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Human Anatomy and Physiology, a Fundamentals course that I will be teaching entirely online. I have prepared this document to help make your online educational experience as positive and enjoyable as possible. It contains contact information, a description of our course delivery system, course mechanics, and a course schedule.
How to get Started:
This course is conducted through an online classroom. You will need to go to this classroom to obtain your lessons, work through tutorials, take quizzes, complete assignments, participate in discussions with your fellow students, and ask questions of your instructor. As soon as the registration office verifies receipt of your payment, you will be able to participate. Here's how it works:
- Wait until after 12:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) on the start date for this course.
- After the course begins, go to
https://www.ed2go.com/waketech/. The Online Classroom is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so please feel free to log in to your classroom at any time of day that is convenient for you.
- Once on the website, click the Login link at the top right of the page.
- Finally, log in with the username and password you provided us at the beginning of this orientation procedure. You should then be able to enter the online classroom and begin your studies.
Course Description
If the idea of human anatomy and physiology seems scary, don't worry. This course will alleviate any fears you may have by covering these topics in an approachable and relatable format. This course will enable you to feel more confident about how all the intricate functions and systems of the human body work together and connect what you learn about anatomy and physiology to what you already know about your own body. Consider this your user guide to the human body. Some may say you can't live without it!
This course will also cover the major systems of the body and explain how they work and why they don't sometimes. In addition, it will examine different diseases and disorders, recent advances in medicine, and ways to take care of your body. Lessons include real-life examples and interactive exercises, allowing you to think critically about your own experiences and make connections with the lesson. Printable flashcards are used throughout the lessons that provide you with necessary study material to keep for this course and beyond as you continue your education or career. By the end of this course, you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of the marvelous complexity of the human body.
Course Requirements
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows 8 or later.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
Course Mechanics
I will make two lessons available to you every week for six weeks. You do not have to be present when a lesson is released, but you'll need to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
Once all 12 lessons have been released, I will give you a two-week grace period to complete your studies and take the final exam. This means that you have a total of eight weeks to complete this course. If you're thinking of taking another course after this one, you can avoid overlap by starting that course exactly two months after this one begins.
Lessons are released by 12:00am (Pacific Time) on Wednesdays and Fridays. To access your lessons, simply visit the online classroom (as described in the "Getting Started" section), and then click the lesson title you wish to visit.
Once the class access ends, I won't be able to send you the lessons. If you would like to keep the lessons for future reference, I suggest using the print lesson feature in the classroom.
Each time you complete a lesson, you will also be asked to complete a brief multiple-choice quiz. I expect you to complete each quiz within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. I realize that you are busy, and don't want you to worry if you can't complete a few of the quizzes on time due to illness, vacation, or other commitments. Once I release a lesson and quiz, I will make sure it is available to you as long as the classroom is open.
The interactive multiple-choice quizzes are designed to test your comprehension of the course material. When you complete a quiz, you will receive an instant analysis of your work.
This analysis will include a brief explanation of any errors you may have made. If you are not satisfied with your performance, you are welcome to re-take the quiz until you feel that you have mastered the quiz objectives.
Note: If you ever want to see a progress report showing your performance on the quizzes over time, simply return to
https://www.ed2go.com/waketech/
and click Login or Account at the top right of the page. Once logged in, click the Report tab under the course title.
Some of your lessons will also be accompanied by an assignment. The assignments are designed to help you expand your understanding of the material taught in this course. Assignments are typically more detailed and may take a bit more time to work through than quizzes.
I expect you to complete each assignment within two weeks from the date that the corresponding lesson was made available. Unlike the quizzes, your assignments will not be evaluated. Assignments are designed primarily for your enrichment. You have the sole responsibility for evaluating your performance on each assignment. If you have questions about an assignment, please feel free to use the Discussion Areas to discuss your assignments with your fellow students and me.
When you work through an assignment, you will be gaining practical first-hand experience with the new skills taught in this course. Your performance on the final exam will depend in no small part on your mastery of the assignments.
The course will conclude with a final exam, which will test your comprehension of the material covered in this class. You must complete the final exam within two weeks from your receipt of lesson 12. Please review your selections before submitting. You may only submit your final exam answers once. Your performance on the final exam is the only factor we will consider when determining your eligibility for a certificate of completion. Although your quiz and assignments will not count toward your eligibility for a certificate, I do recommend that you try to complete each quiz and assignment to the best of your abilities. Doing so will leave you better prepared to pass the final exam.
When you finish your studies, please note that our classroom log-out process is fully automated. We will log you out of the classroom automatically whenever you close your browser or shut down your computer.
Questions
This course can be highly interactive, but the level of that interactivity is controlled by you. Since I can't see that puzzled look on your face, it's going to be up to you to ask questions when you get stuck.
I expect to get many interesting questions from you and your fellow students. I want to make sure that you and your classmates benefit from these often illuminating queries.
Therefore, I would like to request that you avoid e-mailing your questions to me. Instead, I have created 12 Discussion Areas in the online classroom (one Discussion Area for each lesson). To reach these Discussion Areas, all you will need to do is wait for the course to begin, go to the online classroom, select the lesson you're working on, and click the Discussion Area tile.
Your Discussion Area questions will serve as a challenge for your fellow students. Someone is bound to have an answer for you. Likewise, you should be able to find questions in the Discussion Area that you can answer. The Discussion Area will be open to you and your classmates 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Please try to visit the Discussion Area at least every other day while the course is in session, and don't be afraid to participate!
I firmly believe that the best way to learn a new skill is to teach it to others. We will all benefit by helping one another understand this complex material.
Because I don't want to see any unanswered questions, I (or one of my very capable teaching assistants) will be monitoring the Discussion Area at least every other day (excluding weekends and holidays). If you ask a relevant question, but fail to get a correct answer (or any answer whatsoever) from your classmates, then we will try our hardest to answer the question for you.
Please understand that the Discussion Area is reserved for conversations about the material in your lessons. While it is perfectly acceptable for you to employ a bit of friendly banter as you converse with your fellow students and instructors, I must ask you to always remember to stay on topic.
It is not appropriate to use the Discussion Area to sell goods or services, complain about something, or talk about subjects that are not specific to the lesson at hand, for example. Such off-topic conversations waste people's time and detract from the learning experience for all involved. I reserve the right to immediately delete any message without comment if I feel that it does not pertain directly to the material I am trying to teach.
I will also delete any messages containing language that I feel is derogatory, controversial, insulting, or otherwise inappropriate for my classroom.
Reminder
A legitimate organization would never send you an unsolicited e-mail that contains an attachment or asks for personal information. If you ever receive an unsolicited e-mail that contains an attachment or asks for personal information, delete the e-mail immediately.
When to Write my Course Administrator
As I mentioned earlier, the course Discussion Area is reserved solely for discussion of the material in your lessons.
Please do not use the course Discussion Areas for compliments, complaints, technical support, or other personal matters. Instead, please send such messages directly to my course administrator.
To contact the course administrator, scroll to the very bottom of any page within the classroom and look for the Support link.
Please understand that it may take my course administrator two or sometimes three business days to respond to e-mail, so provide plenty of time for a response.
If you need an extension, forgot your password, want a progress report, want to register for another course, or need help when you're not in my classroom, you can contact Student Support using the Help link under Resources in the footer of any page at
https://www.ed2go.com/waketech/.
Syllabus
Note: This course will run for six weeks. Two lessons will be released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when each lesson is released. Instead, you can take up to two weeks to complete each lesson after it is released.
Important: In order to keep this material as up-to-date and informative as possible, I reserve the right to make changes to the course content, description, and syllabus at any time and without warning.
A new session of each course we offer starts on the second or third Wednesday of every month. You may enroll in more than one course at a time. If you are 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 1
Introduction to the Living Processes
Wednesday
The first lesson will introduce you to the fascinating subject of human anatomy and physiology. Since chemical reactions drive all of your body's functions, this lesson will start by reviewing some basic chemistry. It will then discuss the organization of the human body and the four main types of molecules it contains. The course will 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, you'll learn about homeostasis—that drive your body has 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 your body.
The Human Cell
Friday
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 packed with many distinct kinds of organelles and surrounded by complex membranes. You'll be amazed at their complexity as you learn about their functions. You'll also learn how cells reproduce. The lesson will end with a discussion on cancer—which is cell reproduction gone amok.
Week 2
Understanding Heredity
Wednesday
This lesson will tackle the subject of heredity and the basics of genetics. You'll learn how genes affect your physical and mental characteristics, and how your parents' genetic material influenced these traits. You'll learn the significant differences between reproductive cells and all of the other cells in your body. The lesson will also spend time on a man who lived in the 1800's—Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics—because his insights paved the way for the modern understanding of heredity. The lesson will close with information on specific mutations in the genetic code that can cause genetic disorders.
The Nervous System
Friday
This lesson focuses on the nervous system. You'll learn how it's organized, its different functions, and the structures that make thinking, feeling, and moving possible. You'll also learn how the nervous system works when you think you're in danger or you've suddenly experienced physical pain. You'll use your knowledge of chemistry in this lesson when it explains how neurons (nerve cells) generate nervous impulses. The lesson will end with a discussion of six different disorders of the nervous system—what causes them and how they affect the people who suffer from them.
Week 3
The Skeletal System
Wednesday
Your bones have several functions, and some aren't very obvious. For example, red blood cells are made in your bones, and bones store minerals that are essential for the function of your nerves and muscles. This lesson on the skeletal system will explore the structure and function of bones, and then cover the different types of joints and the amazing structure of your spinal column. You'll learn about three common disorders of this system and what you can do to keep your bones strong.
The Muscular System
Friday
Like the skeletal system, the muscular system is crucial for movement, but it has other functions, too. Like bones, muscles are also a lot more complicated than they appear. You'll spend time learning about both the structures that you can see and the structures that you can't see without a microscope. The lesson will 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 the muscular system and the nervous system. The last chapter will cover several common injuries to various parts of the muscular system.
Week 4
The Respiratory System
Wednesday
This lesson focuses on the respiratory system. 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 your body. 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. You'll also learn about illnesses that can affect the respiratory system, compromising a person's ability to breathe.
The Circulatory System
Friday
This lesson will explore the composition of blood, the various blood cells, and the various kinds of blood vessels in your body. The heart is a crucial part of the circulatory system, so this lesson will teach you about its chambers, valves, coronary vessels, and electrical system. You'll learn how blood travels around your body and its essential functions. The last chapter will spend time on two of the most common health problems people experience—high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. You'll finish this lesson knowing why it's so important to take care of this organ system.
Week 5
The Lymphatic System and Fighting Disease
Wednesday
In this lesson, you'll learn all about the disease-fighting ability of your body. This lesson will explain the several types of germs that can make a person sick, as well as some of the many ways your body fights back to keep you well, including defenses you're born with and those you develop later on. Your body also has a system of vessels (similar to blood vessels) called the lymphatic system. You'll learn about its disease-fighting role as well as some of its other functions. You'll also learn about some of the other organs in your body that engage in the battle against disease. The end of this lesson will teach you how the body's disease-fighting ability can be compromised, and why sometimes the body turns on its own cells.
The Integumentary and Urinary Systems
Friday
This lesson will take a close look at two different organ systems—the integumentary system (the skin and its accessory organs) and the urinary system. Both of these systems work to get rid of waste products that would kill you if they built up in your body. You'll learn, too, how important these two systems are in maintaining homeostasis. This lesson will 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 and functions 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 6
The Digestive System
Wednesday
You may never think about food the same way again after this lesson on the digestive system! You'll learn about all the different structures involved with converting food into the chemicals your body needs to grow, repair tissues, and perform all the functions of life. The lesson also covers the role of the three main types of foods and the importance of many different vitamins and minerals. By the time you've finished this lesson, you'll understand the value of eating a variety of foods and how healthy food choices will enhance your well-being. The last chapter will cover two common digestive system disorders and one of the most common kinds of cancer—colon cancer.
The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems
Friday
This course ends 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. You'll learn about different 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. This lesson also covers both the male and female 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 three fairly common disorders—diabetes, prostate cancer, and endometriosis.
Instructor
Holly Trimble
Holly Trimble earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado, a master's degree in Pediatric Physical Therapy from Boston University, a master's degree in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from Arcadia University. After working as a physical therapist for many years, Dr. Trimble transitioned into teaching. She has lectured on health-related topics to all age groups and has taught middle and high school science courses in both private and public school settings. Holly also taught Human Anatomy and Physiology for a local community college system for 16 years. She received the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award both of the years she was nominated and is the author of the eBook, "College Success Now!"