BIO 304 . WEEK 5 OF 8 . DISCUSSION

A sense or a hormone you took for granted

Until something disrupts it, you don't notice this system at all. Tell us about a time you noticed.

Initial post due Friday. Replies due Sunday. Substantive replies build on or respectfully challenge a classmate's thinking.

Deadlines and expectations

Three dates to put on your calendar.

Prompt opens

Wed, Jul 8

Wednesday, 12:00 AM

Initial post due

Fri, Jul 10

Friday, 11:59 PM

Replies due

Sun, Jul 12

Sunday, 11:59 PM

Your prompt

What to write about.

This week we covered the central and peripheral nervous systems, the special senses, and the endocrine system.

Pick one special sense or one hormone that you take for granted until something disrupts it. Examples: depth perception, balance, color vision, the smell of your own home, thyroid hormone, insulin, cortisol.

In your initial post (200-300 words):

  1. Describe the normal mechanism in a sentence or two. Where does the signal originate? Where does it travel? What's the effect?
  2. Describe a specific situation where this sense or hormone was disrupted — yours, someone you know, or a clinical scenario from a credible source.
  3. Map the disruption to the mechanism: which step failed, and how did that produce the symptoms?
  4. Reflect: what surprised you about how invisible this system is until it fails?
Replies

What makes a reply substantive.

  • Substantive: at least 75 words. Goes beyond "I agree" or "nice post."
  • Builds or challenges: extend a classmate's idea with new information, OR respectfully push back with reasoning.
  • Cite or apply: reference the OpenStax section, your textbook reading, or a topic from this week's pre-work.
  • At least two replies to different classmates by Sunday.
Ready to post

Open the Canvas thread for Week 5.

Initial post due Friday by 11:59 PM. Two replies due Sunday by 11:59 PM.

Open the Canvas discussion →