| Course Objectives: | Our research indicates that comparative gross anatomy courses
in the veterinary schools are some of the most time consuming,
detail-oriented courses in the veterinary curriculum.
Veterinary students in their first year find it difficult to
cope with the details and species differences. Further, there
are no pre-veterinary anatomy courses that prepare them
specifically for veterinary education. Based on the survey of
first year veterinary students over the past several years, we
found out that 90% of the students in the class would have
really liked to take a pre-veterinary anatomy course before
they entered the veterinary school. They further indicated
that an online course will be much appreciated. The development
of a comparative veterinary anatomy for pre-veterinary students
(3-credit online) course is an attempt to realize this
potential.
Comparative Veterinary Anatomy for Pre-Veterinary Students
will be a 12-week online course. This course will consist of 15
online modules. The course will be designed to make pre-
veterinary students understand the general principles of
anatomy and appreciate the species differences in different
aspects of anatomy. This course will also prepare them to be
ready for the comparative veterinary gross anatomy courses in
schools and colleges of veterinary medicine when they join
their DVM program.
Further, this course will also satisfy some of the biology
requirements for admission to the veterinary curriculum.
General Philosophy:
Anatomy is one of the important basic subjects that students
have to learn when entering into any health-related program. In
veterinary medicine, students are required to learn the anatomy
of several species of domestic animals. Students, in general,
get lost in learning the "sea of details" rather than focusing
on important aspects of anatomy. Thus, appropriate preparation
during the pre-veterinary years will help them understand and
appreciate the species differences and get them ready for
veterinary gross anatomy in the veterinary curriculum.
Course Objectives:
1. Understand the basic concepts, ideas of anatomy and
anatomical terms.
2. General familiarization with species differences in the
anatomy of various systems.
Learning Outcomes:
The students are expected to learn the basic concepts of
regional anatomy in multiple species. This will help them learn
common anatomical terms used in the veterinary anatomy course
when they start their DVM curriculum. Further, they are
expected to familiarize themselves with gross anatomical
species differences in different systems, which will help them
understand the anatomy of different species when they start
their veterinary anatomy courses in the DVM curriculum. |
| Topical Outline: | Description of Modules
Module 1: Basic ideas, concepts, and anatomical terms (week 1)
Objectives: To understand the ideas, concepts, and terminology
related to anatomy.
Material to be covered:
1. Language, concepts, and terms of anatomy
2. Connective tissue
3. Blood vessels, lymphatic structures
4. Nerves and tissues of the nervous system
Module 2: Anatomy of the common integument (week 2)
Objectives: To understand the anatomy of common integument.
Material to be covered:
1. Skin and hair
2. Foot pads, nails, claws, hoofs
3. Horns
4. Sweat glands and mammary glands
Module 3: Comparative anatomy of the nervous system (week 3)
Objectives: To understand the anatomy of the somatic and
autonomic nervous system
Materials to be covered:
1. General structural and descriptive anatomy of the nervous
system – brain, spinal cord
2. Cranial nerves
3. General Somatic Nervous System
4. Autonomic nervous system
Module 4: Comparative anatomy of the musculoskeletal system –
general (week 4)
Objectives: To familiarize students with the basics of the
locomotor system – bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons,
etc.
Material to be covered:
1. Bones and skeleton
2. Joints
3. Muscles – skeletal vs smooth; skeletal: origin, insertion,
function, innervations; epaxial vs hypaxial; Muscles of the
limbs vs. abdominal and thoracic muscles
Modules 5 & 6: Comparative anatomy of the forelimb – bones,
muscles, nerves, and vessels (weeks 5 & 6)
Objectives: To be able to understand the general species
differences in the forelimb of canine, equine, and bovine.
Material to be covered:
1. Bones and joints of the forelimb – comparative
2. Muscles, innervations, and function – comparative
3. Blood vessels of the forelimb – comparative
4. Special features – comparative – stay apparatus
5. Foot – hoof – bovine, equine
Modules 7 & 8: Comparative anatomy of the hindlimb – bones,
muscles, nerves, and vessels (weeks 7 & 8)
Objectives: To be able to understand the general species
differences in the hind limb of canine, equine, and bovine.
Material to be covered:
1. Bones and joints of the hind limb – comparative
2. Muscles, innervations, and function – comparative
3. Blood vessels of the hind imb – comparative
4. Special features – comparative – stay apparatus/stay
apparatus
5. Foot – hoof – bovine, equine
Module 9: Comparative anatomy of the cardiovascular system
(week 9)
Objectives: To understand and appreciate the anatomy of the
heart and great vessels
Material to be covered:
1. Anatomy of the heart
2. Great vessels – species differences
3. Coronary circulation
4. Systemic circulation
5. Circulation in the fetus
6. Innervation to the heart
Module 10: Comparative anatomy of the respiratory system (week
10)
Objectives: To understand the anatomy of the respiratory
system – lungs and associated structures
Material to be covered:
1. Nose
2. Larynx and trachea
3. Lungs
4. Muscles involved in respiration
Modules 11 & 12: Comparative anatomy of the digestive system
(week 11 & 12)
Objectives: To understand the anatomy of the simple digestive
system; to appreciate the diversity in general organization in
different species
Material to be covered:
1. Anatomy of the stomach
2. Anatomy of the small intestines
3. Anatomy of the large intestines
4. General anatomy of the foregut fermenters – ruminants
5. General anatomy of the hindgut fermenters – equine
6. Vascularization and innervations of the digestive system
Modules 13 & 14: Comparative anatomy of the urogenital system
(week 13 & 14)
Objectives: To understand the general anatomy of the male and
female reproductive organs, kidney, and excretory system.
Material to be covered:
1. Development of urogenital organs
2. Male reproductive organs
3. Female reproductive organs
4. Accessory sex glands
5. Kidney
6. Bladder and urethra
Module 15: Comparative anatomy of the sense organs (week 15)
Objectives: To understand the general anatomy of the sense
organs
Material to be covered:
1. Anatomy of the eye – muscles of the eyeball, structures of
the eye, innervations to structures of the eye
2. Ear – anatomy of the ear and structures of internal ear
3. Olfactory organ
4. Gustation
5. Proprioception
Assessment
Participating students will be assessed by 3 online exams:
Exam 1 after unit 6; Exam 2 after Unit 10; Exam 3 (final): at
the end of the semester after unit 15. Each exam will be for 50
points (total: 3X50 = 150 points). Students will also be
administered 10 quizzes in total: 10 X 15 = 150 points. The
total points for the course will be 300 points.
Grading Scale:
We will follow the guidelines established by CVM for the
grading scale.
Total possible points: 300
276 - 300 points – 4.0 GPA
264 - 276 points - 3.5 GPA
252 - 263 points - 3.0 GPA
240 - 251 points - 2.5 GPA
228 - 239 points - 2.0 GPA |