BIOL 252 Shemer Fall 2013, pg. 1
BIOL 252
Fall 2013
Human Anatomy and Physiology
MWF, 12:00-12:50
GS200
Dr. Gidi Shemer
Sections 003-004
Human A&P is an advanced course that investigates the form and the function of the human body. You
should expect a comprehensive, demanding and rigorous class in the next semester.
The course is composed of three class meeting and one lab session each week. The lab will cover the
anatomy of the human body, and the class meetings will focus on human physiology and will cover our
twelve body systems, starting from the nervous and ending with the reproductive system. This is NOT a
class for passive learners. You are expected to be actively engaged in this course through class
discussions, class activities and pre- as well as post-lecture assignments and readings. For a detailed
schedule, please read the excel spreadsheet in the course website or on Sakai (under “Syllabus”).
Prerequisites
BIOL 101 and BIOL 101L
Your Instructor
Dr. Gidi Shemer
Coker Hall 213A
Office hours: Tue, 3:00 - 4:45; Thu, 10:00 - 12:00 or by appointment
Web page: http://www.bio.unc.edu/Faculty/Shemer/
Email: bishemer@email.unc.edu
Course Learning Outcomes
At the end of this semester you should be able to:

Define anatomy and physiology and explain the relationship between structure and function

Define homeostasis and explain why it is important for proper body functions.

Predict the physiological outcomes of homeostatic imbalances

Describe the organization of each of the twelve organ systems of the human body

Describe the major anatomical features of the systems that will covered in the lab sections

Integrate the knowledge you gained in different parts of the course

Apply one’s knowledge of human anatomy and physiology to real life examples
BIOL 252 Shemer Fall 2013, pg. 2
Textbook
Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology by Kenneth Saladin. ISBN: 9780077771508
The textbook is available in the bookstore. This text comes with a web-based software package called
CONNECT that will be the medium through which you will be quizzed and receive short pre-lecture
and pre-lab assignments. The package also includes an interactive eBook, physiology simulations,
animations, and some other interactive tools. The Connect link to this course is http://connect.mcgrawhill.com/class/g_shemer_fall_13. Please note that this is NOT the textbook we used in previous semesters.
Lab
Labs are shared by all students from all sections. They will be taught by Teaching Assistants, and
coordinated by Dr. Corey Johnson, who teaches BIOL 252 for sections 001-002. All questions and
inquiries related to the lab should be addressed to your TA or to Dr. Johnson.
Tutoring
The biology peer tutoring program offers free tutoring Mon-Thu evenings. Eight of my best students
who excelled in this class will be happy to assist you. Come with your textbook and make sure you
come with specific questions. Remember, the tutors are there to help you, not to do the work for you.
The tutoring schedule can be found here: http://bio.unc.edu/undergraduate/course-info/tutoring/
Supplemental Instruction
Twice a week, Tue and Wed, we will offer supplemental instruction (SI) sessions. The sessions will be
led by two undergraduate students who excelled in this class in a previous semester. The SI sessions will
allow you to process and actively practice material that was taught in the previous week. Students
referred to the SI sessions in the past as one of the most significant tools that improved their learning.
Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend and participate in class meetings and labs. While the course follows the
textbook, some of the material discussed in lecture will not be found in the text. You are responsible for
all material and announcements made in lectures. You are not responsible for material that was not
covered in class, unless it was specifically assigned (see detailed schedule for assigned readings).
Assignments
Each week you will have pre-class, in-class, and post-class assignments.
 The pre-class assignments will be based on assigned readings from the textbook and in some casesonline lectures that you will view via the VoiceThread system (see below). The assignments will be
given via the Connect system (see above).
 In-class assignments will include Polleverywhere (see below) and other activities.
 Post-class assignments will include Connect and mostly Peerwise assignments (see below).
The due dates for submitting your assignments can be found on the class schedule posted on Sakai. You
are responsible for submitting the assignments on time. There will be no “second chances” in this case.
Make sure you check the schedule and plan your time carefully. The time for all due dates is 10:00 am.
BIOL 252 Shemer Fall 2013, pg. 3
Interactive educational tools
Polleverywhere
In this class you will use a polling system to answer questions that I pose during class. You can
submit your responses using a laptop or other mobile device with a WiFi connection, such as an iPod
Touch or an iPad. Before you can participate, you'll need to create an account.
For instructions on how to register to Polleverywhere, please follow the guidelines found on Sakai
under the Resources folder.
PeerWise
One of your assignments during the semester will be to create multiple choice questions that address the
material we learn. Asking questions and evaluate your peers’ questions has been shown to be an invaluable
tool in developing deep learning. Posting and reviewing questions will be done through an interactive system
called PeerWise. Instructions on how to register and how to use PeerWise will be given during the semester.
VoiceThread
While some of the pre-lecture assignments will be based on textbook readings, in some cases the
background will be given as mini-lectures that you will access through the VoiceThread system
(instructions on how to register and how to use VoiceThread will be given during the semester). We will
also use this system to cover the Integumentary system that will not be covered during class meetings.
Facebook
The course has a Facebook site that will serve as a platform to share your ideas and questions. I will also
use the site to share announcements and links.
This is a closed Facebook group, and you can join it by following a link that will be sent late by email.
Facebook rules
The site is for the 252 class only. You should not post anything unrelated to the class.
No personal attacks or usage of offensive language will be allowed.
No posts that directly give the answers to assignments are allowed. For instance "The answer to #5 is
C". That being said, you are allowed to ask questions concerning the assignments and your
classmates are allowed to respond, as long as the conceptual framework is being discussed.
If your Facebook post is removed, please do not take it personally. If you feel that you are being
unfairly censored, please feel free to email me.
BIOL 252 Shemer Fall 2013, pg. 4
Grading
The material taught in class meetings and labs will be tested separately but the grades are combined for
the final course grade. Your grade for this course will be determined as follows:
2 midterm exams and 1 final exam = 23% each = 69%
Lab grade: based on lab quizzes and 3 lab exams = 23%
Connect assignments
= 6%
PeerWise assignments
= 2%
Grades will not be assigned for individual exams, only points; you will be able to see how you did from
a posted distribution of scores after each test. Final grades will be assigned on the total number of points
for the entire semester:
A 93-100
B+ 87-89
C+ 77-79
D+ 66-69
A- 90-92
B 83-86
C 73-76
D 60-65
B- 80-82
C- 70-72
F <60
A curve will be used ONLY if the class grade average is <75. Exam questions will be taken from class
meetings and assigned readings. Exams must be taken on the dates indicated during the regular class
period; no makeup exams except in special circumstances, i.e. medical or family emergency documented
in writing. The makeup test may be an oral exam.
THE PROFESSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS,
INCLUDING PROJECT DUE DATES AND TEST DATES. THESE CHANGES WILL BE
ANNOUNCED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.
BIOL 252 Shemer Fall 2013, pg. 5
Schedule
For a detailed schedule, including lab sessions, assigned and recommended readings, and assignments
schedule, please read the course schedule found on our website under the Syllabus folder.
Date
W
F
M
W
Aug
Aug
Aug
Aug
21
23
26
28
1
2
3
4
Class
Introduction to A&P
Fundamental of the nervous system- big picture and basic units
Neurophysiology- the resting and graded potentials
Neurophysiology- the action potential
F
M
Aug
Sep
30
2
5
-
Neurophysiology- Action potential II
HOLIDAY
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Oct
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Nov
Dec
Dec
4
6
9
11
13
16
18
20
23
25
27
30
2
4
7
9
11
14
16
18
21
23
25
28
30
1
4
6
8
11
13
15
18
20
22
25
27
29
2
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Synaptic activity
Brain I
Brain II
Brain III
PNS I
PNS II
Vision
Vision; Hearing
Bone structure and function
Bone growth, development, and remodeling
Joints
EXAM I: lectures 1 through 13
How the muscle cell contracts
Muscles II; Integumentary System- online lecture
How the muscle organ contracts
Setting the tone: physiology of muscles
Endcorine system I
Endcorine system II
FALL BREAK
FALL BREAK
Endcorine system III
Blood and Heart I
Heart II
Heart III
Vascular system
Lymphatic system and Immune system I
EXAM II: lectures 14 through 26
Immune stystem II
Respiratory I
Respiratory II; Introduction to the digestive system
Gastric activity
Digestion and absorption
Digestive system cont.
Urinary I- filtration & reabsorption
Urinary II- reabsorption, secretion and hormonal regulation
Reproductive system- male
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Reproductive system- female
The birds and the bees
M
Dec
13
-
FINAL EXAM 12pm: lectures 27 through 39