Unit rationale, description and aim

Having acquired sound understanding of the structure and function of the healthy human body, students are now ready to critically analyse changes that underlie, accompany, and result from various disease processes. This unit begins by introducing the molecular, cellular, and histological changes underlying the human body’s responses to pathologic stimuli, including inflammation, healing, haemodynamic and immunological derangements, and neoplasia. Students will then focus on understanding how specific organ systems respond to disease processes, with emphasis on National Health Priority areas such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, osteoporosis, and dementia. Relevant screening techniques and diagnostic protocols important for the prevention and diagnosis of these conditions will also be discussed. Successful completion of this unit permits students to progress to the later units that address pharmacological management of disease and equips them with the ability to find, critically analyse, and appraise current research aimed at finding novel ways to prevent, treat, or manage the discussed pathologies. The aim of this unit is to introduce biomedical scientists, nutrition scientists, and health care professionals to the most prevalent diseases affecting Australians.

2026 10

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Prerequisites

BIOL126 Human Biology 2 OR BIOL204 Human Body in Health and Disease 2

Incompatible

BIOL122 Human Biological Science 2

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain how cells and tissues respond to pathologi...

Learning Outcome 01

Explain how cells and tissues respond to pathologic stimuli at molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC11

Discuss the aetiology, pathogenesis, pathology, an...

Learning Outcome 02

Discuss the aetiology, pathogenesis, pathology, and pathophysiology of diseases identified by the National Health Priority Areas and describe ways to prevent, treat, or manage them
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC11

Analyse and interpret diagnostic data of selected ...

Learning Outcome 03

Analyse and interpret diagnostic data of selected diseases
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC7, GC8, GC11

Apply fundamental pathophysiological concepts to d...

Learning Outcome 04

Apply fundamental pathophysiological concepts to diverse and challenging scenarios mimicking real-life situations, and effectively communicate their observations and conclusions
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC11

Content

Topics will include:

Principles of pathology and pathophysiology

  • Cell adaptation, injury, and death
  • Inflammation and healing
  • Haemodynamic derangements
  • Immunological derangements


Musculoskeletal conditions

  • Osteoporosis, rheumatoid- and osteoarthritis


Respiratory conditions

  • Asthma, COPD


Cardiovascular conditions

  • Atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and stroke and their consequences
  • Cardiac failure


Endocrine disorders

  • Diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome


Renal disorders

  • Glomerulonephritis


Principles of carcinogenesis; selected benign, pseudomalignant, and malignant tumours


Nervous system conditions

  •  Dementia and spinal injury


GI tract disorders

  •  Gastric and duodenal ulcers and cirrhosis of the liver


Reproductive conditions

  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis

Immune and haemopoietic disorders


Selected autoimmune diseases and anaemias

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to encourage students to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. There are ongoing formative assessments to provide feedback about students’ progress and learning, and three summative assessments described below. To pass the unit, students must demonstrate that they have achieved each learning outcome and obtained a total mark of 50% in the unit as the minimum standard.

Assignment 1 are tests (part A and part B). Part A is an online quiz and Part B will be an in-class test. These tests assess students’ understanding of the learning material.

Assignment 2 is an oral presentation. This assessment task requires students to reflect on the learning material, utilize their critical thinking skills, and showcase their presentation skills as well as their ability to search, access, and critically evaluate scientific information.

Assignment 3 is an interactive oral assessment based on a series of case studies. This assessment is designed to promote deeper learning by requiring students to articulate and apply pathophysiological concepts in real time. This format encourages critical thinking, reasoning, professional awareness, and scientific communication.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Tests (Parts A and B) These a...

Assessment Task 1:

Tests (Parts A and B)

These assessments test students’ understanding of the learning material.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC11

Assessment Task 2: Oral Presentation The oral pr...

Assessment Task 2:

Oral Presentation

The oral presentation requires students to reflect on the learning material, utilize their advanced critical thinking skills, and showcase their oral communication skills as well as their ability to search, access, and critically evaluate scientific information.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC11

Assessment Task 3: Interactive oral assessment  ...

Assessment Task 3:

Interactive oral assessment 

This task is a real time oral assessment using case studies to deepen understanding of pathophysiology through critical thinking and scientific communication. 

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit uses active learning to encourage students to understand the cause, progress, and consequences of the most important pathologies.

In weekly lectures, students’ questions, active participation, and feedback are encouraged. Lectures aim at helping students acquire the fundamentals of the pathology and pathophysiology and enable them to understand specific disease conditions that affect the human body.

In weekly workshops, students work collaboratively by engaging in activities such as problem-solving, discussion, and reading to promote analysis, synthesis, and critical evaluation of the learning material. Case studies will be used to provide an authentic approach so learners can read medical histories, propose diagnoses, analyse data, form an opinion, and draw conclusions regarding a person’s condition. These workshops serve to both assimilate and apply the knowledge relevant to the given week’s topic learning objectives.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Banasik, J.L.; Copstead, L.E. (2019). Pathophysiology, 6th edition, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0323354813.

Bullock, S.; Hales, M. (2019) Principles of Pathophysiology, 2nd edition, Frenchs Forest, Australia, Pearson, ISBN 9780733994159.

Craft, J.; Gordon, C.J.; Huether, S.E.; McCance, K.L.; Brashers, V.L.; Rote, N.S. (2019) Understanding Pathophysiology, 3rd Australian and New Zealand edition, Elsevier, ISBN 9780729542647.

Hammer, GD; McPhee, SJ (2018). Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine, 8th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN 9781260026504.

Kumar, V; Abbas, A; Aster, J. (2018) Robbins Basic Pathology, 10th edition, Saunders, ISBN 9780323353175.

Herlihy, B. (2013) The Human Body in Health and Illness, 5th edition, Elsevier, ISBN 9781455772346.

McCance, K.L.; Huether, S.E.; Brashers, V.L.; Rote, N.S.(2019) Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children, 8th edition, Elsevier, ISBN 9780323402811.

Sherwood, L. (2010) Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems, 7th edition, Cengage Learning, ISBN 9780495391845.

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