"The teacher must not confuse Information with Education, otherwise the student may become a well-taught but wholly unlearning individual."
Human
Anatomy and Physiology
has been a
staple
in the
Science Department Curriculum for some 30 years now. Seeing mainly
Juniors and Seniors who have
Biology
10
as a
prerequisite, the course presents students with a first semester
college level A & P program.
"The primary duty of the University to a student is to provide him with such instructors as will make him realize that the responsibility for progress is his own and no one else's."
The A & P Assignment Page and the Course Objectives page will give you the Detailed view of the day to day operation of the program. The description and links below will introduce you to the program.
Designed with health careers in mind, the course begins with Body Geography. This first section introduces the general Anatomy (names and location of the basic parts) of the human body and some of the basic Physiology (function of the body part). Students are given a printed set of detailed notes and objectives that are correlated to the lectures and demonstrations. Lectures are built around multimedia presentations using Integrated Technology and involve students in oral presentations of the structure and function of the body parts. Medical History will be an integral part of each section of the human body that is covered and students should test their knowledge with the Case Studies available on the Resource Page
"LEARN THE BIG THINGS RATHER THAN THE DETAILS; this is a generalization that holds good throughout the realm of medicine, and I advise you to evaporate your knowledge not to dryness but to a serviceable bulk. Larger structures,as a rule, are far more important than smaller ones, and moreover will act as guides or 'rallying-points' in calling the latter to mind."
Body
Geography is
followed by a review of fundamentals
in
Biochemistry
,
Metabolism
(chemical
reactions that
occur in cells),
and
Cytology
(the study
of cells).
Students
are then introduced to
Histology
(the study of
tissues) through lecture and laboratory. The
lectures examine
the four tissue groups of the human body
;
Epithelial,
Connective,
Muscular, and Nervous.
The
hierarchy
of the body
(cell-tissue-organ- system-organism) is addressed here as are
physiological functions. The presentations are always followed by
objective tests.
Lab
work
follows the
lectures. The labs direct students into
the
identification,
location, and function
of each of the
tissue types. The labs are followed
by
Practicals
(tests that, in
this case, have students demonstrate their identification competency
through microscopic examination of tissue
sections).
Epithelial
Tissue
introduces this
section, followed by the
Connective
and
Muscular
Tissue.
Nervous
Tissue
is
left for later
when the physiology of muscle is examined.
The first system study (grouping of organs together) is The Skeletal System. The anatomy and embryology (development in the embryo) of bone is presented. Students take an essay test that requires them to explain Endochondral (cartilage) and Intramembranous (between membranes) Ossification (formation of bone). The lab involves learning two lists of bones for Oral Examination.
The
Axial
and
Appendicular
skeleton are the
categories to be tested.
The
Bone Box
will identify
all
of the
structures on the test list.
Print
the list and start
the process.
As each person finishes
their
Bone
Oral
they are given a
list of the
Superficial Muscles
of the Human Body,
as we flesh out the
bones with muscles and nerves. The Superficial Muscles are identified
from a chart showing all of the
Muscles
of the Body
and a written test
of each muscle's name and its action is taken. Following this
exercise a lecture presentation is done on the anatomy and physiology
of skeletal muscle. The Neuromuscular
Junction
is featured with
nervous tissue being covered through the anatomy and physiology of
the neuron. You have a choice of tests for determining
your competency in this section. First, an essay examination that
will ask you, through expository writing and diagrams, to describe
the action of removing your finger from a flame, having foolishly
placed it there momentarily. Secondly, a standard multiple choice,
matching, or true and false examination on the muscles, nerves, and
neuromuscular junction.
With the basic Body
Geography, Biochemistry, Cytology, Histology, Skeleton, and Muscles
introduced you are now ready to begin Dissection
.
Our first dissection
will be some superficial aspects and then the
Internal
Organs of the Grassfrog
(genus
Rana). An
oral examination will determine if these parts have been properly
identified and dissected, and if students understand the basic
function of each organ. This will be followed by a dissection of one
of this Amphibian's
Hind Legs.
The
superficial muscles of the upper and lower portions of the
leg will be identified and dissected. You are to learn the name of
the muscle, its origin and insertion, and its action. For example,
the sartorius originates on the pubis and inserts in the medial side
of femur, Its action is to adduct the thigh. Each muscle in turn will
be done in this fashion and an oral examination will test your
competency.
Dissection will proceed next to the rat (genus Rattus ). A General Dissection will allow you to see some of the evolutionary differences, and similarities between many different organisms. The rat will be tested with two oral examinations. The first will be the name, origin, insertion and action for each of the superficial muscles on the lateral and medial sides of the hind leg. The second will remove many of the superficial muscles in order to examine the deep muscles of the same leg. Following these two exercises the internal organs of the rat will be observed and tested, so that a complete comparison of the frog and rat can be accomplished. Oral examination of the structure and function of each organ will follow the laboratory work.
Completing this portion of the course teaches you the fundamentals of a good dissection, respect for the dissectible, the importance of knowing structure and function orally, and initiates you into the fraternity and sorority of those who understand living organisms in the most realistic way possible. It is important to come away from this work with an aesthetic as well as an intellectual sense of understanding. For many of you this will be the only time that you have the opportunity to be involved with life at this level of intensity.
Approaching
the end of the semester we will move to the
Heart
and Circulation.
The presentation of this organ is done in reverse order of the
previous areas of study. You will be given a sheep heart to dissect
and understand. This heart will be an identical match with a human
heart and will allow you to see and comprehend the anatomy and
physiology of this most publicized of the human organs. Its
History
is fascinating and
its functions even more so. Learning the Cardiac
Cycle
will be your task
here. First, the superficial aspects of the heart will be examined to
determine the left side from the right and the names of the blood
vessels leading into and out of this organ. The internal structures
will be visualized and the movement of the blood will be described
and followed through the heart from its entrance into the right
atrium through the Superior and Inferior vena cava, to its exit from
the aorta as it proceeds through the systemic circulation. Oral
examination will then test your competency.
The lecture will follow this activity emphasizing the Electrophysiology of Cardiac Muscle. The anatomy that was first learned will now be coupled to the controlling factors of heart action with and emphasis on the medical aspects of cardiac function. ECGs will be examined and pathology discussed. A multiple choice, matching, and true and false test will be administered.
If time permits before the final examination for A & P is administered, the Kidney is studied. The structure and function of this organ is done in the fashion you have become accustomed to by this time. The Urogenital System of the rat and frog are used for observation and the physiology of the system is covered in the lecture portion of the presentation. Only a written examination is administered here.
We have reached the end
of the course and what remains is the Final
Examination.
This test will be 10% of the final course grade and is therefore
an important part of your work. The different aspects of the course
will be tested to determine competency and gives you the chance to
determine just how much you have learned and retained during you time
here Human Anatomy and Physiology in D-140. 
"You will have to learn many tedious things.............. which you will forget the moment you have passed your final examination, but in anatomy it is better to have learned and lost than never to have learned at all.."
