Introductory Human Physiology - Biology 242      

Spring 2005

 

Instructor:               Dr. Brad Wetherbee     

Phone:  874-2335               Email: wetherbee@uri.edu

Office: BISC A127       

Office Hours M 9-10, T 9:30-10:30 or by appointment

 

Lecture:  T, TH  11:00-12:15  BISC Auditorium

Laboratory:   BISC 122A

Text:   Human Physiology, Fox, S.I. 2004. 8th ed. McGraw Hill, NY.

 

Course Description:

This subject of this course is the functioning of the human body.  The course will follow a hierarchical scheme from cells and their importance in human physiology to major organ systems in the human body.  The focus will be on processes that are necessary for normal functioning of the body and the systems in which they are performed.  Other major themes are how organ systems are interrelated and homeostasis - how the body is able to tolerate changes in the external environment and maintain a relatively constant internal environment.

 

Instruction:

            The primary means of communicating information will be lectures.  At the end of major sections students may be given out of class assignments that will emphasize important concepts.  Figures from lecture notes, study guides, practice exams and other course material will be available on line at the course website: 

 

            http://www.uri.edu/cels/bio/wetherbee/bio242/bio242.html

 

Students should keep up with reading of chapters in the textbook.  The book provides much more detailed information about each topic than time allows in lecture.  A large volume of material is presented in this course, therefore students will benefit tremendously by regularly reviewing lecture notes.  If you are having difficulty with topics covered in this course seek help from fellow students, your laboratory teaching assistant or Dr. Wetherbee.  Also check with the Academic Enhancement Program located in Roosevelt Hall about tutors and study groups.  The course progresses rapidly and problems will only become worse if you don’t seek help early on.  Students asking for help or expressing concern about their grade at the very end of the semester are likely to receive less sympathy than those seeking help early.

 

Exams:

            Exams will cover information presented in lecture and students are strongly urged to attend class, study the lecture notes well, and supplement lecture material with coverage of topics in the textbook.  Exams will be multiple choice, 50 points on each midterm exam and 75 questions on the final exam.  The final exam will be roughly 50% cumulative and 50% over material from the final quarter of the course.

 

Make-up Exams:

Students who know that they are going to miss an exam should notify the instructor at least one week ahead of time so that other arrangements can be made.  Students that have an approved university excuse for missing an exam should notify the instructor as soon as possible to arrange a makeup exam.  Because of the large number of students in this class and because make up exams are time consuming to prepare and administer, make up exams will be essay format.

 

Grading:

            Students will be evaluated on the basis of 4 midterm exams, out of class assignments and the final exam.  Cumulative scores for the course will be posted on the course website after each exam so that students are aware how they are performing and will can estimate the approximate letter grade they could expect to receive in the course if the level of performance is continued.  Final letter grades for the course cannot be determined absolutely until the end of the semester, when all scores for all students have been tallied.

 

The laboratory (BIO244) is a separate one-credit course and is graded separately from the lecture.  Laboratory scores have no bearing on lecture grades.

 

At the end of the semester, grades will be based on scores as a percentage of total points possible scaled as:

 

Points              Grade              Assignments                25

270-300 ..…….A                     Exam 1                        50

267-269.9 ……A-                        Exam 2                        50

261-266.9 ……B+                      Exam 3                        50

240-260.9 ……B             Exam 4                        50

237-239.9 ……B-                        Final Exam                 75

234-236.9 ……C+                      TOTAL POINTS            300

            203-233.9 ……C

            201-202.9 ……C-                         

            198-200.9 ……D+

            174-197.9 ……D

            Below 174 …...F

 

 

 

 

 

                                   

                        Lecture Schedule

January

Topic

Fox Reading

18

1. Introduction & body organization

1

 

20

2. Cell membranes & transport

3, 6

 

25

3. Nerve cells & membrane potential

6, 7

 

27

4. Action potential & nerve impulse

7

 

February

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

1

5. Nerve impulse propagation & integration

7

 

3

6. Central nervous system – The brain

8

 

8

EXAM I

 

 

10

7. CNS II – spinal cord & reflexes

8

 

15

8. Autonomic nervous system

9

 

17

9. Sensory receptors

10

 

(22)

NO CLASS Monday classes meet

 

 

24

10. Sensory physiology – taste & smell

10

 

March

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

1

11. Sensory physiology – equlibrium

10

 

3

12. Sensory physiology - hearing

10

 

8

EXAM II

 

 

10

13. Sensory physiology - vision

10

 

(14-20)

SPRING BREAK

 

 

22

14. Muscle physiology I

12

 

24

15. Muscle physiology II

12

 

29

16. Cardiac physiology

14

 

31

17. Cardiac physiology II

14

 

April

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

5

18. Blood and blood vessels

13

 

7

EXAM III

 

 

12

19. Respiratory system

16

 

14

20. Respiratory system II

16

 

19

21. Excretory system

17

 

21

22. Excretory system

17

 

26

23. Digestive system I

18

 

28

EXAM IV

18

 

May

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

3

24. Digestive system II

18

 

5

25. Immune system I

15

 

10

26. Immune system II

15

 

17 (8am)

FINAL EXAM (½ comprehensive)

BISC Aud.