Textbook:  Human Physiology by Widmaier et al., Eds. 10th Edition

2007 Exams--NOTE:  topics have changed between exams from 2007 to 2008.  These exams cover slightly different material from what we will cover this semester!  Use these exams as a study guide.  I will not post answer keys for the old exams.  The point of the old exams is for you to look up and learn the answers to these questions.

exam 1, 2007    exam 2, 2007    exam 3, 2007    exam 4, 2007

The grading scale for both exams and final course grades is as follows:

Fall 2008 tentative lecture schedule

Objectives:  Physiology is defined as the study of the function of life processes in living organisms. The lectures in this course will emphasize physiology of mammals with emphasis on human beings.  Emphasis will be placed on cellular mechanisms which influence organ or organ system functions.  Where appropriate, abnormal Physiology (Pathology) will also be discussed.

Examinations: There will be three examinations during the semester plus a final examination.  The hourly exams represent 75% of the final course grade and the final exam counts 25%.  Note: In NO case will one be allowed to take the final examination EARLY (before its scheduled date).  In addition, you must start an exam within 10 minutes of the start time or it will be counted as a missed exam.

The grading scale for exams and for final course grades:

Prerequisites and Preparation:  Students who enroll in this course are expected to have completed two semesters of Introductory Biology, two semesters of General Chemistry, Genetics and Cell Biology, and preferably, one semester of Organic Chemistry. Some of the topics in the first 5 chapters contain material that, in its basic form, is a review of information presented in Introductory Biology. It is assumed that each student will already be acquainted with:

(1) basic cell structure and function of organelles;

(2) general composition of biochemical components (carbohydrates, triacyl glycerides, protein and nucleic acids);

(3) concepts of DNA and protein synthesis i.e. the meaning of replication, transcription and translation,

(4) general ideas of energy metabolism (features of glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain) and

(5) processes of movement across cell membranes (diffusion vs. osmosis vs. active transport).

Each student should scan the first 5 chapters of the text for general content. Students who are in their first semester at SMU (or who are enrolled in this course without having had prerequisites at SMU) are urged to meet with the instructor early in the semester.

Study Skills:

The text is an excellent supplement to the course but cannot substitute for the lectures since we will frequently cover topics in more depth than your text will provide.  Therefore attendance in ALL lectures is strongly recommended.  Here are a few hints on how to earn the best grade possible:

1.  You should spend at least two hours outside of the classroom for every hour of lecture. From students taking the course in the past, I have learned that most students spend closer to 3 hours outside of lecture for every hour of lecture for this particular course.  If you attempt to “cram” the night before an exam, this will guarantee a poor grade.

2.  Be on time to lecture.  This is when difficult material from last session is reviewed.

3.  Your first exam is an early and accurate indicator of how you will do for the remainder of the semester.  If the grade on the first exam is not satisfactory, there are FREE tutors available to students at the A-LEC on the second floor of the Lloyd Center.  Biology tutors are on duty at all times.  Their web-site is www.smu.edu/~alec. 

4.  Sample exam questions are available on the CD-ROM which accompanied your textbook and last year’s exams are posted on the course web site.   Use these as a study guide.  However, I change lecture material every year, and certainly the exams will change as well.  Since last year’s exams are to be used as study guides, I will not hand out the answers to these exams.

5.  The final exam will in part be cumulative, pulling material from the first three exams.  The answer keys to the first three exams will be posted in the hallway outside the main Biology office for the entire time between exams (several weeks).  Make sure that you check these answer keys since you will see some of these questions again on the Final exam!  Once the answers keys are taken down, they will not be available for you to review.

Questions:  The types of questions used in Physiology are posed to address the mechanisms operating to regulate life processes (i.e. the HOW or the WHY events occur).  These types of questions can be phrased in terms of objective questions (multiple choice, True/False).

Subjective questions will involve answers written in a logical manner to respond to a specific query or to address a specific topic. While some "Short Answer" questions can be completed with a word, phrase or a few sentences, other questions require that one or two paragraphs of information be presented.  It is expected that written answers will be presented using a good writing style, correct English and presented in a logical, organized fashion.  The 'How' or 'Why" in a question is a way to ask for the event, the path or regulation by which certain results are attained, e.g. (1) Why does cardiac output begin to decrease as the an increasing heart rate reaches a critical point? (2) Does (or why does) an absence of dietary Vitamin K lead to an increase in internal bleeding? (3) How (and why) does a change in extracellular [ K+ ] influence the resting potential or action potential?

NOTE: to answer this last question as a subjective question, it would be unacceptable to answer either 'IT INCREASES" or "IT DECREASES"; one must also state the reasons for the change i.e. the mechanism or processes involved.

You can expect each semester examination and the final exam to include at least one question each on calculating concentration of solutions or drug dosages (percentage, molarity, osmolarity, mg/kg).  

Grading: Exams will be graded as rapidly as possible but may take as long as 7 days.  The instructor is available to discuss grading of examinations except on the day the exams are returned.  When a student asks for a question to be re-graded, please present, in writing, your reasons for the re-grading (this request provides a step to enhance learning) within one week after the exam is returned.  The Instructor reserves the right to re-grade completely any exam paper where she deems such is necessary. 

Missed Examination: Should it be necessary for a student to be absent from an examination, it is expected that the instructor be advised prior to the date of the examination, the reason must be presented in writing; medical excuses require a receipt from the SMU Health Center or a physicians statement and must state that you were too ill to take the exam.  A vague statement from a physician is not sufficient.

A student who must miss a scheduled exam because of officially approved University activity will be able to take the examination prior to its scheduled time.  Traveling out of town for any reason other than University-sponsored events is not a valid reason for missing exams, unless this travel is for post-graduate work interviews (i.e. Medical School interviews).  As with the official University travel, missed exams due to interviews will be taken prior to the scheduled exams. If a DIRE emergency arises on your way to the exam, you should call my office immediately to let me know why you will be absent.  It is then up to my discretion as to whether you can re-take the exam.  T:  214-768-1241

Honor Code:  Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are fundamental to the process of learning and of evaluating academic performance.  Maintaining them is the responsibility of all members of an educational institution.  You will be required to sign and hand in an Honor Code statement and pledge prior to each exam.

Disability Accommodations:  If you need academic accommodations for disability, you must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations.  Then you should schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.

Religious Observance:  Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing a the BEGINNING of the semester, and should discuss with them, IN ADVANCE, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. 

Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities:  Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation.  It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up their work.