BIOL 217 - Human Physiology

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

What happens when you go on a ski trip and stay at high altitude? How do diuretics help with the regulation of blood pressure? How do we maintain our body temperature or respond to an infection? How does the environment affect our physiology, particularly heat waves, noise pollution, or chemical toxins? This course considers the fundamental principles of human physiology. We examine genetic, cellular, organismal and evolutionary aspects of how our bodies operate to enable us to eat, sleep, move, breathe and reproduce. We consider how our mammalian bodies tackle the problems of terrestrial life, particularly during the Anthropocene. A weekly four hour workspace offers a unique opportunity for community engagement. Students work with a local agency focused on human health, nutrition or education and collaborate on a community-based project that applies knowledge of human physiology to important community efforts. Kathleen Susman.

Prerequisite(s): BIOL 108.

Students can take only one of BIOL 217 or BIOL 218.

Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

Course Format: CLS