BIOL 141Introduction to Human Physiology

3 credits · Biology · Penn State

BIOL141 is a 3-credit course focused on the function of the human body. Students that complete this course will develop both a foundational understanding of key terms and processes related to physiology, as well as a deeper understanding of how the key terms relate to real-world situations. The major processes examined focus on homeostasis and the feedback loops used to maintain homeostasis in the body. Additional content examines how disruptions of homeostatic mechanisms result in disease states. Students will analyze different health-related scenarios to draw connections between vocabulary, processes and resultant diseases. Students will also practice discussing complex physiological processes with peers and interpreting figures used in the field to represent and communicate these concepts, providing skills needed to excel in a physiology-related field. This course utilizes both descriptive and problem-solving techniques and, as a result, may require some review of basic science and math principles developed in previous high school courses. This is a stand-alone physiology lecture course and is not part of the 100-level 8-credit Anatomy and Physiology sequence.