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.<\/p>\n
Syllabi and schedules for the current and previous terms is available here:<\/p>\n
Physiology Schedule Summer 17<\/a> Physiology MW Syllabus S17<\/a><\/p>\n You need to have taken either: 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. The form you need is linked at the bottom of that page.<\/p>\n At the moment, we are using Silverthorne’s Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach.<\/em> While the 6th or 7th editions are the “official” textbook, you will be fine with anything from the 4th edition on. 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.<\/p>\n I recommend Lesley Williams’s book What You Really Need To Know Before Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology<\/em> (available on Amazon here<\/a>). 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<\/strong> recommend it.<\/p>\n I change the course every so often, but at the moment, we have eight course exams, one for each content area: The exams are partially multiple-choice, and partially other questions (almost always including some writing).<\/p>\n Labs involve some experimentation (using you, the students, as subjects! It is human<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 … Continue reading
\nPhysiology Syllabus Summer 17<\/a><\/p>\nWhat are the prerequisites for the course?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 A college level biology course with lab AND a college level chemistry course with lab, or
\n\u2022 Palomar’s BIOL 102 course, which is specifically designed to prepare students for the anatomy\/physiology\/microbiology courses, or
\n\u2022 Human anatomy (ZOO 200\/BIOL 210)<\/p>\nWhat if I took my prerequisite courses somewhere else?
\nThe Palomar system won’t let me enroll, even though I took my prerequisites at <other college><\/h3>\nWhat is the textbook for the course?<\/h3>\n
\nI am considering switching to the free Anatomy and Physiology<\/a> text, from OpenStax. It is available as a free PDF download, as an Apple e-book<\/a> for a nominal cost, or you can get a paper copy<\/a> for about $50.<\/p>\nDo I actually need the textbook?
\nDo you use any of the online materials?
\nDo I need an online code?<\/h3>\nWhat other books are useful for the course?<\/h3>\n
What kind of tests do you give?<\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 Core concepts
\n\u2022 Nervous system
\n\u2022 Endocrine and reproductive systems
\n\u2022 Muscular system
\n\u2022 Cardiovascular system
\n\u2022 Respiratory system
\n\u2022 Urinary system
\n\u2022 Digestive system<\/p>\nWhat will we do in lab?<\/h3>\n
How hard is the course?
\nWill I be able to get an A?
\nWhat percentage of students pass\/get A’s?<\/h3>\n
\nIt 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:
\n19 students (28%) earned an A
\n25 students (37%) earned a B
\n10 students (15%) earned a C
\n14 students (20%) earned a grade lower than C<\/p>\n