Anatomy and Physiology

 

 

   

Welcome to the Anatomy and Physiology course. This course will reinforce your fundamental, theoretical, and practical knowledge of anatomy and physiology. In addition, you will learn about health promotion and prevention of the most common diseases, as well as approaching possible scenarios where they will demonstrate their problem-solving skills. It provides you with the basic skills needed. You will have the necessary foundations to be able to carry out more complex studies in the field of medicine and its different specialties.s.

This Anatomy and Physiology course is sponsored in part by the International Development Research Centre and the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. This Anatomy and Physiology course uses learning resources from the OpenStax Library, a nonprofit organization based at Rice University whose mission is to improve student access to education; learning activities for evaluations were developed Carolina Bustillos, MD, DiplEd; Pablo Baldiviezo, MD, MSc.

For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see NextGenU.org’s publication page. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of future updates and new courses and to be part of our community. 

There are six modules to complete, which provide an introduction to: 

Module 1: Levels of Organization
Module 2: Support and Movement
Module 3: Regulation, Integration, and Control
Module 4: Fluids and Transport
Module 5: Energy, Maintenance, and Environmental Exchange
Module 6: Human Development and the Continuity of Life

The completion time for this course is estimated at 277 hours, comprising 86 hours of learning resources, 172 hours to study content and assimilation, and 18  hours of participating in learning activities and quizzes, to assist the learners in the synthesis of learning materials. This course is equivalent to 6 credit hours.

This course requires the completion of all activities. At the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of 10 multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each lesson, quiz, and learning activity, at the end of the course, you’ll have access to a final exam consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions and a chance to evaluate this course. Participants have up to three opportunities to take the final exam and achieve the required score of >=70%. Once you’ve passed that last test, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations. We keep your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request. 

Engaging with this Course:

You may browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements. To register in this course, it is required that learners have obtained a college-level/bachelor's degree. 

• all the reading requirements;
• all quizzes and pass with a 70% with unlimited attempts;
• all learning activities;
• the final exam with a minimum of 70% and a maximum of 3 attempts;
• the self and course evaluation forms.

To obtain credit:

• Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate, and
• Your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they would for their learner taking a course anywhere.  

NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:

• A link to and description of the course training so they can see all its components, including the co-sponsoring universities and other professional organization co-sponsors; 
• Your grade on the final exam;
• Your work products (e.g., case study activities) and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;  
• Your evaluations -- course and self-assessments;
• A copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring universities and other organizations listed.

To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org, contact us.

We hope you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

Here are the next steps to take the course and earn a certificate.

• Complete the registration form.
• Take the pre-test.
• Begin the course with Module 1:Levels of Organization. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, as well as take the corresponding quizzes.

In this module, you will understand the basic human anatomy and physiology, including its language, the levels of organization, and the basics of chemistry and cell biology. These chapters will provide you with a foundation for further study of the body. They also will focus particularly on how the body’s regions, important chemicals, and cells maintain homeostasis.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between anatomy and physiology, and identify several branches of each.
• Describe the structure of the body, from simplest to most complex, in terms of the six levels of organization.
  
• Identify the functional characteristics of human life.
  
• Identify the four requirements for human survival.
  
• Define homeostasis and explain its importance to normal human functioning.
  
• Use appropriate anatomical terminology to identify key body structures, body regions, and directions in the body.
  
• Compare and contrast at least four medical imaging techniques in terms of their function and use in medicine.
  

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 6 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students you will be able to:

• Describe the fundamental composition of matter.
• Identify the three subatomic particles.
  
• Identify the four most abundant elements in the body.
  
• Explain the relationship between an atom’s number of electrons and its relative stability.
  
• Define homeostasis and explain its importance to normal human functioning.
  
• Distinguish between ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and hydrogen bonds.
  
• Explain how energy is invested, stored, and released via chemical reactions, particularly those reactions that are critical to life.
  
• Explain the importance of the inorganic compounds that contribute to life, such as water, salts, acids, and bases.
  
• Compare and contrast the four important classes of organic (carbon-based) compounds—proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids—according to their composition and functional importance to human life.
  

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 5 hours and 54 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students you will be able to:

• Describe the structure and function of the cell membrane, including its regulation of materials into and out of the cell.
• Describe the functions of the various cytoplasmic organelles.
  
• Explain the structure and contents of the nucleus, as well as the process of DNA replication.
  
• Explain the process by which a cell builds proteins using the DNA code.
  
• List the stages of the cell cycle in order, including the steps of cell division in somatic cells.
  
• Discuss how a cell differentiates and becomes more specialized.
  
• List the morphological and physiological characteristics of some representative cell types in the human body.
  

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 16 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students you will be able to:

• Identify the main tissue types and discuss their roles in the human body.
• Identify the four types of tissue membranes and the characteristics of each that make them functional.
  
• Explain the functions of various epithelial tissues and how their forms enable their functions.
  
• Explain the functions of various connective tissues and how their forms enable their functions.
  
• Describe the characteristics of muscle tissue and how these enable function.
  
• Discuss how a cell differentiates and becomes more specialized.
• Discuss the characteristics of nervous tissue and how these enable information processing and control of muscular and glandular activities.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 44 minutes.

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In this module, you will explore the skin, the largest organ of the body, and will examine the body’s skeletal and muscular systems, following a traditional sequence of topics. You will through specific systems of the body, and as it does so, you will maintain a focus on homeostasis as well as those diseases and conditions that can disrupt it.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students you will be able to:

• Describe the integumentary system and the role it plays in homeostasis.
• Describe the layers of the skin and the functions of each layer.
  
• Describe the accessory structures of the skin and the functions of each.
  
• Describe the changes that occur in the integumentary system during the aging process.
  
• Discuss several common diseases, disorders, and injuries that affect the integumentary system.
  
• Explain treatments for some common diseases, disorders, and injuries of the integumentary system.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 4 hours and 24 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students you will be able to:

• List and describe the functions of bones.
• Describe the classes of bones.
  
• Discuss the process of bone formation and development.
• Explain how bone repairs itself after a fracture.
• Discuss the effect of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on bone tissue.
• Describe how an imbalance of calcium can affect bone tissue.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 4 hours and 54 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Describe the functions of the skeletal system and define its two major subdivisions.
• Identify the bones and bony structures of the skull, the cranial suture lines, the cranial fossae, and the openings in the skull.
  
• Discuss the vertebral column and regional variations in its bony components and curvatures.
  
• Describe the components of the thoracic cage.
  
• Discuss the embryonic development of the axial skeleton.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 4 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Discuss the bones of the pectoral and pelvic girdles, and describe how these unite the limbs with the axial skeleton.
• Describe the bones of the upper limb, including the bones of the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand.
  
• Identify the features of the pelvis and explain how these differ between the adult male and female pelvis.
  
• Describe the bones of the lower limb, including the bones of the thigh, leg, ankle, and foot.
  
• Describe the embryonic formation and growth of the limb bones.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 4 hours and 48 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Discuss both functional and structural classifications for body joints.
• Describe the characteristic features for fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints and give examples of each.
  
• Define and identify the different body movements.
  
• Discuss the structure of specific body joints and the movements allowed by each.
  
• Explain the development of body joints.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 5 hours and 54 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain the organization of muscle tissue.
• Describe the function and structure of skeletal, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle.
  
• Explain how muscles work with tendons to move the body.
  
• Describe how muscles contract and relax.
  
• Define the process of muscle metabolism.
• Explain how the nervous system controls muscle tension.
  
• Relate the connections between exercise and muscle performance.
  
• Explain the development and regeneration of muscle tissue.
  

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 5 hours and 18 minutes.

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Describe the actions and roles of agonists and antagonists.
• Explain the structure and organization of muscle fascicles and their role in generating force.
  
• Explain the criteria used to name skeletal muscles.
  
• Identify the skeletal muscles and their actions on the skeleton and soft tissues of the body.
  
• Identify the origins and insertions of skeletal muscles and the prime movements.

Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 7 hours and 39 minutes

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This module helps you to answer questions about nervous and endocrine system control and regulation. In a break with the traditional sequence of topics, the special senses are integrated into the chapter on the somatic nervous system. The chapter on the neurological examination will offer you a unique approach to understanding nervous system function using five simple but powerful diagnostic tests.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Name the major divisions of the nervous system, both anatomical and functional.
• Describe the functional and structural differences between gray matter and white matter structures.
  
• Name the parts of the multipolar neuron in order of polarity.
  
• List the types of glial cells and assign each to the proper division of the nervous system, along with their function(s).