|
Course Objective: The major objective is to prepare medical students for a lifetime of self-learning about how our bodies and tissues function when they are healthy. In order to do this, the enabling objectives of the course are 1) to introduce medical students to the vocabulary and concepts dealing with the major cellular processes and organ systems of the normal individual; 2) explore the homeostatic mechanisms that regulate and control the behavior of major cellular processes and organ systems and, 3) to foster interaction with peers within the framework of a team approach to active learning in Physiology. Physiology may be distinguished from the other basic medical sciences by its concern with function and its emphasis on the processes that control and regulate important properties of living systems. In the healthy human, many properties are actively maintained within relatively narrow limits. The tendency to maintain the relative constancy of the internal environment, even in the face of significant changes in the external environment, is known as homeostasis. A central goal of modern physiological research is directed towards the understanding of mechanisms responsible for homeostasis. Many diseases are characterized by a failure of one or more homeostatic mechanisms. Study of homeostatic mechanisms is therefore of great practical importance. Thus, as noted above, an important course objective is to understand concepts dealing with the function of major cellular processes, organ systems and the homeostatic mechanisms that regulate their interactions. Medical Physiology Schedule Course Director: Duane W. Proppe, Ph.D. Office: 3.035V Telephone: 567-4373 E-mail: proppe@uthscsa.edu Medical Course Administrative Assistant: Mary Miller Office: 3.035V Telephone: 567-4331 E-mail: millerme@uthscsa.edu |