Human Physiology

BIOL 340
3 Credits
Spring 2024
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Bulletin description: This course will provide functional correlates to the students'
previous knowledge of human anatomy. Building upon the basic principles covered in
BIOL 216 and 346, the physiology of organs and organ systems of humans, including the
musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive,
excretory, reproductive, and endocrine systems, will be studied at an advanced level. The
contribution of each system to homeostasis will be emphasized. Prereq: BIOL 216 or
BIOL 220, and BIOL 346.

Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 A.M. – 11:15 A.M.

Class Location: AW Smith 349

Instructor: Dr. Ronald G. Oldfield

Email: rgo@cwru.edu

Office: 501 Millis (note that to reach the 5th floor of Millis you must
use the stairs/elevator in the middle of the hallway; the
stairs/elevators at the ends of the hallway only go up to the 4th
floor)

office hour: Thursdays 12:00 – 2:00 P.M.

Teaching Assistant: Chaemin Kim

cxk450@cwru.edu
Office hour: Xxxdays XX:XX X.M. – XX:XX P.M.
Location: Millis 320A

Textbook: Widmaier, EP, H Raff, and KT Strang (2023) Vander’s Human

Physiology (16th ed.) McGraw Hill.

There are several ways to access the book: You can rent internet access to it, buy a loose-
leaf copy of it, or buy a used bound copy online. Previous editions of the book are nearly
identical to the current edition and can be purchased at very low cost. Physical copies are
available in the Resource Room (Millis 320A) and at the KSL Reserve Desk, but they
must be used there and not removed.
Exams (100 points each)

There will be three exams. Exam dates are given in the schedule below. Each exam will
have 50 questions, each of which will be worth 2 points, for a total of 100 points.
Questions may draw from any material originating from the textbook, complementary
readings, videos, or lectures, as long as the material has previously been brought up in a
class meeting. They may be given in a variety of formats, including multiple choice,
true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay. Exams should be
considered cumulative; material covered on a previous exam may be asked again on a
future exam. This is especially relevant in the sense that material learned in earlier
chapters is sometimes necessary in order to comprehend material presented later.
However, the primary focus of each exam will be to test the material covered since the
previous exam, and questions based solely on previous material will be rare. Exams must
be taken at the scheduled time except under emergency circumstances (see Attendance
policy, below).

Final exam

Exam 3 is identical in format to Exams 1 and 2, but in the final exam period along with
Exam 3 we usually offer a few additional questions that may cover material from earlier
in the semester.

Quizzes (100 total points)

There will be a 5-point quiz at nearly every class meeting. We usually have 24 quizzes
throughout the semester. They will typically be given on paper and then submitted to the
Teaching Assistant. In order to accommodate those students who need to miss class, only
the highest-scoring 20 of the total 24 quizzes will be recorded for each student, for a total
of 100 possible points. This will effectively allow each student four free absences without
penalty.

See the following link for more information about the positive effects of daily testing on
learning:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0079774

Attendance policy

Attendance is required at every meeting. There will be quizzes nearly every day. In order
to accommodate those students who need to miss class, the lowest four quizzes of each
student will not be counted, effectively providing each student four free absences without
penalty (see above). Once a student has missed four quizzes, every additional quiz missed
will count as a score of 0.

A missed exam will typically result in a score of 0. In a rare case where a student has a
serious reason for missing (e.g., death in the family, serious illness, injury, childbirth),
and appropriate official documentation, an alternative arrangement may be made.
Grading scheme (tentative)

Exam 1 100
Exam 2 100
Exam 3 100
Quizzes 100
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Total 400

Guaranteed minimum letter-grade cutoffs are:

A 90% 360 - 400

B 80% 320 - 359
C 70% 280 - 319
D 60% 240 - 279
F 0 - 60% 0 - 269

Cutoffs may go lower at the instructor’s discretion, but they will not go higher. If the
whole class gets 90%, the whole class gets A’s.

The University requires that undergraduate students be given midterm grades. These will
be assigned based upon Exam 1 and all quizzes to date. Midterm grades are
‘informational’ in the sense that they are the grades that would be given were the
semester to end at that point.

Academic honesty

Unauthorized use of books or notes during quizzes or exams, or plagiarizing the work of
others, is considered cheating. If you help someone else to cheat, you are considered to be
cheating, too. Course instructors are required to report anyone suspected of cheating to
the CWRU Academic Integrity Board. Penalties for those found guilty range from failing
the assignment to failing the course. For more information, see the following link:
https://bulletin.case.edu/undergraduate-academics/academic-integrity/

Students with Disabilities

In accordance with federal law, if you have a documented disability, you may be eligible
to request accommodations from Disability Resources. In order to be considered for
accommodations you must register with the Disability Resources office. Please contact
their office at 216-368-5230 to register or get more information at
https://case.edu/studentlife/disability/getting-started. Accommodations are not
retroactive.
Anatomy/Physiology Resource Room

Millis 320A (the small room off of the Millis 320 lab) serves as an Anatomy/Physiology
Resource Room. It contains a variety of reference books, osteology specimens,
anatomical models, a blackboard, and tables/chairs for 12 students. Feel free to use it for
study, either alone or in groups. Please observe the following rules while using the
Resource Room:

(1) Do not handle the fluid-filled jars. Only observe them in the cabinet. They are
filled with formalin, which is very dangerous. If one were to break and splash it
could cause permanent injury including blindness.

(2) Much of the material is irreplaceable. Please handle it carefully.

(3) Never take books or specimens from the Resource Room, including course
binders from past semesters of BIOL 223, BIOL 340, and BIOL 346.

(4) No food or drink is permitted.

(5) Please keep the place clean and tidy.

(6) Sign the logbook. Tracking usage lets us prove that the room is of educational
value and prevents it from being used for some other purpose.

(7) If something breaks, please report it to the instructor. It probably can be fixed.

(8) Keep the door closed but unlocked when not in use. Turn out the lights when you
leave.

(9) Be considerate of any students who are working in the main Millis 320 lab. Do
not disturb them or touch any of their material.

Helpful Hints

(1) When in doubt about what’s important, follow the lectures. Read the text for
background and details. Don’t panic!

(2) If you’re told to read something or know something, there is a good chance that it
will be on the exam. If you’re told that a particular topic is not very important,
there is a good chance that it won’t be on the exam.

(3) Use the Resource Room. Studying models and photographic atlases in this
congenial, interactive environment will facilitate the learning process and likely
result in higher exam scores.
Class schedule

Date Topic and events Readings

Jan. 16 (T) Course overview Syllabus

Jan. 18 (R) Homeostasis Ch. 1

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Jan. 23 (T) Movement across cell membranes Ch. 4

Jan. 25 (R) Chemical messengers Ch. 5

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Jan. 30 (T) Nervous system: action potentials Ch. 6

Feb. 1 (R) Nervous system: synapses Ch. 6

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Feb. 6 (T) Vision and hearing Ch.7

Feb. 8 (R) Muscles Ch. 9

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Feb. 13 (T) Body movement Ch. 10

Feb. 15 (R) Endocrinology Ch. 11

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Feb. 20 (T) Exam 1. Covers everything through Chapter 10 Body Movement.

Feb. 22 (R) Endocrinology Ch. 11

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Feb. 27 (T) Cardiovascular Ch. 12

Feb. 29 (R) Cardiovascular Ch. 12

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Mar. 5 (T) Respiration Ch. 13

Mar. 7 (R) Respiration Ch. 13

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Mar. 11-15 SPRING BREAK, NO CLASSES

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Mar. 19 (T) Osmoregulation Ch. 14

Mar. 21 (R) Osmoregulation Ch. 14

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Mar. 26 (T) Digestion Ch. 15

Mar. 28 (R) TBA

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Apr. 2 (T) Exam 2. Covers Endocrinology through Osmoregulation.

Apr. 4 (R) Metabolism Ch. 3e, 16

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Apr. 9 (T) Metabolism Ch. 3e, 16

Apr. 11 (R) Reproduction: male Ch. 17a, b

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Apr. 16 (T) Reproduction: female Ch. 17c

Apr. 18 (R) Immune system Ch. 18

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Apr. 23 (T) Immune system Ch. 18

Apr. 25 (R) Gameshow

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May 9 (Th) 9:30-11:00 am Exam 3. Covers Digestion through Immune system.