Academics Animal Physiology

Animal Physiology

Programs of Study

The Program of Study for animal physiology is designed to provide a solid foundation in basic physiological mechanisms in the first year of study, and to offer a wide selection of specialty interests in the second year of study. Two lecture courses, Cellular Physiology and Animal Physiology, form the foundation. Seven additional credit hours selected from a wide choice of physiology courses (of which 4 credit hours must be a laboratory) fulfill the requirements of the animal physiology Program of Study. Most of our graduates go on to medical or veterinary schools. Many decide to spend a life in research and go on to pursue PhD degrees.

Animal physiology is housed in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine for the obvious connections between physiology, anatomy, pathology, medicine, surgery and the creation of new knowledge through biomedical research.

Many opportunities exist for undergraduates to become active researchers through campus-wide programs, among them the Honors Program in Biology, the Hughes Scholars Program, and Independent Studies in Physiology. It is not uncommon for undergraduates to spend one summer or more in Ithaca participating in research full-time. And it is not unusual for undergraduate physiology students to present their research at scientific meetings and to share (or lead) authorship in the professional literature.

The research interests and activity of more than 30 members of the faculty can be broadly grouped into Anatomy, Behavioral Physiology, Cell and Molecular Physiology, Developmental Biology, Genomics, Organ and System Physiology, Pathology, and Zoology. Students have the opportunity to do research in virtually every field of biomedical investigation, from isolating and cloning new membrane transport proteins to searching for new hormones, to tracing the molecular cables of communication within and between cells, to investigating the mechanisms of irregular heart beats, to determining blood flow to specific tissues during situations of rest and exercise, to tracking the development of neural connections, to learning how fish see in water and in the dark, to discovering how the immune system recognizes foreign but not native proteins, and to unraveling the complexities of reproduction and the development of the fetus. Most research is done at cellular and subcellular levels.

Career opportunities for graduates of animal physiology are numerous. Most enter medical, veterinary, and other professional schools. Some continue their education in graduate schools in fields such as anatomy, animal science, biophysics, cell biology, neurobiology, physiology, pharmacology, and zoology. Other students have found employment in museums, pharmaceutical companies, public-relations firms, publishing houses, artificial insemination services, feed companies, and many different kinds of research laboratories in private, university, state, and federal institutions. The 21st century has been designated the Century of Biology in anticipation of heretofore unimaginable vistas promised by the merging of biology and technology.

Course Descriptions

Room and Time Rosters

Department Website

Required Classes for Program of Study in Animal Physiology plus a minimum of 7 credit hours selected from the following lecture and laboratory courses, of which at least 4 credits must be a laboratory course

Lecture Courses: Laboratory Courses:

The Program of Study in Animal Physiology emphasizes whole-animal, tissue, and cell physiology, and provides considerable opportunity for studies using live animals. It is intended especially for students contemplating careers in biomedical practice and research.