Units: SS Science

SS110 Animal Diversity
Morphology, behaviour and ecology of the major Australian invertebrate and vertebrate groups. Special attention will be paid to the geographical distribution, evolution, environmental adaptations and economic importance of selected groups.

SS115/515 Introduction to Biological Sciences
Cell structure and function, biological molecules and intra-cellular processes associated with photosynthesis and metabolism. Cell division, patterns of inheritance and gene regulation. Animal respiration, nutrition, excretion and water balance, nervous and endocrine control, reproduction and locomotion. Water and mineral uptake by flowering plants, translocation, hormonal control of growth and other processes. Interactions within ecosystems, factors affecting community structure.

SS120/520 Introduction to Physical Sciences
This unit adopts an interdisciplinary approach integrating physics and chemistry to enable students to place important public and environmental issues in a scientific context. It is an introductory unit in science which demonstrates that there are universal laws that describe the behaviour of our physical surroundings. It emphasises general principles and their application to real-world problems associated with selected mining and process industries in Western Australia. The scientific basis of the energy industry including the refining and use of fossil fuels, uranium and the alternatives, such as solar and wind energy and their environmental benefits and drawbacks are discussed. The chemistry of atmospheric and water pollution and its technological origins are studied, along with the scientific basis for remediation.

SS125 Molecular and Cell Biology
Similarities and differences between eukaryotic cells, prokaryotic cells and viruses. Structure and functions of biological molecules. Nutrition, metabolic processes and energy transformations. Principles of molecular genetics. Infection control and the immune system.

SS126 Plant Diversity
Taxonomy, morphology and adaptations to fire, and nutrient and water stress of Australian flowering plants. Principles of plant reproduction, including pollination, fertilisation, and seed set and dispersal. Introduction to gymnosperms, ferns, mosses, liverworts, fungi and algae, with particular emphasis on their morphology and reproduction.

SS127 Science and Technology for Teachers
This unit prepares graduates in education, particularly at the primary and middle schooling levels, to teach with confidence in the Learning Areas of Science and Technology. These are Learning Areas of the Curriculum in which greater knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence is critical. It is the first of a series of four units that lead to a specialisation in Science. The practical experiences not only ask scientific questions but lead to the proposal of answers and to contact with the work of great scientists. The students learn about the processes of science, the temporary nature of theories and their usefulness in creating order out of a flood of knowledge.

SS225/325 Aquatic Science
Prerequisite: SS115

This unit studies the physical and physiological drivers that define aquatic ecosystems. It examines the opportunities and constraints that the physical habitat provides to prospective occupying species. The graduation of aquatic habitats that occurs across the Swan coastal Plain from Guildford to Rottnest is used to example the key physical parameters that define habitat. The course outlines, measuring, monitoring and investigative techniques in aquatic science. It utilizes the life history of a selected range of endemic species to illustrate the key ecological principles.

SS227 Data Analysis and Experimental Design
Basic principles of experimental design. Hypothesis development. Data analysis: central tendancy, dispersion and variability, single and multi factor designs, replication. Analysis of variance and multiple comparisons. Correlation, regression and significance testing. Non-parametric statistics.

SS228 Ecophysiology
General principles of nutrition, respiratory gas exchange and transport, temperature regulation, body fluid control and locomotion of vertebrate animals. Responses to heat and water stress, oxygen shortage at high altitudes or under water, and variations in the type and location of food sources.

SS229/329 Geographic Information Systems
Structure, function and use of geographic information systems. Input, management, analysis and presentation of geographic data. Storage and manipulation of vector and raster data, digital terrain modelling. Integration and management of spatial and attribute data.

SS335 Directed Science Research
This subject enables students to select and analyse an approved biological problem or issue. To fulfil the requirements of the unit, students must select and refine an area of research interest, negotiate with the supervisor an agreed research topic, present a research proposal for approval, conduct the research then write and submit a research report.

SS350 Pollution and Ecotoxicology
This unit provides a broad understanding of the physical, biological and chemical processes involved in pollution of the atmosphere, land and waters. Causes of pollution and effect of pollutants on human health, marine and terrestrial environments will be explained. The latest approaches to waste management will also be outlined. Field inspections of areas affected by pollution and processing facilities designed to minimise the impact of waste complement the theoretical component of the course.

NH 100 An Introduction to the Human Body 1
This unit introduces to students the fundamental anatomy and physiology of the human body essential to the application of nursing practice. The systems covered in this unit include: the muscular and nervous systems, the skin and body membranes, the endocrine and reproductive systems and human growth & development.