1. 
2. Help
3. Log In

HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TROY, NEW YORK

COURSE OUTLINE

PHYSIOLOGY 03028 LECTURE AND RECITATION OUTLINE, SPRING 2000

PLEASE NOTE: If HVCC is officially closed at the time of an exam, the test will be moved to the following Thursday.

WRITING/LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT

You may be familiar with the weekly clinicopathologic correlation in the New England Journal of Medicine. You may also be familiar with the phrase,"evidence-based medicine."I would like you to write a"clinicophysiologic correlation," with the use of three or more appropriately cited journal articles, web sites, or other non-textbook sources, that is within the context of evidence-based medicine. My approach is that if you can't find at least three reviews or other sources on it, it mustn't be a major issue! This report should represent a new synthesis that comes from your personal reading and understanding. I will give considerable leeway to the choice of topics and articles, but be sure to cover some aspect of physiology, whether clinical or basic. As you may recognize, this is in the same format of what you did in Anatomy 03048. Please consult with me when you have decided on a topic. You may explore any subject of interest, but I reserve the right to limit the number of students on one topic, e.g., I don't want to read six very similar versions of congestive heart failure! Possible journals for examination include: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Family Physician, American Journal of Physiology, etc.

If you made copies of the articles or web sites while working on your report, please attach them to your report--I will return them. This report is due during Week 15, by 5/5/00 (Friday of week 15) at the latest. This will give me time over the last week to read them in depth and get them back to you by the final. I will be glad to go over rough drafts with you during office hours or appointments. Feel free to hand in reports early!

Point value: This report is worth 75 points (half of a lecture exam). Reports will be graded on the basis of completeness, accuracy, grammar, writing style, and difficulty level of articles/topic.

Instructor:

Wilson Crone, Assistant Professor, HVCC Biology Department

303 Fitzgibbons, 629-7439, cronewil@hvcc.edu, http://www.hvcc.edu/academ/faculty/crone/index.html

Office Hours:

Monday: 9 - 11 in my office

Thursday: 11 - 12 in the Biology Study Center (AMZ 219, 629-7545), 12-1 in my office

Friday: 9 - 10 in my office

or by appointment

Grading Policies:

LECTURE includes material/problem solving taken from recitation, with a total of 675 possible points.

1. Four 150 point exams: Thursday, February 17; Thursday, March 16; Thursday, April 27; Finals week. While I try to make the tests non-cumulative, physiology is a"cumulative science" by its very nature.
2. One 75 point physiological"evidence-based medicine" correlation due Friday, May 5

Course grades are based on the overall percentage of the above: 100-90 A, 89-80 B, 79-70 C, 69-60 D, 59-0 F.

Attendance:

Students are expected to attend each lecture and recitation and to be on time. Absences and late arrivals will be reported to the PA program. Students will be responsible for covering material that is missed due to an absence. If an exam is missed, it is the student's responsibility to arrange a make-up exam. Make-up exams will only be given with a valid, documented excuse and at the instructor's discretion.

Overall Approach to Course:

This course has both lecture and recitation components. I intend lecture to present a conceptual framework for physiology and pathophysiology. From that, students should have an overall view of system physiology and be able to use the resource of the texts to explain clinical situations in more detail. Recitation is a time to apply these skills to solve case scenarios in a small group setting. Guyton and Hall is a detailed reference that will detail the underpinnings of most clinical situations. Cormack and Young and Young are profusely illustrated resources that contain many patient scenarios. Michael and Rovick and van Wysberghe and Cooley each contain many case scenarios to work through using physiological principles.

03028 COURSE OBJECTIVES

For each"non-cumulative" lecture exam, the student should be able:

• to understand and explain the underlying principles of physiology of the phenomena covered in lecture.
• to apply the basic physiology to the pathophysiology of common disease states, hence demonstrating why the disease process is presenting the way that it does
• to calculate physiological parameters from given laboratory measurements and explain their significance.

Even though I have tried to be comprehensive, I reserve the right to modify the list of objective below with the lecture test preview sheets, depending on course progress.

Week 1: Introduction, Review of Cell Biology, Review of Hematology Stem Lines

• Define homeostasis and explain ways of how it is achieved.
• Localize biochemical pathways and their functions within cells and organelles.
• Characterize the structure and function of cell organelles, and correlate alterations in changes in structure and function to pathophysiological changes.
• Name and describe major formed blood elements.
• Describe the stem line derivation of these formed elements and their alteration during common pathophysiologic situations.

Week 2: Membrane Function and Membrane Potentials, Muscle Function

• Review the makeup of a typical biological membrane.
• Describe diffusion, its physical basis, and explain how different molecules cross biological membranes.
• Define an equilibrium potential, a resting membrane potential, and discuss how these are produced.
• Describe the function of a sodium (Na⁺/K⁺) pump and its role in active transport and in maintenance of a resting membrane potential.
• Describe the microscopic appearances of skeletal vs. cardiac. vs. smooth muscle.
• Compare the functions and physiology of skeletal muscle to those of smooth and cardiac muscle.
• Define the functioning units of involved in sliding filament contraction.
• Correlate the roles of ATP and Ca²⁺ in muscle contraction with pathophysiologic changes in all three muscle types.
• Draw, label, and describe the normal and altered functions of the cardiac muscle action potential, compared to that seen in other muscle types.

Week 3: Introduction to Nerves, Autonomic Nervous System

• Describe the structure of a neuron and highlight the functional significance of its principal regions.
• Diagram, label, and define an action potential, including the ionic changes that occur with depolarization, hyperpolarization, and repolarization.
• Define neurotransmitters, diagram their function, and explain their activities at the synapse.
• Explain the features of an ion channel and how neurotransmitters affect their operation.
• Describe the structure and function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous systems.
• Define the antagonistic, complementary, and cooperative effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation on different organs.
• Distinguish among the major different types of adrenergic and cholinergic receptors, their locations, their functions, and their interactions with major classes of pharmacologic agents.

Weeks 4 and 5: Cardiovascular System

• Describe the major components of the cardiovascular system and their general function.
• Diagram the normal path of blood flow through the heart, the functions of the different chambers and valves, and correlate changes in valve and/or chamber function with their pathophysiology.
• Describe the structures and pathway of electrical impulse conduction in the heart. Correlate alterations in these structures and pathways with their pathophysiology and clinical presentation.
• Understand the concepts underlying electrocardiograms (EKGs) and be able to explain the basis for the EKG appearance of commonly encountered disorders.
• Describe and distinguish among arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, veins, and lymphatic vessels in their structures and normal function.
• Calculate cardiac output from measurable variables. Define cardiac output and explain its regulation from the Frank-Starling relationship and other influences.
• Define total peripheral resistance, and explain how vascular resistance and blood pressure are measured and regulated.
• Explain the roles of substance such as aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone, renin, angiotensin, and atrial natriuretic peptide in the regulation of blood volume and pressure.
• Correlate clinical conditions such as congestive heart failure, shock, and hypertension with their underlying pathophysiology.
• Highlight the distinguishing characteristics of specialized circulations such as cerebral, cutaneous, hepatic, and muscular.

Week 6: Pulmonary System

• Describe the functions of the respiratory system, distinguish among different zone structures, and discuss the significance of different thoracic membranes.
• Use physical laws (Henry, Dalton, LaPlace, Boyle) to explain pressure changes during ventilation, surface tension, and partial pressures of gases.
• List the values found in an arterial blood gas and correlate them to the control of breathing, the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, and the chloride shift.
• Describe different forms of anoxia and their underlying pathophysiology.
• Describe cardiovascular and pulmonary responses to exercise.
• Diagram and explain the histology and pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and adult respiratory distress syndrome.

• Diagram the gross and histologic anatomy of the kidneys in relationship to the nephron and collecting ducts.
• Define and distinguish among osmosis, osmolality, osmolarity, and tonicity.
• Describe the processes that occur along the length of the nephron to produce urine.
• Calculate glomerular filtration rate and creatinine clearance, and explain their clinical significance.
• Describe how filtration, reabsorption, and secretion occur for different substances, e.g., hydrogen ions, glucose, amino acids.
• List the effects of different substances on renal function, e.g., aldosterone, anitdiuretic hormone, and correlate renal pathophysiology with altered levels of these substances.
• Explain diuretic functions within the context of their sites of activity within the nephron.
• Use your knowledge of both pulmonary and renal systems to explain acid-base regulation and disorders.
• Explain the symptoms and features of altered fluid status, and altered electrolyte levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and chlorine.

• List the structures and regions of the digestive system and describe their anatomy, histology, and function.
• Explain the activities that take place in the mouth and esophagus, along with major alterations of normal function, e.g, achalasia.
• Describe the roles of HCl and pepsin in the stomach and the stomach's normal protection against them.
• Correlate peptic ulcer with underlying changes in the physiology of the stomach and small intestine.
• Describe activities of digestion and absorption that occur in the small and large intestines.
• Diagram the flow of blood in the liver and explain hepatic processes that result from this flow.
• Explain the normal function and circulation of bile and its alteration in jaundice.
• Distinguish between the exocrine and endocrine functions of the pancreas, and explain the underlying pathophysiology of major pancreatic disorders.
• Describe the function and interactions of the different gastrointestinal hormones in digestive regulation.

Week 10: Endocrine System

• Describe the anatomy, histology, and hormone production of the different endocrine organs.
• Explain the role of receptors and concentration in hormone function.
• Compare and contrast the functions of peptide vs. steroid hormones.
• Diagram the overall hypothalamic--pituitary--target organ axis of hormone function, and be able to describe negative feedback of hormones within this context.
• Correlate laboratory values and histologic appearances with pathophysiologic changes in the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands.
• Describe the roles of insulin and glucagon in blood glucose level, and use that information to explain the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia.

Week 11: Bone Metabolism and Function

• Illustrate the regulation of calcium and phosphorus levels and major disruptions to this regulation.
• Identify and label different bone and cartilage structures and their function.
• Explain endochondral ossification and possible disruptions.
• Describe what is involved in fracture healing.
• Describe the pathophysiological basis of osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

Week 12: Reproductive Endocrinology

• Describe the anatomy and histology of adult gonads.
• Describe the hormonal changes that occur with puberty, spermatogenesis, pregnancy, and menopause, and the pathophysiologic changes to these normal patterns.
• Diagram the endometrial, ovarian, and hormonal changes that occur with the menstrual cycle.
• Discuss factors involved in stimulation of uterine contraction during labor, and the hormonal requirements for milk production and expression after delivery.

Weeks 13 to 16: Nervous System

• Review neuronal structure and function from earlier in the course.
• Classify neurons and supportive cells on the basis of their structure and function.
• Describe the process of myelinization, its purpose, and changes seen in demyelinating processes.
• Discuss IPSPs and EPSPs and the significance and interactions of these processes.
• List and characterize major neurotransmitters used in the central nervous system.
• Locate and describe the major structures of the brain and their functions.
• Use neurolocalization to describe different types of speech and sensory deficits.
• List structures involved in the limbic system and discuss the role(s) of this system in emotions.
• Describe a sensory receptor and define the differences between tonic and phasic receptors.
• Describe the characteristics of a generator potential.
• Compare and contrast the sensations of taste and smell and their possible alterations.
• Diagram and describe the functions of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Correlate changes in function with common patient presentations, e.g., otosclerosis, vestibular dysfunction.
• Describe eye structure and the focusing of images onto the retina.
• Classify different visual defects (e.g., myopia, hyperopia) and demonstrate their underlying defect and possible correction.
• Diagram retinal architecture and associated nerve and pigment activity.
• Explain structure and function of skeletal muscle spindles to describe the mechanisms of stretch and other reflexes.
• Differentiate between alpha and gamma motoneurons and their involvement in control of muscle contraction and maintenance of motor tone.
• Review and apply the principles of neurolocalization. Correlate patient findings with probable location of lesions.

|main page| |background| |03028: Physiology| |03048: Anatomy|

|03050: Invertebrate Zoology| |03051: Vertebrate Zoology| |03074: Economic Botany|

Please send comments and questions to: cronewil@hvcc.edu

HVCC home page

Copyright 1999, 2000 by Wilson Crone

External and unofficial links are not endorsed by Hudson Valley Community College

This web site page updated on January 28, 2000