Duration
34h Th, 6h Pr, 10h Mon. WS
Number of credits
| Bachelor in veterinary medicine | 6 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The Domestic Animal Physiology III course covers the following topics:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive physiology (gametogenesis, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, gestation, parturition, female reproductive cycles, etc.)
- Lactation physiology
- Reproductive immunology
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The aim of this course unit is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of endocrine regulation and the physiological mechanisms governing reproductive function in domestic animals, with particular emphasis on hormonal communication and regulatory processes that coordinate the various organs and systems involved.
The first part of the course focuses on the general principles of endocrinology, including the mechanisms of hormone synthesis, secretion and action, major hormonal signaling cascades, and feedback regulation. It covers the main endocrine functions, particularly hypothalamic-pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and pancreatic hormones, as well as the hormonal mechanisms regulating calcium homeostasis.
The second part addresses the endocrine and cellular mechanisms regulating the main stages of reproduction, including gametogenesis, reproductive cyclicity, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, gestation and parturition. The course also covers the physiological mechanisms regulating lactation and the interactions between the reproductive and immune systems.
These mechanisms are examined in the context of the physiological characteristics of the major domestic animal species, allowing students to understand the adaptations and species-specific features of reproductive function.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The prerequisites and corequisites for this course unit are available in the "Course Programme" section of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine website.
More generally, physiology provides an essential foundation for numerous subjects within the veterinary medicine curriculum, particularly pathophysiology, immunology and clinical examination.
The component focusing on reproductive physiology provides the fundamental knowledge required for subsequent courses on reproduction in companion animals and equids, as well as theriogenology in production animals.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Practical classes and tutorials are organized as seminars, interactive sessions, practical exercises, demonstrations and functional investigations involving domestic animals. Whenever possible, these activities are scheduled after the corresponding theoretical lectures.
They require a sound understanding of the theoretical concepts and prior preparation using the resources available on eCampus (www.ecampus.uliege.be). Students' preparation may be assessed.
Attendance at practical classes (TP) and tutorials (TD) is mandatory. Students must bring a stethoscope, clean overalls (preferably) or a clean laboratory coat, and boots. Wearing a name badge is also mandatory to facilitate interactions with the teaching staff.
Biosafety and safety regulations, particularly those relating to animal handling, must be strictly observed. A document outlining attendance requirements and biosafety and safety regulations is available on eCampus in the VETE2105 course area (www.ecampus.uliege.be).
All students must read these regulations before attending their first practical session and sign a document acknowledging that they have read and understood them during that session.
Special Provisions for Students Repeating the Course Unit
Students repeating the course unit have three options:
1. Full exemption from practical classes and tutorials
Students who attended all practical activities associated with this course unit at ULiège during the previous academic year and fulfilled all required conditions may be exempted from practical classes and tutorials.
They automatically retain the grade obtained the previous year for the assessment of practical activities, which accounts for 10% of the final course unit grade (i.e., 2 points out of 20).
2. Exemption from practical classes with optional attendance at tutorials
Under the same conditions as those described in option 1, students may attend tutorials on a voluntary basis by registering via email at tp-physio@uliege.be, but may not attend practical classes.
They also retain the grade obtained the previous year for the assessment of practical activities (10% of the final grade, i.e., 2 points out of 20).
3.Voluntary participation in all practical classes and tutorials
Students may choose to attend all practical activities again, provided they submit a request by email to tp-physio@uliege.be at the beginning of the semester.
In this case, they commit to attending all activities and retaking the practical class and tutorial assessment. The new grade will account for 10% of the final course unit grade (i.e., 2 points out of 20).
Important: Students repeating this course unit for the second time or more are required to attend all practical activities again.
Regardless of their situation, students repeating the course unit, whether exempted from practical activities or not, may be assessed on material covered during practical classes and tutorials as part of the overall course unit examination.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Further information:
Combination of on-campus and online learning activities
The course combines on-campus and online learning activities.
Theoretical lectures are delivered in person in lecture halls.
Additional learning resources will be made available on eCampus, alongside the lecture slides, to help students understand and integrate the course material.
Further information will be provided on eCampus.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Course materials are available on eCampus in the form of annotated lecture slides.
The recommended reference textbook is Cunningham's Textbook of Veterinary Physiology, 5th edition (2013), edited by J. Cunningham and published by W.B. Saunders Company. This textbook is available at the student library.
For more specific information on reproductive physiology, Pathways to Pregnancy and Parturition, 3rd edition, by P.L. Senger (Current Conceptions), is recommended. This book is also available at the student library.
Other reference textbooks that may help students understand the physiology course include:
- Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology
- Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach, by Silverthorn
- Human Physiology, by Sherwood
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Further information:
An evaluation will be organized following the practical classes and tutorials. This will consist of a written examination evaluating students' knowledge and understanding of the material covered during these sessions.
The grade obtained will contribute to the final course unit grade.
As a reminder, detailed regulations concerning attendance, assessments, conduct, safety and biosafety during practical classes are available on eCampus.
Students who miss one or more practical classes and/or tutorials without valid justification and without attending a make-up session will not be permitted to sit the examination. They will be informed of their situation by email.
The overall assessment for Physiology III is based on a written examination consisting mainly of open-ended questions. It may also include short-answer questions and/or multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Questions may cover all topics addressed during theoretical lectures, practical classes and tutorials.
The main objective of the assessment is to evaluate students' knowledge and understanding of the course material. Answering the questions therefore requires critical thinking and the ability to integrate concepts from different parts of the course.
In particular, students are expected to develop an integrated understanding of the subjects taught in Physiology III (endocrinology, lactation and reproduction), given the close relationships between these topics.
The final grade is an overall grade determined collectively by the course unit coordinators following consultation. It is therefore not calculated as an average of separate component grades and is indivisible.
A final grade below 10/20 requires the student to retake the examination covering the entire course unit during the second examination session.
The assessment procedures for the second examination session are similar to those of the first session.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Prof. Bénédicte Machiels
E-mail : bmachiels@uliege.be
Prof. Thomas Marichal
E-mail : t.marichal@uliege.be
Tél. : 04/366.40.37 or 95.55
Assistant contact for TPs/TDs (schedule, absence, ...): Carine Gatez
E-mail: carine.gatez@uliege.be
Phone : 04/366.41.67
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