California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

BIO 235 – Human Physiology

Course Syllabus, Spring 2018
Times and Location:
Course Days Time Location
Lecture Monday Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:50 PM 24C 1228

Professor:
Christopher Waters
Office: 3-2105
Office Hours: Monday 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 10:00-11:00 AM
Phone: (909) 869-8615
Email: cwwaters@cpp.edu (Preferred)

If you cannot attend any of the above office hours, contact the professor to make an appointment.

Required Material and Website Information:

 Textbook: Widmaier, E.P., Raff, H. and Strang, K.T. (2014) Vander’s Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of
Body Function, 13thEdition. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
 The iClicker® student response system. If you do not already have one, an iClicker can be purchased at the
Bronco Bookstore. This will be needed to earn attendance points.
 This course will use Blackboard (http://blackboard.cpp.edu) to provide important information.

Prerequisites:
BIO 115/115L or BIO 121/121L, BIO 122/122L, and BIO 123/123L or consent of instructor

Course Objectives:
BIO 235/235L provides an introduction to human physiology through exploration of nervous, muscular, cardiovascular,
respiratory, endocrine, renal, and digestive physiology. The class will focus largely on the cellular and molecular
mechanisms within each of these physiological systems, and how all levels from molecular to organ systems are
integrated.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the lecture portion of this course, students will be able to describe, identify, and/or explain:
• The various physiological organ-systems and role in the integrative functions of the human body.
• Body fluids; including compartmentalization and the ionic composition.
• Movement of water and solutes between the fluid compartments.
• The concept of homeostasis, including set point, negative and positive feedback, and compensatory responses.
• Structure of biological membranes. Function of biological membranes including the role of membrane proteins in
catalysis, recognition, and transport.
• Intracellular and extracellular communication systems.
• Organization structural and functional organization of the nervous system, including the central and peripheral nervous
systems, the autonomic nervous system, and the enteric nervous system.
• The resting membrane potential.
• The action potential, action potential propagation along the axon.
• Chemical messenger molecules of the nervous system, including classical and non-classical neurotransmitters.
• Synaptic neurotransmission.
• Basic principles of sensory physiology.
• Structure and function of skeletal muscle, including excitation-contraction coupling, sliding filament mechanism, force
generation, and isometric versus isotonic contractions.
• Structure/function of the cardiovascular system, including the mechanical and electrical properties of cardiac muscle, as
well as excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle.
• Reflex regulation of blood pressure.
Syllabus for Human Physiology (BIO 235) Spring 2018
• Structure/function of the respiratory system, including lung volumes, gas exchange, and gas transport in blood.
• Regulation of ventilation.
• Structure and functions of smooth muscle, including excitation-contraction coupling in smooth muscle.
• Principles of hormone action, including structure, mechanism of release from endocrine cell, mode of transport in blood,
mechanism of action in target cells, and systemic effects of important hormones.
• Functions of the endocrine system with focus on classic endocrine glands, including the hypothalamus and the pituitary
glands, thyroid and parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, endocrine pancreas.
• The renin-angiotensin-system.
• Structure/functions of the nephrons - glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption, secretion, and excretion.
• Transport of water, ions, and organic molecular across the tubular epithelia.
• Renal clearance and urinary concentrating mechanisms.
• Motility, secretion, digestion, absorption in the gastrointestinal system.

Grading:
Blackboard Quizzes: 30 points- At the end of each week there is a 5 point quiz on Blackboard that is due by
midnight on Sunday.
Homework 80 points- Weekly assignments concentrating on the larger topics in the quarter.
Midterm I: 50 points–Neurophysiology, Muscle physiology emphasis on skeletal muscle
Midterm II: 60 points –Cardiovascular Physiology, Muscle Physiology-cardiovascular and smooth muscle
emphasized, Respiratory physiology; 10 points will come from midterm I
material covering topics from general muscle physiology and neurophysiology
that are relevant to the major topics
Final: 140 points- ~90 points for endocrine, renal, and gastrointestinal physiology; ~20 points from
midterm I material; and ~30 points from midterm II material. Previous material
will again focus on elements from previously studied systems that are relevant
to the major topics and also broad concepts from throughout the course.
Attendance: 20 points – Lecture attendance will be recorded at each meeting. Attendance will be recorded
with the iClicker.
Total Points: 380 Points

Final grades in the lecture will be based on the following distribution:

A 92-100% C 72-77.9%
A- 90-91.9% C- 70-71.9% Note- a curve may be used instead; however, the
B+ 88-89.9% D+ 68-69.9% above percentages will not be raised. Even if
B 82-87.9% D 60-67.9% the scale is lowered, it is likely that < 50% will
B- 80-81.9% F <59.9% be a F.
C+ 78-79.9%

Exams
Exams will be composed of multiple choice, fill-in the blanks, graphical interpretation, and physiological calculations
(you will need a scientific calculator). A Scantron Form No. 882 and a number 2 pencil are required for all lecture exams
and laboratory quizzes. A window of one week will be given to report errors in grading or discuss the alternative answers,
before final exam grades are recorded.

Make-up Policy:
Make-up exams are only offered under for very compelling reasons. They may take the form of either; (1) a ½ - 1 hour
oral exam, the oral exam will require that students explain some answers by drawing graphs, or (2) an exam is taken
during an office hour. The option exercised is at the discretion of the instructor.

E-Mail Policy:
In addition to in-class discussions and the course web site, additional information may be communicated through
messages to the Cal Poly e-mail address linked to your Bronco ID. Therefore it is imperative to check your Cal Poly
Pomona e-mail on a regular basis (in addition to checking the course web site) in order to see the most recent
announcements.
Syllabus for Human Physiology (BIO 235) Spring 2018
Department Statement on Cheating and Plagiarism:
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM ARE VIOLATIONS OF UNIVERSITY POLICY AND ARE CONSIDERED SERIOUS
OFFENSES. THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT TAKES ALL INCIDENCES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
SERIOUSLY AND ACTS ACCORDINGLY.

Lecture Schedule:
Topic Reading*
Lecture 1:Course Introduction Ch. 1
Lecture 2: Neuro I: Neural Tissue and the Resting Membrane Potential Ch. 6
Lecture 3: Neuro II: Graded and Action Potentials Ch. 6
Lecture 4: Neuro III: Synapses and Neuronal Signaling Ch. 6 and Ch. 7 (p. 192-202)
Lecture 5: Skeletal Muscle I: Ultrastructure and Sliding-Filament Model Ch. 9 sec. A
Lecture 6: Skeletal Muscle II: Neuromuscular Junction, Excitation-Contraction
Ch. 9 sec. A
Coupling and Single-Fiber Contractions
Lecture 7: Skeletal Muscle III: Integration of Skeletal Muscle Function Ch. 9 sec. A
Midterm 1 on Wednesday 4/25/18, covering Lectures 1-7
Lecture 8: Cardiovascular I: Heart Anatomy, Mechanical Events and Cardiac
Ch. 12 and Ch. 9, sec. B
Muscle
Lecture 9: Cardiovascular II: Heartbeat Coordination and Electrical Events Ch. 12
Lecture 10: Cardiovascular III: Cardiac Output, The Vascular System, and
Ch. 12
Regulation of Blood Pressure
Lecture 11: Smooth Muscle and Starling Forces and Respiratory I: Lung Anatomy, Ch. 9, sec. B; Ch. 12 (388-92)
Ventilation and Lung Volumes Ch. 13
Lecture 12: Respiratory II: Gas Exchange & Transport; Regulation of Ventilation Ch. 13
Midterm 2 on Monday 5/16/18, covering Lectures 8-13
Lecture 13 – Endocrinology I: Fundamentals; The Hypothalamus and the Pituitary
Ch. 11
Gland; Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands
Lecture 14 – Endocrinology II: Endocrine Pancreas and Adrenal Glands Ch. 11 & 16, sec. A
Lecture 15 – Renal Physiology I: Kidney Anatomy and Nephron Ultrastructure;
Ch. 14
Glomerular Filtration
Lecture 16 – Renal Physiology II: Tubular Reabsorption and Secretion; Urinary
Ch. 14
Concentrating Mechanisms
Lecture 17 – Renal Physiology III: Renal Regulation and Diuretics Ch. 14
Lecture 18 – Gastrointestinal Physiology: Motility, Secretion, Digestion, and
Ch. 15
Absorption
Final Exam on Monday 6/4/18 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
*Reading assignments are from: Widmaier, E.P., Raff, H. and Strang, K.T. (2014) Vander’s Human Physiology: The
Mechanisms of Body Function, 13th Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.