and fluid loss.
• Excretes waste products such as sweat from the skin.
• The different types of epithelial tissue are classified according to their
shape. The major

• Categories we are going to examine are squamous, cuboidal

epithelium and columnar