Human Anatomy and Physiology
This
six-week online course begins with an explanation of the nature of matter
and a review of the principles of chemistry that are important to human
physiology. We'll place an emphasis on the organization of the human body
and the differences between nonliving matter and living organisms. We'll
also cover cell anatomy and physiology because all life processes are
ultimately carried out at the cellular level. You'll also learn principles
of genetics and gain an understanding of how traits are passed from one
generation to the next.
After we've established this foundation, we'll survey the anatomy and
physiology of each of our 11 organ systems. You'll learn how our nervous
system allows us to receive, process, and interpret sensation and send
messages to our muscles and glands. We'll cover the skeletal and muscular
systems, learning how they make movement possible, and also about some of
their little-known but equally essential functions.
This course explains how the circulatory and respiratory systems work
together to provide our bodies with the oxygen our tissues need, and how
they work together with the skin and kidneys to rid our bodies of wastes.
You'll learn how our bodies fight off diseases, and how our digestive system
converts the food we eat into energy and the tissues of our bodies. We'll
also spend time on the endocrine system, which supplies the hormones we need
for our survival, and the reproductive system, that group of organs that
allows life to be passed on to another generation.
We'll also discuss functions of the different organ systems that you'll
probably find surprising. In addition, each lesson includes information
about specific disorders that sometimes happen to our bodies, and we'll also
talk about some recent advances in medicine. By the end of this course,
you'll have a greater appreciation and understanding of the marvelous
complexity of the human body!
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end.
Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course.
You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must
complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each
month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to
space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
| Our first lesson will introduce you to the
fascinating subject of human anatomy and physiology. Since chemical
reactions drive all of our bodies' functions, we'll start by
reviewing some basic chemistry. Then we'll discuss how the human
body is organized and the four main types of molecules it contains.
We'll even touch on a little history because humans used to have
some pretty funny ideas about living organisms. Later, you'll learn
why a living human being is so different from one who's died.
Finally, we'll discuss homeostasis—that drive we have to keep many
different variables (like temperature and blood pressure) within a
narrow range. By the time you're done with this lesson, you'll be
ready to learn more about the structure and function of our bodies. |
| Friday - Lesson 02 |
| The smallest living unit of the body is the cell,
and it's so amazing, it deserves a lesson of its own. Even though
almost all cells are microscopic, they're jam-packed with many
different kinds of organelles and surrounded by complex membranes. I
think you'll be amazed at their complexity as we discuss their
different functions. We'll also talk about how cells reproduce, and
we'll finish up with a discussion on cancer—which is cell
reproduction gone amok. |
| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
| In this lesson, we'll tackle the subject of
heredity. It's probably the most technical of all the lessons
because we'll be exploring genetics. You'll learn how genes
determine your physical and mental characteristics, and how your
parents' genetic material determine these traits. You'll learn the
important differences between reproductive cells and all of the
other cells in the body. Then we'll spend some time talking about a
man who lived in the 1800's—Gregor Mendel, the Father of
Genetics—because his insights paved the way for our modern
understanding of heredity. After that, we'll discuss some different
genetic disorders as you learn about specific mutations in the
genetic code that can cause problems. |
| Friday - Lesson 04 |
| We'll move on to the organ systems in today's
lesson. We'll start with the one I find most interesting—the nervous
system. You'll learn how it's organized, its different jobs, and the
structures that make thinking, feeling, and moving possible. You'll
also learn how the nervous system works when we think we're in
danger or we've suddenly been affected by physical pain. We'll use
our knowledge about chemistry in this chapter, too, as we talk about
how nervous impulses are transmitted. Finally, we'll talk about some
disorders of the nervous system—what causes them and their effects. |
| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
| Our bones have several functions, and some aren't
so obvious. For example, did you know that red blood cells are made
in your bones? Or that bones store minerals that are essential for
the function of your nerves and muscles? In today's lesson on the
skeletal system, we'll explore the structure and function of bones,
and then we'll talk about different types of joints and the amazing
structure of your spinal column. You'll learn about some common
disorders of this system and what you can do to keep your bones
strong. |
| Friday - Lesson 06 |
| Like the skeletal system, the muscular system is
crucial for movement, but it has other functions, too. We'll discuss
them in detail in today's lesson. Muscles are also a lot more
complicated than they appear, so we'll spend some time talking about
both the structures that we can see and the structures that we can't
see without a microscope. We'll go over some of the specific muscles
in the body and how they work together to perform specific
movements. You'll also learn why even simple movements involve
chemical reactions and a close coordination between this system and
the nervous system. In the last chapter, we'll look at several
common injuries to different parts of the muscular system. |
| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
| We'll focus on the respiratory system in this
lesson. As you're probably aware, it's the group of organs that
allow you to get that crucial substance—oxygen—to all the cells in
our body. But your respiratory system has some other functions that
we'll touch on in this lesson. You'll learn about the anatomy of
your respiratory organs and which muscles are crucial for breathing.
You'll also become aware of the differences between ventilation,
external respiration, internal respiration, and cellular
respiration. And we'll talk about some illnesses that could affect
your respiratory system, compromising your ability to breathe. |
| Friday - Lesson 08 |
| There's so much to learn about the circulatory
system! In this lesson, we'll explore the composition of blood, the
various blood cells, and the different kinds of blood vessels in
your body. Of course, the heart is a crucial part of the circulatory
system, so we'll talk about its chambers, valves, coronary vessels,
and electrical system. You'll learn how blood travels around the
body and its important functions. We'll spend some time on two of
the most common health problems people experience—high blood
pressure and coronary artery disease. You'll finish this lesson
knowing the importance of taking care of this organ system. |
| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
| In today's very interesting lesson, you'll learn
all about the disease-fighting ability of your body. Did you know
that your body is constantly bombarded with germs that want to make
you sick? We'll talk about that in this lesson, as well as some of
the many ways your body fights back to keep you well. The human body
also has a system of vessels (similar to blood vessels) called the
lymphatic system. We'll talk about its disease-fighting role as well
as some of its other functions. You'll learn about some of the other
organs in your body that are involved in the battle against disease.
At the end of this lesson, we'll talk about different ways the
body's disease-fighting ability can be compromised and why sometimes
the body turns on its own cells. |
| Friday - Lesson 10 |
| Today we'll take a close look at two different
organ systems—the integumentary system (the skin) and the urinary
system. Both of these systems work to get rid of waste products that
would kill you if they were allowed to build up in your body. You'll
learn, too, how important these two systems are in maintaining
homeostasis. We'll spend quite a bit of time on the structure of
these two systems. People are often surprised to learn how complex
even the skin can be. And the structures of the urinary system,
particularly the kidneys, are quite amazing. At the end of this
lesson, you'll learn about kidney failure and the challenges of
dialysis and kidney transplantation. |
| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
| You'll never think about food the same way again
after this lesson on the digestive system! Just writing about it
made me want to be a bit more careful about what I eat. You'll learn
about all the different structures involved with converting food
into the chemicals our bodies need to grow, repair tissues, and
carry on all the functions of life. We'll also discuss the role of
the three main types of foods and the importance of many different
vitamins and minerals. When you finish this lesson, you'll
understand the value of eating a variety of foods and how good food
choices will enhance your health. We'll spend some time discussing
two common digestive disorders, and then we'll talk about one of the
most common kinds of cancer—colon cancer. |
| Friday - Lesson 12 |
| We'll end this course with a discussion about the
endocrine and reproductive systems. You'll learn how the endocrine
and nervous systems work together to regulate all of your body's
functions. We'll discuss some specific endocrine glands, the
hormones they produce, and how they influence each other.
Homeostasis again becomes something important to talk about because
of the crucial role of the endocrine system. We'll also cover both
the female and male reproductive systems. You'll learn about their
anatomy and how the endocrine system affects their organs, making
reproduction possible. We'll end this chapter with a discussion
about two fairly common disorders—diabetes and endometriosis. |
To enroll in this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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