Overview
This unit expands on your existing knowledge on physiology to explore the physiological aspects of nutrition in human health. In this unit, you will develop further knowledge of the gastrointestinal system and its role in the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. You will learn about the physiological mechanisms that control appetite and thirst and related health issues. You will learn about the nutrient and energy requirements and evaluate related pathophysiological conditions in different population groups. You will apply your knowledge of nutritional physiology in a professional manner to discuss issues in nutrition and how they impact human health.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-Requisite: BMSC11001 Human Body Systems 1 or BMSC11007 Medical Anatomy and Physiology 1 or BMSC11010 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 AND BMSC11002 Human Body Systems 2 or BMSC11008 Medical Anatomy and Physiology 2 or BMSC11011 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE teacher evaluations and unit coordinator self evaluation
Content, activities and reading materials with real-world applications were appreciated.
Continue to provide content with real-world application through additional reading materials, case studies, short talks/guest lectures and engaging activities.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator self evaluation
Guest lectures from research, industry and different disciplines with real-world relevance can benefit learning.
Consider guest lecturers for future delivery.
- Analyse the role of the gastrointestinal system in digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients
- Analyse the physiological processes underpinning appetite and thirst in health
- Evaluate and relate nutritionally related pathophysiological conditions in population groups
- Demonstrate effective communication and cultural competency relevant to nutrition
- Critique contemporary issues in nutrition and impact on human physiology.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Group Work - 20% | |||||
| 3 - Online Test - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
UNDERSTANDING NUTRITION
Edition: Fifth (2023)
Authors: Eleanor Noss Whitney, Sharon Rady Rolfes, Tim Crowe and Adam Walsh
Cengage Learning Australia
Victoria , Australia
ISBN: 9780170424431
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.khalesi@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
An Overview of Nutrition Metabolism
Chapter
Chapter 1: pp 7-10, 17-21, 29-30
Chapter 7: pp 214-241
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 1 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
Regulation of Weight, Hunger & Thirst
Chapter
Chapter 8: pp 254-259, 274-275
Chapter 9: pp 291-293
Chapter 12: pp 410-412
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 2 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
Digestion, Absorption & Transport
Chapter
Chapter 3: pp 67-93
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 3 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
The Carbohydrates: Sugars, Starches & Dietary Fibre
Chapter
Chapter 4: pp 96-116, 120-123, 126-127
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 4 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
The Lipids: Trigylycerides, Phospholipids & Sterols
Chapter
Chapter 5: pp 135-159, 166-167
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 5 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
NO LECTURE THIS WEEK
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
NO ZOOM TUTORIAL THIS WEEK
Module/Topic
Protein: Amino Acids
Chapter
Chapter 6: pp 177-196, 198-200, 203-204
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 6 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Case Study Due: Week 6 Monday (17 Apr 2023) 12:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
The Water-Soluble Vitamins
Chapter
Chapter 10: pp 330-369
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 7 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
The Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Chapter
Chapter 11: pp 377-400
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 8 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
Water & Fluid Balance
Chapter
Chapter 12: pp 406-419, 442-443
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 9 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
The Major Minerals
Chapter
Chapter 12: pp 419-450
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 10 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
The Trace Minerals
Chapter
Chapter 13: pp 452-481
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: discussion of week 11 learning activities (online Zoom session, details will be provided on the unit Moodle page)
GROUP WORK Due: Week 11 Monday (22 May 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Review week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Your Unit Coordinator this term is Dr Saman Khalesi. Saman can be contacted via the Unit Moodle forum or via email (s.khalesi@cqu.edu.au).
The Unit and Learning Content:
The Learning Content has been divided into eleven (11) main topics on the anatomy and physiology of digestion, absorption, metabolism and transport of nutrients, the health effects of different nutrients, regulation of thirst and hunger, gut microbiome, and the pathophysiology of nutrition-related diseases. The learning materials for each week are located within the weekly tiles. The following information and links will be provided for each week:
- Weekly lecture/s and slide/s
- Weekly Learning Guide readings and activities
- Weekly Online tutorial(s)
- Additional weekly reading materials
Tutorial Sessions:
Throughout the term (weeks 1-11), Zoom tutorial sessions will be held online only. The day and time of these weekly tutorials will be advised on the unit Moodle site. Weekly tutorials will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions relevant to learning outcomes, assessment tasks or weekly learning content, and to revise weekly learning activities. All Zoom tutorial sessions will be recorded to enable all students to view the content if they are unable to attend the live tutorial. If you have never used Zoom before, please review the Zoom information provided in the Moodle Help for Students in the Support menu on Moodle.
Unit Assessment Guide & Learning Guide:
The Unit Assessment Guide has been developed to provide a comprehensive overview of the assessment tasks for the unit. This guide is available in the Assessment tile in the unit Moodle site. For each assessment task, a recorded guide and a dedicated Q&A forum are also available on the Moodle site to help with understanding assessment requirements and answering relevant questions. The unit Learning Guide summarises the weekly content and provides links to additional readings, questions and forum discussion topics designed to support your learning of the unit content. Each week, you should:
- Go through the weekly lecture/s and read through the specified sections of your textbook
- Read through any additional resources or journal articles provided in the weekly Learning Guide
- Complete all questions and activities as noted in the weekly Learning Guide
Student Communications:
- Discussion of nutrition topics is integral to understanding and communicating the depth and breadth of nutrition issues in different populations. Open discussion is important. However, it is expected that you will ALWAYS weigh up the evidence (from reputable sources only), and respect the right of every student to have an opinion, even if it differs from your own. Please respect your fellow peers and always maintain a polite, respectful dialogue, and communicate in a professional manner at all times.
- Throughout the term, all NON-PERSONAL communications between students and the Unit Coordinators (for example, questions relating to assessment tasks, due dates, learning activities etc.) must be conducted via the relevant forums in the unit Moodle site. Any PERSONAL communications (personal illness, life events) should be held with the Unit Coordinators via email or telephone. All emails must include your name, contact details, the unit code and a brief message that clearly outlines your question/communication.
- All requests for extensions on assessment task due dates must be made via the Assessment Extension Request (AER) system in Moodle.
1 Written Assessment
You are required to investigate and discuss a case study and submit a written assessment of 1500 words +/- 10%. To complete this task you will need to review the literature and critically evaluate the scientific evidence to validate your arguments.
Case study for this assessment:
John was in a motor vehicle accident in 2020 that resulted in an acquired brain injury where his hypothalamus was damaged. As a result of this injury, John’s hypothalamus is no longer able to synthesise Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH), and his hypothalamus has become resistant to the effects of the hormone leptin. You need to explain the normal physiology and regulation of thirst and hunger and how this would be altered due to John’s injury. You should critically evaluate the scientific literature to validate how these normal processes of thirst and hunger would be disrupted according to the injury outlined above, and how this would contribute to the poor health of this individual.
Your assessment should include:
- Introduction (background, definition and aim and direction of the case study)
- Explanation of the normal physiological role of Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) in the regulation of thirst
- Explanation of the normal physiological role of leptin in the regulation of hunger
- Critical evaluation of the scientific literature to discuss how John's injury impacts these two normal regulatory processes AND his overall health
- Critical evaluation of the scientific literature to discuss the dietary and lifestyle modification that John may benefit from relevant to his injury
- Conclusion summarising the key points of the discussion relevant to John's case and the aim of the case study.
- Reference list of resources you have used
Week 6 Monday (17 Apr 2023) 12:00 am AEST
Week 8 Monday (1 May 2023)
Marks for this assessment task will be awarded according to the marking criteria included in the unit Assessment Guide. Accordingly, your Written Assessment will be marked on:
- Introduction (background, definition and aim and direction of the case study), 10 marks
- Explanation of the normal physiological role of Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) in the regulation of thirst, 10 marks
- Explanation of the normal physiological role of leptin in the regulation of hunger, 10 marks
- Critical evaluation of the scientific literature to discuss how John's injury impacts these two normal regulatory processes AND his overall health, 10 marks
- Critical evaluation of the scientific literature to discuss the dietary and lifestyle modification that John may benefit from relevant to his injury, 10 marks
- Conclusion summarising the key points of the discussion relevant to John's case and the aim of the case study, 10 marks
- Quality, quantity and formatting of the resources, 10 marks
- Grammar, sentence construction and spelling, 10 marks
- Formatting requirements, 10 marks
Please refer to the Assessment Guide available on the unit Moodle page for further information on marking criteria.
- Analyse the physiological processes underpinning appetite and thirst in health
- Critique contemporary issues in nutrition and impact on human physiology.
2 Group Work
This assessment task includes 2 parts:
- Submission of an individual report based on your group discussion; should be submitted by Monday 22nd May (Week 11)
- Submission of an individual information booklet; should be submitted by Monday 22nd May (Week 11)
Individual Report based on group discussion (5% of the assessment task mark)
At the beginning of Week 4, you will be allocated into groups of 4-6 students. Each group will be required to discuss the following THREE (3) nutrition-related conditions/diseases:
- Hypertension,
- Cancer (any type), and
- Osteoporosis
It is expected that ALL THREE conditions/diseases are discussed by ALL members of each group.
You should research these conditions/diseases individually and refer to the latest literature to be able to discuss them with your group. Each student is expected to make a MINIMUM of three (3) contributions (one on each of the three topics) to the group discussion. Each contribution should be AT LEAST 150 words and consist of your own ideas rather than simply agreeing with statements other students have made. Each student is also expected to make a MINIMUM of One (1) follow-up contribution of AT LEAST 100 words responding to the comments and contributions of other group members. The follow-up contribution may be on any of the three topics. If statistics or similar are shared within the group discussions, your sources must be cited and shared with group members. Referenced sources are not included in the word counts for any of the contributions. All interactions with fellow group members must be courteous and professional.
PLEASE NOTE: The group discussion forum will close to new contributions on Monday 15th May (Week 10) at 5pm. You will NOT be allowed to contribute any new discussions to the forum after this due date.
Following group discussions, you must submit an INDIVIDUAL 1-2 page report on the group discussion that includes:
- The names of all students in the group (including the names of any students who did not contribute to group discussions) AND Group Name/Number
- Excerpts of three (3) of your own contributions to the group discussion (one for each of the topics listed above) that are at least 150 words each. Include quotation marks around your excerpts. If your contributions exceed 200 words, include the first 200 words only and indicate that your contribution continues.
- Excerpt of one (1) of your contributions to the group discussion of at least 100 words responding to the contribution of other students. If your contribution exceeds 150 words, include the first 150 words and then … to indicate that your contribution continues.
- A 300-400 word summary of all topics discussed by your group.
Individual Information Booklet (15% of the assessment task mark):
You must submit an INDIVIDUAL 2-3 page Information Booklet that discusses ONE (1) of the three nutrition-related conditions/diseases discussed in the Group Discussion (from the given list). You should review the literature and explain what this disease/condition is, the pathophysiology of how it develops, current and relevant statistics on the condition, risk factors and population groups at-risk of developing the condition/disease. The information booklet should be informative and aimed at educating lay persons/members of the public on the condition/disease (similar to the booklets available in outpatient clinics/hospitals).
It should include:
- Current Australian statistics on the nutrition-related condition/disease
- The pathophysiology of the condition/disease (i.e. the process of how the disease/condition develops)
- Nutrition, lifestyle and demographic risk factors of developing the nutrition-related condition/disease
The Information Booklet may include simple graphics such as icons, flow charts or tables, but the focus of the Information Booklet should be on your discussion of the key points outlined above. Any diagrams must be legible, relevant to your discussion and the source must be cited. All graphics included must not take up any more than one (1) page.
Please note: You must submit Report and Booklet separately through the links provided on the Unit’s Moodle page.
Week 11 Monday (22 May 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (5 June 2023)
Marks for this assessment task will be awarded according to the marking criteria included in the unit Assessment Guide.
Part A: Individual Report (5% of the task mark):
Your assessment will be assigned a mark for each of the following criteria. This mark will then be converted to a percentage to reflect the weighting of the assessment item.
- Excerpts of three (3) of the students' own contributions to the discussion of at least 150 words each, 15 marks (5 marks each)
- Excerpt of one (1) of the students' responses to other students' posts of at least 150 words, 5 marks
- 300-400 word summary of topics discussed in group discussions, 5 marks
- Grammar, sentence construction, spelling & formatting, 5 marks
Part B: Individual Information Booklet (15% of the task mark)
Your assessment will be assigned a mark for each of the following criteria. This mark will then be converted to a percentage to reflect the weighting of the assessment item.
- Current Australian statistics on the nutrition-related disease (prevalence, health-care cost), 5 marks
- The pathophysiology of the condition/disease (i.e. the process of how the disease/condition develops), 5 marks
- Nutrition, lifestyle and demographic risk factors of developing the nutrition-related condition/disease, 5 marks
- Quality, quantity and formatting of resources and level of evidence, 5 marks
- Grammar, sentence/paragraph construction, spelling and formatting requirements, 5 marks
Please refer to the Assessment Guide available on the unit Moodle page for further information on marking criteria.
- Evaluate and relate nutritionally related pathophysiological conditions in population groups
- Demonstrate effective communication and cultural competency relevant to nutrition
- Critique contemporary issues in nutrition and impact on human physiology.
3 Online Test
The end of term Online Test will cover unit content from all weeks (weeks 1 to 11) and will consist of two parts:
- Part A will include questions on weekly content.
- Part B will include several case studies and you will be required to answer questions relevant to those case studies.
Your test is to be presented in your own words and not a result of collaboration with other students. Any identified cases of potential collusion will result in a breach of academic integrity case being raised.
Week 12 Friday (2 June 2023) 5:00 pm AEST
The End of Term Online Test opens Thursday 1 June at 5:00pm AEST and closes Friday 2 June at 5:00pm. Please refer to your unit Moodle page for further information.
Exam Week Friday (16 June 2023)
- You will have one (1) attempt at this assessment. You will be allowed 210 minutes (3.5 hours) to complete the assessment.
- The End of Term Online Test consists of two parts – A and B.
- Part A is worth forty (40) marks and consists of TWENTY (20) questions.
- Part B is worth sixty (60) marks and consists of questions related to four (4) case studies.
- There are four (4) case studies, each of which is worth a total of fifteen (15) marks. Each case study will have four (4) questions associated with it which must be answered within the context of the specific case study.
- All case studies and relevant questions must be completed.
- Analyse the role of the gastrointestinal system in digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients
- Analyse the physiological processes underpinning appetite and thirst in health
- Evaluate and relate nutritionally related pathophysiological conditions in population groups
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
