Below is the topic list of my comprehensive exam for my master in physiology... Test is this friday. Professors are asking 16 questions out of these topics, we only have to answer 8 and have 4 hours.
Just wanted to share. Also, if you decide to pursue a masters...don't go non-thesis, so much harder and the overall depth of knowledge you need to know is a lot more then the thesis route. This exam should have been multiple choice.
I. Cellular Biophysics, Cellular Neurobiology, and Electrophysiology
A. Membrane Physiology & Biophysics
? Describe the various mechanisms of trans-membrane transport.
? Explain the role of diffusion in cellular physiology and relate the influence of surface:volume ratio.
? Explain how membranes vary in permeability between cells and over time.
? Describe the physical-chemical basis for selective permeability.
? Explain how cells generate electrical potential.
B. Excitable Membranes
? Explain how membrane potential can vary over the short- (msec) and long-term.
? Explain the functions of chemically-gated and voltage-gated ion channels.
? Explain how action potentials are generated and how their generation rates are limited.
? Explain the role of electrical resistance and capacitance in variable membrane potentials.
C. Synaptic Function
? Compare and contrast ionotropic and metabotropic receptors and how they are used in synapses.
? Explain how classical and peptide neurotransmitters and created, released, and processed.
? Explain how synaptic transmission is initiated and terminated.
? Explain how multiple synaptic inputs are integrated by a postsynaptic neuron over time and across membrane space.
? Explain how the time and space/length constants vary with membrane properties and neurite diameter.
? Explain how synaptic strength can be varied by activity and how these changes could account for learning and memory.
II. Systems Neurobiology, Sensory Biology, and Behavioral Physiology
A. Sensory Function
? Explain how transduction works in general, specify the types of receptor proteins that can mediate transduction, and give examples from various sensory systems.
? How does the brain know/distinguish the location, modality, stimulus quality within modality, and intensity of sensory stimuli (sensory coding)?
? Explain how contrast is enhanced between stimuli that vary in quality or location.
? Explain how individuals and species can vary in their sensory abilities.
? Explain the biophysics of sensory systems and how they enable animals to localize the origins of sensory stimuli.
B. Neural Circuits & Behavior
? Show how reflex circuits work and give examples.
? Show how descending pathways and feed-forward circuits coordinate movement.
? Show how sensory feedback and ascending pathways coordinate movement.
? Describe how central pattern generators work.
? Explain how neural circuits change during development and learning.
? Compare and contrast autonomic and skeletal motor systems.
III. Muscle Physiology
? Describe the basis of contraction and regulation of skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle.
? Explain the neural basis of contraction in the different muscle types.
? Describe muscle metabolism and energetics with respect to fuel sources and speed of contraction in muscle.
? Describe how muscle fibers vary in their rates of contraction and force generation.
? Explain the structure-function basis of muscle contraction in different types of muscle.
o How is muscle force varied?
o How is force and length controlled by sensory feedback?
o How do muscles use leverage to amplify force and changes in the length/velocity of limbs?
o How do muscles contract and why does force and velocity vary with muscle length?
IV. Cardiovascular Physiology
? Describe the short-term and long-term regulation of blood pressure including receptors and feedback loops.
? Describe the neural, humoral, and mechanical control of heart rate, stroke volume, and peripheral resistance.
? Describe the key variables and regulation of plasma fluid movement between the vascular and interstitial spaces.
? Explain the relationships between blood flow, pressure, and resistance in the vascular system.
V. Respiratory Physiology
? Describe the role of ventilation in terms of acid-base balance and O2/CO2 homeostasis with respect to control mechanisms and respiratory disturbances.
? How do mechanical factors affect ventilation in normal and disease states?
? Describe the relationship between ventilation and oxygen/carbon dioxide transport.
? Describe the basis for respiratory rhythm generation and the key regulatory sites for control of breathing.
VI. Digestive Physiology
? Focusing on the vertebrate digestive system, describe the how and where carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are chemically digested.
? Describe how the various breakdown products of digestion are absorbed and their pathway of transport once leaving the small intestine.
? Describe the ways in which surface area of the small intestine is maximized for nutrient digestion and absorption.
? What are the functions of the large intestine?
? Describe how gastric secretion, motility, and emptying are regulated.
VII. Metabolism and Energetics
? How is metabolic rate defined, in what general ways is it measured in animals, and what are the distinctions between and usefulness of the various measures of metabolic rate, i.e., basal, standard, resting, field, sustained, and metabolic scope?
? What is allometry, and how and why does metabolic rate vary with body size in animals?
? Distinguish between the absorptive and post-absorptive metabolic states ? describe the homeostatic mechanisms in place for regulating blood glucose, amino acid, and fatty acid levels with particular emphasis on the hormonal regulation of these processes.
? Describe the factors involved in the regulation of energy balance and food intake.
? Distinguish between poikilothermic ectotherms and homeothermic endotherms. How do they differ in their relationships with/sensitivity to varying ambient temperature, and what are some of the energetic costs and benefits of these two thermal strategies?
? Describe the basis for limitations on thermal tolerances in animals, and describe mechanisms of thermal strategies for coping with the heat and the cold.
? Describe the function of homeoviscous adaptation and the cell membrane features associated with it.
VIII. Excretion and Fluid Balance
? Describe the structures and mechanisms involved in glomerular filtration. What is the driving force of glomerular filtration and what influences filtration rate?
? How are countercurrent mechanisms involved in the ability to produce a hyperosmotic urine in mammals?
? What are the various strategies animals use for eliminating nitrogenous wastes? What are the energetic costs and benefits associated with each of these strategies?
? Describe how fishes, reptiles, and birds osmoregulate in face of hyposmotic or hyperosmotic conditions.
? Describe how blood pressure, blood volume, and plasma osmolarity are integrated and regulated.
? Describe the strategies animals use to survive in extremely arid conditions.
? Distinguish between osmoconformers and osmoregulators, and describe the costs and benefits associated with both strategies.
Just wanted to share. Also, if you decide to pursue a masters...don't go non-thesis, so much harder and the overall depth of knowledge you need to know is a lot more then the thesis route. This exam should have been multiple choice.
I. Cellular Biophysics, Cellular Neurobiology, and Electrophysiology
A. Membrane Physiology & Biophysics
? Describe the various mechanisms of trans-membrane transport.
? Explain the role of diffusion in cellular physiology and relate the influence of surface:volume ratio.
? Explain how membranes vary in permeability between cells and over time.
? Describe the physical-chemical basis for selective permeability.
? Explain how cells generate electrical potential.
B. Excitable Membranes
? Explain how membrane potential can vary over the short- (msec) and long-term.
? Explain the functions of chemically-gated and voltage-gated ion channels.
? Explain how action potentials are generated and how their generation rates are limited.
? Explain the role of electrical resistance and capacitance in variable membrane potentials.
C. Synaptic Function
? Compare and contrast ionotropic and metabotropic receptors and how they are used in synapses.
? Explain how classical and peptide neurotransmitters and created, released, and processed.
? Explain how synaptic transmission is initiated and terminated.
? Explain how multiple synaptic inputs are integrated by a postsynaptic neuron over time and across membrane space.
? Explain how the time and space/length constants vary with membrane properties and neurite diameter.
? Explain how synaptic strength can be varied by activity and how these changes could account for learning and memory.
II. Systems Neurobiology, Sensory Biology, and Behavioral Physiology
A. Sensory Function
? Explain how transduction works in general, specify the types of receptor proteins that can mediate transduction, and give examples from various sensory systems.
? How does the brain know/distinguish the location, modality, stimulus quality within modality, and intensity of sensory stimuli (sensory coding)?
? Explain how contrast is enhanced between stimuli that vary in quality or location.
? Explain how individuals and species can vary in their sensory abilities.
? Explain the biophysics of sensory systems and how they enable animals to localize the origins of sensory stimuli.
B. Neural Circuits & Behavior
? Show how reflex circuits work and give examples.
? Show how descending pathways and feed-forward circuits coordinate movement.
? Show how sensory feedback and ascending pathways coordinate movement.
? Describe how central pattern generators work.
? Explain how neural circuits change during development and learning.
? Compare and contrast autonomic and skeletal motor systems.
III. Muscle Physiology
? Describe the basis of contraction and regulation of skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle.
? Explain the neural basis of contraction in the different muscle types.
? Describe muscle metabolism and energetics with respect to fuel sources and speed of contraction in muscle.
? Describe how muscle fibers vary in their rates of contraction and force generation.
? Explain the structure-function basis of muscle contraction in different types of muscle.
o How is muscle force varied?
o How is force and length controlled by sensory feedback?
o How do muscles use leverage to amplify force and changes in the length/velocity of limbs?
o How do muscles contract and why does force and velocity vary with muscle length?
IV. Cardiovascular Physiology
? Describe the short-term and long-term regulation of blood pressure including receptors and feedback loops.
? Describe the neural, humoral, and mechanical control of heart rate, stroke volume, and peripheral resistance.
? Describe the key variables and regulation of plasma fluid movement between the vascular and interstitial spaces.
? Explain the relationships between blood flow, pressure, and resistance in the vascular system.
V. Respiratory Physiology
? Describe the role of ventilation in terms of acid-base balance and O2/CO2 homeostasis with respect to control mechanisms and respiratory disturbances.
? How do mechanical factors affect ventilation in normal and disease states?
? Describe the relationship between ventilation and oxygen/carbon dioxide transport.
? Describe the basis for respiratory rhythm generation and the key regulatory sites for control of breathing.
VI. Digestive Physiology
? Focusing on the vertebrate digestive system, describe the how and where carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are chemically digested.
? Describe how the various breakdown products of digestion are absorbed and their pathway of transport once leaving the small intestine.
? Describe the ways in which surface area of the small intestine is maximized for nutrient digestion and absorption.
? What are the functions of the large intestine?
? Describe how gastric secretion, motility, and emptying are regulated.
VII. Metabolism and Energetics
? How is metabolic rate defined, in what general ways is it measured in animals, and what are the distinctions between and usefulness of the various measures of metabolic rate, i.e., basal, standard, resting, field, sustained, and metabolic scope?
? What is allometry, and how and why does metabolic rate vary with body size in animals?
? Distinguish between the absorptive and post-absorptive metabolic states ? describe the homeostatic mechanisms in place for regulating blood glucose, amino acid, and fatty acid levels with particular emphasis on the hormonal regulation of these processes.
? Describe the factors involved in the regulation of energy balance and food intake.
? Distinguish between poikilothermic ectotherms and homeothermic endotherms. How do they differ in their relationships with/sensitivity to varying ambient temperature, and what are some of the energetic costs and benefits of these two thermal strategies?
? Describe the basis for limitations on thermal tolerances in animals, and describe mechanisms of thermal strategies for coping with the heat and the cold.
? Describe the function of homeoviscous adaptation and the cell membrane features associated with it.
VIII. Excretion and Fluid Balance
? Describe the structures and mechanisms involved in glomerular filtration. What is the driving force of glomerular filtration and what influences filtration rate?
? How are countercurrent mechanisms involved in the ability to produce a hyperosmotic urine in mammals?
? What are the various strategies animals use for eliminating nitrogenous wastes? What are the energetic costs and benefits associated with each of these strategies?
? Describe how fishes, reptiles, and birds osmoregulate in face of hyposmotic or hyperosmotic conditions.
? Describe how blood pressure, blood volume, and plasma osmolarity are integrated and regulated.
? Describe the strategies animals use to survive in extremely arid conditions.
? Distinguish between osmoconformers and osmoregulators, and describe the costs and benefits associated with both strategies.