Human Physiology
Course Description & Learning Objectives
Human Physiology: Explanation of the normal structure and function of the animal body, with special emphasis on human body systems. Students who have passed BIOL 472 may not schedule this course. Biology 141 is a 3 credit lecture course specifically designed to cover the fundamentals of human physiology for students in a variety of life science related majors including Nursing, Kinesiology, Athletic Training, and Science. Successful completion of this course will give the student working knowledge of human physiology with the intent on applying this information to future clinical situations they may encounter in nursing, physical therapy, athletic training, dentistry, and medical settings. The course utilizes both descriptive and problem solving techniques and as a result, may require some review of basic science and math principles developed in previous high school and college biology, chemistry, and math courses.
Course Objectives
The course has two primary objectives. The first is for every student to obtain a working knowledge and understanding of basic human physiology. The second is to apply these physiological principles to problem solving situations as observed in medical situations, including cardiac problems, hypertension, renal failure, acid-base balance disturbances, and endocrine imbalances. The end point of both objectives is to obtain a practical understanding of physiology which students can build upon and use in future clinical settings. Relationship to Courses and Programs of Study: This majority of students enrolled in this course are from the College of Health and Human Development in Nursing, Biobehavioral Health, Kinesiology, and Nutrition majors, although some students are from other colleges including the Eberly College of Science, Liberal Arts, and Agriculture. Because the majority of these students will utilize course information in future clinical settings, human physiology as it relates to clinical problems is emphasized. Many students will take Biology 141 along with our partnered 1 credit laboratory course, Biology 142, Physiology Laboratory. Additionally, many students enrolled in Biology 141 will also take our related course in anatomy, Biology 129, as a result of course program prerequisites within their major.
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