BIOL122 End-of-semester worksheet Semester 2, 2023
1
End-of-semester worksheet
Instructions
• To identify which question you answer, please write Q1/1 answer…, Q1/2 answer…., and do not repeat/copy
the questions. This is requested to ensure you do not generate a high similarity score in Turnitin. Note that if
we cannot unambiguously identify the questions your answers address, we will not be able to mark your
submission.
• To show your understanding of the content, and that you are answering the questions asked (rather than
adding all the information you can find about a topic), make sure that your answers are concise and to the
point. Make sure you follow instructions regarding the length of the answer – if a question states that it is to
e 3 sentences long, than assessors will not read/mark more than three sentences. These sentences need to
e grammatically co
ect and not 7 sentences for the price of 1.
• The questions presented in your worksheet require you to reflect on and piece together information you have
learnt throughout the semester. To get full marks, you need to clearly demonstrate that you understood the
learning material and are able to apply the acquired knowledge. When marking, we are looking for
connections to be clearly stated, unambiguously written, and well-reasoned. We expect high-quality and
convincing writing, where the meaning is clear, relevant terminology is used, and which reflects engagement
with the unit. Do not be afraid of using dot points wherever you can; simple, concise, and clear writing is far
superior to a word salad or to several paragraphs without essence.
• All questions can be answered based on the learning material that we have discussed in the LEO modules
and workshops, and if that is where your information comes from, no referencing is needed. However, if you
present any information that has not been written or communicated to you by BIOL122 staff, you must
indicate its source. Without adequately indicating where such information has been sourced from, it will not
e considered when marking.
Hints/feedback from previous semesters
• Take care that your answers have the expected level of depth—it will not be enough, for example, to state that
‘drug X decreases blood pressure’; we expect you to explain the mechanism of action and describe the chain of
events leading to the desired/known effects.
• Any form of academic misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, collusion, or poor paraphrasing) will be subject to
academic misconduct investigations resulting in mark deductions, cancellation of the assessment task, and/or
disciplinary hearings. In addition to the formal penalties as an outcome of the academic misconduct
investigation, is the additional consequence of results delayed for weeks as the academic integrity
investigations take time.
• We are particularly keen on seeing evidence of your critical thinking skills.
For full marks, you are expected to answer all questions from Case studies 1–4, and then, depending on the
topic you created your vodcast presentation on, you need to complete either Case Study 5 or Case study 6.
Therefore,
• If your vodcast covered diabetes, you should complete Case studies 1–4 and Case study 6.
• If your vodcast covered cancer, you should complete Case studies 1–4 and Case study 5.
• If you have not submitted vodcast presentation, you can choose either Case study 5 or 6 presented in this
worksheet.
The first line of your submission should state the topic of your vodcast presentation. If you do not
complete the appropriate case study as instructed above, then you will be awarded no marks for case
study 5 or 6.
BIOL122 End-of-semester worksheet Semester 2, 2023
2
Case Study 1 (3 questions, 5 marks total)
John is given a newly developed, experimental medication. The medication is taken orally, each tablet
contains 250 mg of active ingredient, which is abso
ed from the small intestines, and has a bioavailability of
0.32. It is also known that, of the active ingredient that enters the hepatic vein, 42% undergoes hepatic first
pass effect.
(1) Based on the parameters provided, calculate the amount of drug that does not get abso
ed
from a single tablet swallowed. Show your calculations and explain your thinking. (3 marks)
This medication is excreted by the kidneys, and the research team responsible for the development of this
new drug found that the rate of its excretion was too high. Therefore, they combined the drug with another
ingredient, which inhibited the transporters in the kidney that were responsible for the tubular secretion of
Johns’s drug.
(2) Name the type of drug interaction between the active ingredient of Johns’s medication and the
other compound the developers added to the final product and give your rationale. (1 mark)
(3) Explain if the combination of the two ingredients is advantageous for John and justify your
answer. (1 mark)
Case Study 2 (7 questions, 20 marks total)
Joanne is a 26-year-old former elite netball player, who had been playing in a top-tier netball league until
about a year ago, when her successful life was shattered by a life-changing accident. After a particularly well-
fought and prestigious win over their main netball rivals, both Joanne and her de facto drank a lot of alcohol
and snorted some cocaine to cele
ate Joanne’s team’s success. Regrettably, they also decided to go for a
joyride, during which they did not care about speed limits, traffic regulations, or anything at all. They were
travelling at high speed south of Ballina, where Joanne’s partner, Stephanie, who was driving the car, lost
control of the vehicle, veered off the road, and hit a massive gum tree at a speed of 130 km/h. Stephanie
was thrown out of the vehicle and lost her life before help a
ived. Joanne survived, but she sustained severe
lower abdominal and leg injuries, which resulted in her right leg to be amputated above the knee joint and
her uterus and ovaries being removed.
One year after the accident, Joanne is still undergoing counselling and physiotherapy, and she has not yet
managed to get used to her prosthetic leg. In addition, she has nightmares, feels that she cannot create
meaningful connections with anyone, can’t forget the accident, and got clinically depressed. She has also
developed bulimia, and to cope with her pain and so
ow, she tends to drink at least half a bottle of Jack
Daniel’s every day, which seems to help her with her insomnia, too.
She cannot quit drinking even though she has just started to take Prozac (a selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor) and was explicitly told by her therapist that she should never mix this medication with alcohol.
However, she feels that her drinking should not matter at all because her medication does not seem to work,
anyway: although she started this new treatment exactly 2 weeks ago, she has not noticed any change in her
condition whatsoever.
Joanne complains about the lack of effect of her new medication to her neighbour, Caitlin, who has been
treated for depression as well. Unknown to Joanne, Caitlin was prescribed with an anti-depressant
BIOL122 End-of-semester worksheet Semester 2, 2023
3
medication with a different mechanism of action to that of Joanne’s. Caitlin mentions that besides helping
with her depressive symptoms, she’s also lost some weight because — as per her GP’s instructions — she is
no longer allowed to consume any vintage cheese and red wine she loves so much. After a short discussion,
Caitlin suggests to Joanne that she should be trying her tablets. Joanne thinks there is nothing to lose in
trying, and combines Caitlin’s red, round, film-coated tablets with her own in the hope that her depression
would get better.
Eight hours later, Joanne develops severe muscle cramps and tremor, becomes fe
ile, and complains about
fast heart beats. The a
iving paramedics note cardiac a
hythmia and find Joanne confused and profoundly
agitated.
(1) By addressing the points specified below, describe some central and peripheral effects of alcohol.
(5 marks)
Your answer should address all of the following points along with adequate rationale for your
answer. None of your answers must be no longer than two sentences per point. Answers will not
e assessed after this.
• The effect of alcohol on either GABAergic or glutamatergic synapses.
• The effect of alcohol on neuronal activity.
• The effect of alcohol on intellectual and motor performance.
• The effect of alcohol on water homeostasis.
• The effect of alcohol on temperature regulation.
(2) In a single sentence, describe the similarity between the mechanism of action of ethyl alcohol
and benzodiazepines. (1 mark)
(3) Name and
iefly describe the aetiology of the condition Joanne developed when she took the
tablet recommended by her neighbour. (3 marks)
(4) Name the most likely class of medication Joanne got from her neighbour and describe it
mechanism of action. (1 mark)
Joanne is now out of hospital and her depression has got better. She is of Caucasian origin, not pregnant,
178 cm tall, has a body weight of 78 kg, and her waist circumference is 85 cm.
(5) Discuss the implications of Joanne’s anthropometric parameters. In particular, your answer
should address if—based on her anthropometric data and clinical history—she is at risk of
cardiovascular diseases. Your answer must not be longer than 4 sentences. Answers will not be
assessed after this. (3 marks)
Six months ago, Joanne developed atrial fi
illation, which—despite warnings from her medical
practitioner—she chose to ignore. One day she experienced a sudden dizziness and nausea, which was
quickly followed by a profound weakness in her right arm to the point that she could not move it at all.
When she looked in the mi
or, her face was asymmetrical, and her mouth showed drooping on the right
BIOL122 End-of-semester worksheet Semester 2, 2023
4
side. In addition, she was unable to speak: although she tried to formulate words and cry out for help, she
could not articulate at all. It was a frightening experience.
Joanne was preparing for the worst, but—to her surprise—this awful incident was over in about 9 minutes.
By this time, she was able to call for help, and the a
iving paramedics did not identify any abnormalities
apart from her atrial fi
illation. She was taken for a neurological examination and a
ain scan, and neither
of those established anything noteworthy.
(6) Name the condition Joanne experienced before the paramedics a
ived and describe its most
likely aetiology. Provide a convincing justification for your answer; note that your answer cannot be
more than 4 sentences. Answers will not be assessed after this. (4 marks)
(7) The attending physician ordered a low-dose acetylsalicylic acid treatment for Joanne. Explain the
ationale for the physician decision. Your answer should refer to the mechanism of action of the
prescribed medication, and it should also make it clear how this medication (and its mechanism of
action) benefits Joanne. Your answer must not be longer than 3 sentences. Answers will not be
assessed after this. (3 marks)
Case Study 3 (6 questions, 15 marks total)
Sarah is a 45-year-old woman, who first experienced bilateral joint pain and stiffness in her fingers, wrists,
and knees about three years ago. Initially, she dismissed these symptoms as signs of getting older or
overexertion due to her physically demanding job. However, her symptoms have worsened over time. The
ange of motion in her joints has decreased significantly, and she is experiencing intense fatigue as well as
flu-like symptoms.
Sarah's doctor collected a comprehensive health history and conducted a physical assessment. She also
ordered a series of blood tests to establish whether rheumatoid factor (RF) and c-reactive protein (CRP) were
present in Sarah’s blood. Sarah’s test results showed elevated levels of both RF and CRP, which were
consistent with her clinical symptoms of joint swelling and pain.
After Sarah’s diagnosis, she was refe
ed to a specialist, who prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic
drugs (DMARDs), including methotrexate, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage her
pain and inflammation. Sarah was also prescribed corticosteroids to provide immediate relief from the pain
and inflammation and prevent flare ups.
(1) Identify the condition Sarah has been diagnosed with. In your answer, you must provide 3 clinical
findings that have led you to this conclusion. (2 marks)
(2) By making meaningful references to the pathophysiology of the condition you identified above,
discuss why the range of motion in Sarah’s joints has decreased significantly. (2 marks)
(3) Discuss the significance of elevated levels of rheumatoid factor and c-reactive protein in Sarah’s
lood. Discuss the relationship between these two factors and Sarah’s condition. (4 marks)
BIOL122 End-of-semester worksheet Semester 2, 2023
5