University Conjoint 440

Biological Aspects of Aging

Course Introduction

Overview

This introductory interdisciplinary course focuses on selected aspects of the biology of human aging and the functional changes associated with both normal aging and pathological problems often present in the elderly. The course aims to introduce you to broad aspects of physical aging, a complex phenomenon influenced by genetic makeup and environment. The content includes theories of aging, current information about the biology of human aging, and the aging processes in specific physiological systems.

Prerequisites

The course is designed for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students with an interest in aging. The course presumes that you have had a course in basic physiology. Students who have not had physiology recently might want to locate a basic physiology text, published within the last five years. An introductory course in biology or human physiology is strongly recommended.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to

• describe the major biological theories of aging and the processes of human aging;
• identify which functional changes in the elderly are due to normal processes of aging and which are related to pathology;
• describe the effect that environment, heredity, sex, and health practices have on the aging process; and
• analyze the interrelationship between functional aging changes and patterns of daily living.

About the Online Environment

Your online course offers several advantages to the traditional classroom, including the comprehensive Online Student Handbook, the ability to communicate electronically with students and with your instructor, and links to a rich array of online resources.

Online Student Handbook

This handbook answers questions about your online learning course, such as how to purchase your text, schedule an exam, obtain a transcript, and get technical help if you need it. The handbook also provides additional resources, such as how to order books or journals from the library and how to study for an online course.

Communication with Your Instructor and Student Peers

• Online Discussion Forums, designed by the University of Washington award winning Catalyst team, allow you to communicate with other currently enrolled students and with your instructor. We encourage you to use the forum to exchange ideas, resources, and comments about your course work with other students in this course. This unstructured forum is monitored by your instructor.
• You can use e-mail to ask me a question or preferably post your question on the forum. I will reply on the same forum.

Online Resources

As an online student, you have access to a wealth of Web resources compiled to provide fast, easy access to information that supports your online learning experience. Organized by subjects, Online Resources link you to sites with help for writing and research, study skills, language learning, and library reference materials. All links have been assessed for credibility and reliability, and they are regularly monitored to ensure their usability.

About the Videos

From the series of hour-long videotapes from the Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcasting series, you will view a one-hour video Growing Old in a New Age: "How the Body Ages." The video questions in the online course materials will help you watch for and focus on major points of the video. The video can be viewed online at the Annenberg/CPB Web site. You will be required to register at the site, but registration is free. For more information on viewing the videos on the Annenberg/CPB Web site, including technical requirements, go to http://learner.org/view_programs/view.programs.html. You can also rent the video from UWEO, or view it in Odegaard Undergraduate Library on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

Course Design

This course has been designed to give you contact with your instructor in two ways. The first is indirect. The online course materials have been written by a course developer to help clarify your reading from the textbook; thus, you will read the assigned chapter from the textbook, and then the commentary in the online lesson. With the study questions included in each lesson, your course developer highlights important concepts and calls upon you to respond to them in much the same way that you might in classroom discussion.

The second is direct. I urge you to contact your instructor by telephone or e-mail for individual assistance whenever that would help you. For example, if you have difficulty answering any of the study questions, if you want feedback about the acceptability of your responses, if you need guidance in locating additional resources or sources of information, if you have questions that arise out of your own professional involvement with the aging, or if you need clarification on any aspect of the course, please contact your instructor.

About the Lessons

The course outline below will help you to organize your time. Read the lesson through first, then the textbook chapter assigned. If you can answer the study questions (see below) and correctly use the key terms presented in the lesson, you have understood the main points of that lesson. The video assignment that forms part of Lesson One should be viewed after you have familiarized yourself with the lesson materials and the assigned reading.

Please review the two written assignments that follow Lessons Two and Twelve now, and contact your instructor if you have any questions.

Lesson One: Aging and Longevity

The biological aspects of aging; the approaches used in studying human aging; and the physiological and psychological manifestations associated with growing older.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 1, pp. 1-21; chapter 16, pp. 327-29
• Viewing Assignment: Growing Old in a New Age, video #2: "How the Body Ages." Answer the Viewing Guide questions for this lesson as you watch the video.
• Self Study Questions: Prepare your answers in a notebook. If you can respond clearly and knowledgeably to these questions, you can be reasonably sure that you are mastering the major concepts of the lesson. If you have difficulty, reread the material and consult the instructor with your questions.

Lesson Two: Cellular Aspects of Aging

The phases of the cell cycle and cell division; the methods used in observing cell activity; characteristics seen in aging cells; and biological theories of aging.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 2, pp. 22-48.
• Self Study Questions
• First Written Assignment: Respond to questions based on your reading.

Lesson Three: The Nervous System and Special Senses

The organization of the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system; the characteristics of sensory receptors and how they function; and common nervous system changes that correlate with aging.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 6, pp. 115-47; chapter 7, pp. 148-72
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Four: The Endocrine System

The endocrine system; the basal metabolism rate, blood glucose, and the stress response; and the age-related changes in the endocrine system.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 14, pp. 291-311
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Five: The Alimentary System and Oral Structures

Common myths about oral changes of the aged; changes in the mouth related to aging; the organization and function of the alimentary system; and changes in the alimentary system related to aging.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 10, pp. 207-33
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Six: Nutrition and Metabolism

The nutritional requirements of older adults; the factors that affect the maintenance of proper nutrition; and the roles of several vitamins and trace elements in metabolism.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 11, pp. 234-52
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Seven: The Urinary System

The kidney's structures and functions; the anatomical and functional renal changes that accompany aging; and urinary bladder function and changes related to aging.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 12, pp. 253-64
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Eight: The Respiratory System

The lung and its workings; the functional anatomy of the respiratory system; the various hypoxic states, their underlying causes, and their role in aging and disease; and the effects of exercise and physical fitness on pulmonary health.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 5, pp. 93-114
• Self Study Questions: Answers are provided in the Appendix to the Lesson Eight questions.

When you have completed this lesson, you should follow the instructions in the Online Student Handbook on how to arrange your supervised Midterm Exam.

Lesson Nine: Preparing for the Midterm

You will review the material covered to date in preparation for the Midterm Exam.

• Self Study Questions: Answers to these sample exam questions are provided in the Appendix.

Lesson Ten: The Cardiovascular System

The components and organization of the cardiovascular system; the movement of blood through the heart and to the heart muscle, and explain how the heart functions as it ages; factors that affect cardiac output and changes that accompany aging; and the appropriateness of exercise for the elderly.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 4, pp. 68-92
• You may wish to review the short section on the heart and the arteries in the videotape "How the Body Ages." Fast-forward to the section called "Aging of Organ Systems."
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Eleven: The Immune System

The immune system and its three defenses; immune cell functions; the diseases associated with immune system malfunction; and the changes in the immune system related to aging.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 15, pp. 312-26
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Twelve: The Integumentary (Skin) System

Skin layers and their function; how sunlight affects the skin; the age-related growths of the skin; and common infectious and non-infectious skin disorders.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 3, pp. 49-67
• Self Study Questions
• Second Written Assignment: Respond to six questions based on your reading.

Lesson Thirteen: The Reproductive System and Human Sexuality

Myths about sexual activity in the aged; male and female reproductive systems and explain how they change with age; and male and female physiology of sexual response.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 13, pp. 265-90
• Self Study Questions

Lesson Fourteen: The Musculoskeletal System

Age-related changes in the muscle, and in bone; risk factors for and effects of osteoporosis; and how exercise relates to health of the aged.

• Reading Assignment: DiGiovanna, chapter 8, pp. 173-88; chapter 9
• Self Study Questions

When you have completed this lesson, you should follow the instructions in the Online Student Handbook on how to arrange your supervised Final Exam.

Lesson Fifteen: Preparing for the Final Examination

You will review the material covered since the Midterm Exam in preparation for the Final Exam.

• Self Study Questions: Answers to these sample exam questions are provided in the Appendix.

Study Questions

These questions, found with each lesson, are intended to focus your study and to allow you to verify your mastery of the material. Before you begin the assigned reading for each lesson, skim through these questions to get an overview of what you will be expected to learn in this lesson. After you have finished the assigned readings, write one or more substantial paragraphs responding to each question; keep them in a journal or notebook for further study. These written answers will become a valuable study resource as you prepare for the midterm and the final exams.

Grading and Exams

The grading will be based on two written assignments and two examinations. You should send in the first written assignment after you complete Lesson Two, and the second written assignment after Lesson Twelve.

Each examination consists of 50 questions, each worth one point. Your midterm will cover only the material presented in Lessons One through Eight. You should request the midterm examination after completing Lesson Eight. Lesson Nine prepares you for this exam. The final examination will cover only material presented in Lessons Ten through Fourteen. You should request your final examination after you complete Lesson Fourteen. Lesson Fifteen prepares you for this exam. Each examination will be supervised, and should be completed within one hour without the use of notes, texts, or other material.

Your grade for this course will be determined as follows:

First Written Assignment	15%
Second Written Assignment	15%
Midterm Examination	30%
Final Examination	40%

Assignment Submissions

Keep in mind the following standard practices for your assignment submissions:

• Identify the assignment number at the beginning of each submission. Be sure to number the pages, and put your name at the top of each page.
• Always keep a copy of all the work you have submitted so that you won't need to re-do it if it should get lost.
• Please submit the Student Information Survey (see course syllabus) before or along with your first assignment so that I can get a sense of who you are and what your expectations from the course are.

About the Course Developer, Ruth Craven

I am a professor in biobehavioral nursing and health systems at the University of Washington School of Nursing, where I've been on faculty for a number of years. I have a baccalaureate and master's degree in nursing and a doctorate in educational leadership with minors in gerontology and adult learning.

I have taught Biological Aspects of Aging as an upper-division course to multidisciplinary students on the UW campus, as an extension course to professionals in the community, and as a distance learning course. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate students in nursing, I've published texts in medical-surgical nursing and in fundamentals of nursing, as well as numerous journal articles related to nursing, gerontology, and prevention of falls in the elderly. I am a frequent speaker and consultant on gerontological nursing.

Your instructor would like to know more about you and what you hope to achieve by taking this course. Please complete the Student Information Survey on the syllabus and submit it before or along with your first assignment.

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