I normally teach two sections of the Human Physiology course at Palomar College. I’ve got a course FAQ here, if you are looking for information.
Syllabi and schedules for the current and previous terms is available here:
Physiology Schedule Summer 17
Physiology Syllabus Summer 17
What are the prerequisites for the course?
You need to have taken either:
• A college level biology course with lab AND a college level chemistry course with lab, or
• Palomar’s BIOL 102 course, which is specifically designed to prepare students for the anatomy/physiology/microbiology courses, or
• Human anatomy (ZOO 200/BIOL 210)
Please note that the last option is not recommended. Human anatomy does not always cover the basic concepts of molecular biology which are critical to human physiology. Concepts like how cell membranes work, diffusion and osmosis, protein-mediated transport, active and passive transport, and the structure and characteristics of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates are all important background. If you haven’t had a course which covers those areas, you will probably struggle keeping up in the course. If you are coming into the course without a recent college level biology course, I’d strongly recommend going through Lesley Williams’s book, detailed under “other recommended books” below.
What if I took my prerequisite courses somewhere else?
The Palomar system won’t let me enroll, even though I took my prerequisites at <other college>
You need to submit your unofficial transcripts, along with a form explaining which course(s) you feel meet the prerequisites, to Palomar’s Evaluations office. Their website is here. The form you need is linked at the bottom of that page.
What is the textbook for the course?
At the moment, we are using Silverthorne’s Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach. While the 6th or 7th editions are the “official” textbook, you will be fine with anything from the 4th edition on.
I am considering switching to the free Anatomy and Physiology text, from OpenStax. It is available as a free PDF download, as an Apple e-book for a nominal cost, or you can get a paper copy for about $50.
Do I actually need the textbook?
Do you use any of the online materials?
Do I need an online code?
I do not directly use any of the online materials associated with the Silverthorne book. They may be helpful, but they are not required. It is possible to get through the course without the book, but I do recommend it. Older editions are available pretty cheaply.
What other books are useful for the course?
I recommend Lesley Williams’s book What You Really Need To Know Before Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology (available on Amazon here). It’s an outstanding primer/reminder of the basic concepts of cell and molecular biology. If you are coming into the course having never taken a college level bio course, or if it’s been more than a few years, I strongly recommend it.
What kind of tests do you give?
I change the course every so often, but at the moment, we have eight course exams, one for each content area:
• Core concepts
• Nervous system
• Endocrine and reproductive systems
• Muscular system
• Cardiovascular system
• Respiratory system
• Urinary system
• Digestive system
The exams are partially multiple-choice, and partially other questions (almost always including some writing).
What will we do in lab?
Labs involve some experimentation (using you, the students, as subjects! It is human physiology, after all…), and some time spent covering the scientific method, experimental design, and some very basic ideas of hypothesis testing using statistical tests. We spend a fair amount of time in Excel learning how to analyze and graph data, as well.
How hard is the course?
Will I be able to get an A?
What percentage of students pass/get A’s?
Human physiology is a challenging course. It’s also very different from many other courses (e.g. human anatomy) in that memorization does not play a very big role; it’s mostly about understanding concepts and relationships. For many students, that is difficult, because there aren’t as many easy study techniques to use (flash cards aren’t as helpful here). Understanding the course concepts takes time and active practice. The best ways I know to do it are to draw out diagrams showing how systems work, build models, or (probably most useful) try explaining it back to me, or to other students who seem to have a good grasp of it.
It is absolutely possible to get an A, but it’s not easy for most people. In a recent term, out of the 68 students in my two sections who finished the class, the grade breakdown went like this:
19 students (28%) earned an A
25 students (37%) earned a B
10 students (15%) earned a C
14 students (20%) earned a grade lower than C