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Systems and Integrative Physiology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Systems and Integrative Physiology

Research In Progress. Why Physiology Feels Hard: Supporting The Transition To Self-Directed Learning In Post-Secondary Physiology, Jaelyn Zoe Rohrbaugh, Mark Paternostro Jan 2026

Research In Progress. Why Physiology Feels Hard: Supporting The Transition To Self-Directed Learning In Post-Secondary Physiology, Jaelyn Zoe Rohrbaugh, Mark Paternostro

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

Physiology is widely recognized as one of the most challenging courses for STEM students. Contributing factors include the discipline’s inherent complexity, instructional methods, and student preparedness, with both faculty and students identifying the nature of the discipline as the primary challenge. Many undergraduates enter college having experienced predominantly teacher-directed, pedagogical instruction, whereas success in college-level physiology requires self-directed, andragogical learning strategies. We hypothesize that students’ difficulties arise more from a lack of self-directed learning skills than from content complexity alone. To investigate this, we administered an anonymous survey to 340 students spanning freshman to professional levels, achieving a 93% completion …


Neuroendocrine Regulation Of The Luteinizing Hormone Surge And Puberty Onset In Sheep, Max J. Griesgraber Jan 2025

Neuroendocrine Regulation Of The Luteinizing Hormone Surge And Puberty Onset In Sheep, Max J. Griesgraber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are essential for the reproduction of all mammalian species, including both sheep and humans. GnRH is secreted by hypothalamic neurons into the hypophyseal portal vasculature in a pulsatile manner, which then acts within the anterior pituitary to elicit the release of LH and FSH into wider systemic circulation. In females LH and FSH act on the ovaries to promote estradiol (E2) production, follicular development, and under certain conditions in regard to LH, ovulation. Furthermore, while E2 inhibits GnRH and subsequent LH secretion under most conditions, at high concentrations E2 …


Sex Differences In Endothelial Function, Metabolism, And Sleep: Responses To Disrupted Circadian Rhythms, Olga Hecmarie Meléndez-Fernández Jan 2023

Sex Differences In Endothelial Function, Metabolism, And Sleep: Responses To Disrupted Circadian Rhythms, Olga Hecmarie Meléndez-Fernández

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Circadian rhythms are endogenous cycles that recur approximately every 24 h, and manifest in virtually every physiological and behavioral process among the vast majority of organisms. These rhythms, sustained by the central circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, allow for optimal timing of biological processes that ensure organisms’ homeostasis, and are entrained to precisely 24 h by daily exposure to light. Disruption of the molecular mechanisms that drive these rhythms have negative consequences on physiology and behavior that may impair survival. The molecular mechanisms that underlie these effects are widely studied and linked to multiple diseases and …