HOM (Physiology)
Homeostasis
In physiology, you will learn about how the major systems in the body operate: the nervous system, the muscular system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the renal system, the digestive system, and the endocrine system. You will learn how they work so that you can better understand what happens when they go wrong and how this can be exploited in pharmacology.
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There is also a practical element to HOM, which involves a near-weekly 2-hour practical in the Physiology Classroom. Some of this involves testing the systems you have learnt about, such as giving yourself an electric shock to learn about nervous responses. There are also sessions in the Histology Classroom which involve looking at specimens under a microscope (eg muscle, lung tissue).
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You will also have a weekly supervision for HOM to strengthen your knowledge.
What resources should I use?
The lecture handouts and slides are perhaps the most useful resources for HOM and are very detailed. These can be found on the Moodle page.
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In addition, there are various textbooks which you may find helpful (all can be found in the College Library), such as 'Berne and Levy: Physiology' by Koeppen and Stanton and 'Medical Physiology' by Boron & Boulpaep.
How is it examined?
YOU WILL SIT FOUR EXAMS AT THE END OF YEAR 1:
Paper I: Core Physiology Theory (60 mins)
Paper II: Experimental Written Practical (60 mins)
Paper II/P: Histology (60 mins)
Paper III: Essays (120 mins)
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PAPER I:
This is a 60-minute online paper consisting of 60 multiple-choice questions.
It contributes 60% of total marks to HOM 2nd MB, and 30% to HOM Tripos Part IA.
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PAPER II:
This is a 60-minute online paper consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions.
It contributes 20% of total marks to HOM 2nd MB, and 10% to HOM Tripos Part IA.
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PAPER II/P:
This is a 60-minute online paper consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions.
It contributes 20% of total marks to HOM 2nd MB, and 10% to HOM Tripos Part IA.
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PAPER III:
This is a 120-minute online paper consisting of 2 essays.
It contributes NO MARKS to HOM 2nd MB, but 50% to HOM Tripos Part IA.
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** PLEASE NOTE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT AS OF JUNE 2023 BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
** SEE THE HOM MOODLE PAGE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION **