Anatomy and Physiology 212 Fulfillment of USP Requirements

Anatomy and Physiology 212 Fulfillment of USP Requirements

3.Natural Science (with lab - 7 S.H.)

These courses must include requirements and learning activities that promote students’ abilities to...

a.understand how scientists approach and solve problems in the natural sciences;

This requirement is met in AP 212 in several ways in both lab and lecture. Scientific method is central to materials studied in AP 211, AP 212 takes these basic teaching a step further by emphasizing the interrelatedness of the different physiological systems (i.e. how does dysfunction in the heart alters the function of the kidney and urine formation). Students are encouraged to use their understanding of physiology for problem solving as a part of all lectures, laboratory activities, and exams. In the laboratory, collect/interpret blood chemistries (1/26), cardiac electrocardiograms (2/9), lung function tests (2/23), renal tests (3/23) and endocrine function tests (1/21 and 4/6) . Students are required to collect special data as part of a nutritional physiology lab (3/30), after which student groups are then required to prepare a laboratory report that is formally written and includes professional citations. The use of a human cadaver also demonstrates the reality of human form and function, the student requirements for using a cadaver (State law and WSU-Biology Regulations) remind students of the need for humane judgments and moral decision making as part of this course.

b.apply those methods to solve problems that arise in the natural sciences;

This requirement is met in AP 212 in several ways in both laboratory and lecture. Lecture contentcontinually discusses the cause and implications of disease (anatomically, physically, and socio-economically), with special emphasis on how a pathophysiology in one system (i.e. lung,) could influence the function of another system (i.e. acid-base balance of the blood). As an example, if lung ventilation is poor due to pneumonia, then the body may become unable to control blood pH with the result that the blood pH becomes acidic unless the renal system (kidney) can excrete the excess protons (blood acids). As a class we might then discussthe clinical signs of these events and the implications for the patient. We might also discuss morbidity of the condition, costs for treatment and mortality for the condition in the presence/absence of treatment.

c.use inductive reasoning, mathematics, or statistics to solve problems in natural science;

AP211 by nature tends to focus more on memorization and AP 212 by nature tends to focus more on pure application.Creating fluency with discussing the interrelatedness of the physiological systems is the cornerstone of AP212. Inductive reasoning and mathematics are used to measure changes in physiological systemsin lecture and lab as described in items A and B above. A specific example of how they are developed in laboratory would be in the Respiratory Physiology lab (2/23) where students examine the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system. As part of this process students use spirometer software and tape measures to calculate their breathing rate, as well as the maximum volume of air their lungs can contain (vital capacity). They also calculate airway radius to verify why it is that airflow is proportional to the radius to the fourth power.This permits students to understand how asthma (an obstructive disease related to narrowing of bronchioles) is treated by bronchodilator drugs such as albuterol which increase the airway diameter.

d.engage in independent and collaborative learning;

Learning in AP 212 is ultimately the product of a mixture of individual and collaborative efforts. As an example from lecture, the collaborative aspect is develop by having students peer-review the NutritionalPhysiology laboratory write-ups for each others students groups). Occasionally during the semester students in lecture are broken into smallerdiscussion groups where they address topics related to AP212, and further develop collaborative learning methods, for example this is done as part of completing an exercise that teaches students how to edit the laboratory reports of others (4/6). In the laboratory students are reminded on a weekly basis that collaborative study groups 3-4 students invariably experience improved learning and better laboratory exam scores that those who chose to work independently. Independent learning is also promoted by creating special Open Lab times when students are encouraged to study laboratory materials in preparation for the three lab exams used in this course.

e.identify, find, and use the tools of information science as it relates to natural science;

As part of the Nutrition Lab Writing Assignment (4/27-20 points) students are asked to critically examine the results of their test subject and compare their dietary responses to those of the class average. See attached at end of this application. This written seeks to integrate much of what students have learned to do in both AP 211 and AP 212 and is often of near professional grade quality. Indeed student collected data from these project have generated several peer-reviewed manuscripts in the past five years:

Wilson T, Singh AP, Vorsa N, Goettl CD, Kittleson KM, Roe CM, Kastello GM, Ragsdale FR: Human Glycemic Response and Phenolic Content of Unsweetened Cranberry Juice. J Med Food. 2008; 11:46-54.

F Ragsdale,TD Gronli, SN Batool, EC McMahon, KL Ryan, KD West, TW Nalli, CM, Mannello, CJ Sell, PJ McCann, GM Kastello, T Wilson. Effect of Red Bull Energy Drink on Cardiovascular and Renal Function. Amino Acids. 2009; doi:10.1007/s00726-009-0330-z

Additionally students learn to utilize/access D2L and/or course1 websites to down load all lectures outlines/laboratory exercises for completion of course requirements. They also must become proficient in using professional web search engines (i.e. PubMed or Google Scholar) and library resources (i.e. interlibrary loan) for directed searches within the professional peer-reviewed literature.

f.critically evaluate both source and content of scientific information;

A major component of the Laboratory Report write up assignment is to “learn to evaluate the quality of scientific information”. This is addressed on a daily basis as part of lecture as described in A-E above, but specifically in the writing assignment. From the assignment: References Cited: You will need to use at least three references in this laboratory write-up: At least one of which needs to be a peer-reviewed journal reference collected from PubMed/Medline/Science Direct (See search engines at WSU library webpage or As part of this project students are required to compare their hypotheses, to their observations and related the outcome to the expectations that can be supported in the professional literature.

g.recognize and correct scientific misconceptions.

The use of a cadaver permits students to observe and debunk many misconceptions about our bodies. Use of literature search skills provides students with a means to determine fact based on peer-reviewed (professional literature; i.e. Journal of American Medical Association) as opposed to information that isavailable from non-professional sources (websites or popular magazines; SHAPE magazine). By measuring physiological parameters on their own bodies it causes students to reconsider their own body interms of clinical averages. We often have special guest speakers come to class to discuss their personal experiences with a specific disease process, as an example Mr. XXXXXX (person choses to remain anonymous) lectured to my class in 2/14/2008 and 2/23/2009 to discuss his cardiac function. This gentleman is a very lively fellow who epitomizes what one would not expect to see in a person with congestive heart failure and a pacemaker. As part of his disease discussion he shoed students the anatomical location of his pacemaker (large lump under skin under left shoulder) and he allowed us to see his Mayo clinic ECG recordings/results which we were able to duplicate as a student demonstration in lecture.

Courses that satisfy the laboratory requirement in the Natural Sciences will additionally provide students the opportunity to practice scientific inquiry through hands-on investigations and to analyze and report the results of those investigations.

All AP212 laboratory activities integrate hands-on activities throughout the semester. As part of this we have observed glycemic and insulinemic responses in students after a glucose challenge (3/30), examined human chorionic gonadotropin and home pregnancy testing (1/12), created assessments of cardiac function with an ECG (2/9), students also learn how the TV show “HOUSE” usually uses the wrong language to describe ECGs and spirometry assessments of lung function. It is always amazing professionally when the results of students in our lab can be used to confirm the diagnostic tests performed in a clinic at the Mayo Clinic for pathologies such as asthma and heart valve failure, to diabetes and anemia.