BIO211 Human Anatomy Fall 2008

Academic Staff
        Ms. Katrina Olsen
        Office: HS-255
        Phone: 920-424-1102
        Email: olsenk10@uwosh.edu
        Office Hours: TBA

Required Text         McKinley, M.K, and V.D. O'Loughlin.  2008. Human Anatomy. 2nd edition.  McGraw-Hill.  The textbook will be available as a three-hole punch that can be inserted into a binder.  Take advantage of the online learning materials provided for the textbook at McGraw-Hill's ARIS.  A DVD entitled Anatomy & Physiology Revealed is also available as a recommended addition to the textbook.     Required for Lab         A bundle of all lab materials will be available for purchase.  Please make certain that you bring this bundle to every lab.  Extra copies will not be available.  Bring your copy of Human Anatomy to lab each week.

No dissections are required for this course.  Make certain that you bring ample supplies of paper (blank and lined) and drawing materials such as pens and pencils to each lab to complete lab exercises and record any personal observations of the microscope slides, models and cadavers.

Calendar entry: "A study of the fundamental structure and organization of the organs and systems of the human body."  During both the lecture and lab components of this course, there will be a strong emphasis on the interplay between form and function.  The only prerequisite for this course is BIO105 Biological Concepts-Unity or an equivalent course, and you should enter BIO211 with a working knowledge of scientific methodology and the basics of biological organization from the cellular to organismal level.
 

Specific Course Objectives

1. To acquire a precise and accurate structural knowledge of the basic organs and organ systems of the human body and describe concisely their functions.
2. To develop an appreciation and understanding of the 3-dimensional complexity of the human body through a detailed knowledge of the relational positions of major organs.
3. To become fluent in the terminology of the major regions and cavities, directions and planes of section of the human body in order to communicate this 3-dimensional complexity to others accurately and succinctly.
4. To be able to identify gross anatomical and histological details of the major tissues, organs and organ systems from microscope slides, models and diagrams.
 

You will find BIO211 a challenging course that will require a continual and regular commitment to review and preparation for lectures and labs.  Like any anatomy course, BIO211 will be "heavy" with terminology.  You will be confronted with seemingly endless lists of terms to understand for lecture and lab.   Do not feel daunted!  Anyone can master anatomy if the commitment is made from the beginning.
 

Tips for Success in BIO211

1. Attend every lecture and lab!  Yes, this is obvious, but I cannot overemphasize lectures and labs are the opportunities to clarify your understanding of concepts and expand your knowledge.  Be prepared to spend the entire 2 hours in the lab, and take every opportunity to look at available materials and ask questions.
2. Read the assigned text pages.  Prepare for each class by reading the text chapter(s) specifically assigned for a lecture or lab and review previous readings.
3. Take effective notes.  All images used in lectures will be taken from the text unless specified.  Furthermore, the PowerPoint lectures will be made available through the course web page.  So, it will not be necessary to copy every word that is written on each slide during the lecture!  Generally, the more time that one takes copying down text, the less time is spent listening to the lecturer and learning.  Effective notes may be in a variety of forms such as short point-form, flow chart format or even pictorial.  Discover the technique that works best for you!
4. Review your lecture and lab notes after every class.  This step is especially important because it provides you with the opportunity to fill in missing details to improve your understanding, select key terms and concepts for the lecture, and to focus quickly and sharply on those areas where you may need clarification.  As a general rule, expect to spend approximately 2 hours of review for every hour spent in the class.
5. Use the lecture study guides and links that are provided on this web site.  For each lecture, I will provide a study guide that consists of a set of objectives, a list of all key words that you are required to know and understand, the text diagrams that you need to be able to label for the final exam and a set of review questions.  I hope that these study guides will help you organize the information in the lecture and text so that you know precisely what I am asking you to learn and provide you with additional opportunities to self-test your understanding of the lecture topic.  The long list of links on this web site will take you to sites where you can study many of the lecture topics through a much more interactive approach.  Several of these sites also allow you to self-test.
6. Please see me as soon as possible whenever you have any questions, no matter how small they may appear.  It is critical that you ask questions as they arise rather than wait until the last moment just before a test.  I will do my best to be available for you either during my scheduled office hours or by appointment.  We will also get to know each other more quickly and you will become more comfortable approaching either myself or other instructors.
7. Practice writing terms.  In this way, you can learn the proper spelling.  Also, practice drawing and labeling diagrams so that you will be able to quickly recognize structures that require labeling on an exam question.  Although only the final comprehensive lecture exam will include diagrams, it is wise to get into the regular study habit of learning the required diagrams at the start of the course.  Create flowcharts or pathway diagrams to summarize connections between organs and organ systems.  Although we will study the human body according to each individual organ system, you must not forget that all are interconnected both structurally and functionally.  Expect questions that test your understanding of the human body as an integrated whole.
8. Study effectively and intelligently.  In other words, don't cram!  Plan your study sessions in advance and allow for enough time to adequately review the material.  Form a study group with other students if that is an effective study technique for you.  Study to understand rather than simply memorize.  The greatest hurtle for any student in an anatomy course is the sheer volume of information that must be learned.  Repetition remains one of the more effective means of memorizing and understanding information, but it is important that you remember two key points.  First, start early in the semester and study regularly.  If you review continually and on a regular basis, then you will retain more information and improve your understanding.  Second, take frequent breaks while studying.  The human brain is not a sponge.  We can only take in so much information at one time.  After approximately 25 – 30 minutes take a break for about 10 minutes.  Get up, stretch your legs and perhaps get a drink and then return to studying.  Remember the key steps of repeated review and short study intervals.
9.  Models, microscopes, slides, and anatomy models will be available in Halsey Instructional Technology Services (Halsey 259) to aid your studying for lecture and lab exams.  Use every opportunity to study the models and other teaching materials.
10.  Do not fall behind!  Otherwise, these tips and techniques will have only limited benefit.
 
 

Spelling is Important!
One of the goals for this course is for each student to be able to communicate knowledge of the basic structure and function of the human body.  Communication is both verbal and written.  During lab exercises, you will have opportunities to practice your verbal skills.  Exams and lab quizzes are opportunities to demonstrate your written skills.  Spelling is important because a difference in one or two letters can change completely the meaning of a word.  For example, adduction (movement towards the body) and abduction (movement away from the body) refer to opposite actions.  The ilium (one of three bones of the coxa) and ileum (third part of the small intestine) clearly refer to quite different parts of the body.  Within the nervous system, there are two basic divisions: afferent (impulses carried to the central nervous system) and efferent (impulses carried away from the central nervous system).

Spelling will be graded for both lecture and lab.  One half (1/2) of a point will be deducted for any incorrect letter.  The most that you can lose for a question due to incorrect spelling is one half of a point.  If you follow the strategy suggested above of writing out difficult words, then you should be able to master their spelling.

Lab Hours

Behavior in Lab
1. All pagers and cell phones must be turned off or be silenced.
2. No food or drink will be allowed in the lab.  If you need a drink of water, then there is a fountain in the hallway.
3. Please show the proper respect for the cadavers.  The cadavers have been donated so that you will have an opportunity to see the actual tissues and organs.  Out of respect for the deceased individual, the face and genitals will normally be covered until we look specifically at those body parts.  You will have opportunities to examine the cadavers, but nothing is to be removed or damaged in any way.  No photography will be allowed in the lab.

Lab Quizzes (16% of your total course grade) :
Starting with the third lab, there will be a lab quiz each lab period.  Each lab quiz will be based upon the lab from the previous week.  Lab quizzes will consist of short answer questions and identification of structures on projected images of anatomy models or cadavers.  The structures that you will be asked to identify are those that you will also need to know for the lab practical exam, and the quizzes are intended to be practice for the lab exams.  The quiz will take up no more than 10-15 minutes of a lab and be held at the start of the lab.  If you are late, then you will not be allowed to write a make-up quiz.  The lowest quiz mark will be dropped.

Lab Practical Exams (16% of your total course grade):
Lab practical exams 1 and 2 will follow the format of a “bell-ringer” test where you will be asked to identify labeled structures within a time limit.  As the term “practical” suggests, the goal of the lab practical exams is to test your ability to identify those structures that you learned in lab and your understanding of their form and function based upon your observations of materials in front of you. Each lab practical exam is scheduled during a regular lab period.

Important Notes
1. The second lab practical exam will only include material learned since the first lab practical exam.  It will not be a comprehensive exam.
2. No aids will be allowed during a lab practical exam.