Human Anatomy and Physiology Course
Acquire and deepen your knowledge in Human Anatomy and Physiology.
This course provides you with the knowledge base to a career in Human Health and Wellbeing. You will understand what is a human body, how it works and which factors determine health.
ACS Student Comments: The materials were clear and informative and lead you to explore other information. The online quizzes were a good way to check understanding. The assessments meant you needed to research in more depth. I have started an Occupational Therapy course at Uni so it has given me a good foundation. An excellent learning opportunity to work in my own time, but with support. Lisa Greenhead, UK - Human Biology 1a (Anatomy and Physiology) course.
Lesson Structure
There are 6 lessons in this course:
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Cells & Tissues -
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Explains the human body at a microscopic level, including the structure and function of cells, tissues and membranes.
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Includes: the cell; human tissues; cell division; cell process; nutrient and waste exchange in cells.
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The Skeleton -
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Examines features of the human skeletal system.
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Includes: bone anatomy; bone types; number of bones in adult human body; joints of bone; bone movements; the skeleton; fractures and fracture healing; osteoporosis.
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The Muscular System -
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Describes the human muscular system, in terms of structure and basic function.
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Includes: tendons; movement; muscle fibre types; skeletal muscle types; summary.
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The Nervous System
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Looks at the human nervous system, in terms of structure and basic functions.
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Includes: nerve cells; sensory neurons, motor neurons; nerve terminology; the nervous system; central and peripheral nervous system; main parts of the nervous system; the spinal cord; cranial nerves; the autonomic nervous system; reflex actions.
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Digestion & Excretion -
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Explains different physiological systems of digestion and excretion in the body.
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Includes: alimentary canal; mouth; oesophagus; stomach; small intestine; large intestine; accessory digestive organs; tongue, teeth, salivary glands; liver; pancreas, nutrient digestion disorders; selected digestive system disorders; vomiting; peptic ulcer, jaundice; haemorrhoids; cirrhosis; excretion; urinary system.
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Physiological Systems
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Focuses on the different physiological systems of the body.
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Includes: endocrine system.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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To explain the human body at a microscopic level, including the structure and function of cells, tissues and membranes.
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Explain features of the human skeletal system.
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Describe the human muscular system, in terms of structure and basic function.
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Explain the human nervous system, in terms of structure and basic functions.
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Explain different physiological systems of digestion and excretion in the body.
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Explain different physiological systems of the body.
What You Will Do
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Observe and identify parts of the human body
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Dissect an animal heart (obtained from a butcher)
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Observe different types of animal tissues (obtained from a butcher)
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Prepare a summary explaining the function of the main types of human body tissues
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Explain, in your own words, different problems that can occur with different human tissues
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Explain cellular division (mitosis and meiosis)
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Explain problems that can occur with different bones
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Explain the purpose of different structural components of muscle tissue, in a human muscle of your choice
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Explain the function of a typical nerve cell, using words and illustrations
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Explain the function of the central nervous system, using words and illustrations
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Describe different physiological process which occur in the digestive system
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Describe different physiological process which occur in a properly functioning excretory system
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Broadly classify the effects of hormones
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Explain different processes which occur in a properly functioning endocrine system
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Describe the anatomy of the lung
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List the parts of the respiratory system
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Define inspiration and expiration
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Discuss the trachea
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Explain processes that occur in a properly functioning respiratory system
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Draw and label diagrams of the parts of respiratory system
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Research further information relevant to human anatomy and physiology, using resources available to you (which may be different for different students)
Why Study Human Biology
If you work or wish to work in fitness, allied health or health services; you need to understand the parts of the human body, both inside and out.
If you want to look after your own health and wellbeing better; you need this very same knowledge.
This course is a critical first step for anyone who hasn't yet developed a solid, comprehensive understanding of human anatomy and physiology. Taking around 100 hours to complete; it will involve more work than some other "foundation" courses; but studying more means that you will learn more, and retain more after your studies.
Do You already Work in Health or Fitness?
If you do, you may be encountering things that you don't fully understand. If your lack of knowledge is a problem, this course may be a solution.
Do You Want To Work in Health or Fitness?
These are extensive industries, with thousands of different types of jobs. Fitness leaders, doctors and nurses are only a small proportion of the jobs involved.
Many commercial enterprises in health or fitness industries employ people to work in jobs including manufacturing, marketing, administration, education and media. Consider the needs of hospitals, dental clinics, testing laboratories, alternative therapists, health food shops, gymnasiums, and physiotherapists, to mention only a few. All are supplied with materials, equipment and services by suppliers who are better suited to their jobs when they better understand basic human anatomy and physiology.
Fitness leaders, medical receptionists and gym equipment salesmen may well not need to know as much about human biology as what is covered in this course; but any who do, will have an edge in the workplace over those who do not.
Some will take a course like this as a "first step" toward something else. It may be the first of many courses you do with us, to build up to a certificate or it may be a primer, to gain some basic knowledge before moving on to study health science, nursing or something more advanced elsewhere.
How You Learn
Our courses, this included, are "experiential". This means you learn through "experience", not just by reading or listening to a lecture, then trying to remember something.
Throughout your studies, you will not only read things (like the passage below on bones); but you will be given things to do, assignments to complete, and opportunities to interact with "real" tutors, who are experts in the subject. By going over the same or related information in different contexts, you will see and consider things about the human body in different ways. This expands and reinforces not only your factual knowledge, but also your ability to comprehend and apply that knowledge in different contexts.
What are Bones?
"There are several different types of bone which will be discussed later in this section. A typical bone is made up of a shaft and two ends (known as extremities). The outer shell of a typical bone is known as compact bone. This layer is hard and covers most of the surface of the bone. The two extremities consist of spongy bone. This is made up of plates that form a porous network.
The spaces within this network are usually filled with bone marrow which is a soft, fatty substance. Inside the shaft is the medullary cavity which is a hollow that is filled with bone marrow. Some bone ends are involved in joint movement. Where this occurs the extremity is covered with a thin layer of smooth cartilage. This cartilage is called the articular cartilage and its job is to provide a friction-free surface to aid movement.
Around the entire surface of the bone (except where there is articular cartilage) is a thin, fibrous membrane called the periosteum. Bone-forming cells are located here and are responsible for laying down bone to increase the width of long bones. It also lays down bone in response to healing at places where fractures have occurred.
Between the shaft and extremity is a disc of cartilage called the epiphysial cartilage. Osteoblasts (bone forming cells) are located in this disc and lay down bone which makes the bone longer. This disc is only active in the human until mature size is reached. After this, the disc ossifies. In humans this happens in the late teens or early twenties.
About one third of the weight of bone consists of fibrous tissues and cells which make a framework. Two thirds consists of the inorganic salts which are deposited within the framework to make bone tissue hard. These salts are chiefly calcium and phosphorus (in fact, calcium phosphate accounts for some 80% of salts deposited in bone). Other salts include calcium carbonate and magnesium phosphate."
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
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