Cardiovascular, Renal, and
Respiratory Physiology
Bio 401
Physiology and Functional Anatomy II
Spring 2014
Prof. Daniel Lemons, Course Director
Office MR630, Phone: 212.650.8479
Office hours: Tuesdays, 1-3PM
dlemons@ccny.cuny.edu
Department of Biology, City College of New York, CUNY
Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
About Bio 401
Catalog Description: This is an in-depth exploration of the integrated functioning of the
cardiovascular, renal and pulmonary systems. Emphasis is primarily on human dynamic, nonpathological responses to a range of conditions including exercise and extreme environments.
Structural and physiological aspects are covered. Clinical case studies highlight the
interdependence of the systems. This course is appropriate for students considering health-related
careers or advanced study in biomedical science. (W) Prereq.: Bio 20700 or permission of
instructor.
Key Course Information
 The text for the course is Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach , Sixth Edition, by
Dee Unglaub Silverthorn.
 iClicker2™ is required; available at CCNY Bookstore.
 BlackBoard™ is the central communication site and resource repository. To help you
prepare there will be course resources available online via BlackBoard, so it is important
that you use it extensively, beginning the first week of the term.
 Class Sessions are in MR 702, Wednesdays, 11:00AM – 1:45 PM. All of the course
meetings will be interactive and students are be expected to be ready to contribute to the
discussion at any time.
 Labs are held in MR820.
Course Faculty and Staff
Laboratory Management
Ms. Suzhen Chen, College Laboratory Technician
212.650.8027
schen2@ccny.cuny.edu
Lab Instructor:
Dr. Margarita Kaplow
mitchico@hotmail.com
Please ask your lab instructors about their office hours and how they can be contacted.
Course and lab design and development by: Dr. Daniel Lemons
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
Course Learning Outcomes: by successfully completing this course you will:
 have developed predictive, mechanistic thinking about transport processes in the
cardiovascular, renal and pulmonary systems;
 have developed an understanding of the integrated functioning of the cardiovascular,
renal and pulmonary systems;
 be able to explain multi-system phenomena using information and processes from the
molecular to the system-level of function and predict responses to novel situations;
 be able to apply common, fundamental mechanisms to each of the three systems;
 have developed skills in experimentation and the interpretation and presentation of data;
 have developed skills in computerized data acquisition and experimental techniques;
 developed skills in effective collaborative team work;
 developed effective self-directed learning skills and become independent learners; and,
 developed a lasting sense of competence and confidence in the ability to solve novel
problems using the skills and knowledge acquired in the course.
Bio 401 Weekly Topics
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Date
1/29
Topic
Introduction to course; excitable cells and tissues; cardiovascular
system overview
2/5
The heart as a pump, cardiac output, chambers, valves, one-way
flow Cardiac cycle; cardiac action potentials, automaticity, cardiac
conduction
2/12
College Closed – Lincoln’s Birthday
2/19
Control of the heart; extrinsic, intrinsic regulation, autonomic NS,
cardiac control
2/26
Vascular system introduction, blood flow mechanics: resistance,
capacitance; vascular regulation: local, autonomic, hormonal
control of vessel diameter
3/5
Blood pressure and its regulation
3/12
Microcirculation and the lymphatics
3/19
Exam I, Covers Weeks 1-6; Kidney overview
3/26
Renal ultrafiltration, flow balance; mass balance in the kidney
4/2
Tubular reabsorption, secretion system; loop of Henle and Water
reabsorption, ADH
4/9
Juxtaglomerular apparatus, renal nerves; volume regulation
4/14-22 Spring Break
4/23
Volume regulation: Angiotensin II, Aldosterone, long-term blood
pressure regulation
4/30
Ventilation: ventilatory structures and lung volumes; lung
mechanics
5/7
Pulmonary gas exchange and the breathing rhythm medullary
mechanisms and feedback; regulation of breathing
5/14
Cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal integration; exercise
Final Exam , 10:30 AM-12:45 PM, Covers weeks 7-14 (100 pts),
5/21
and integrative questions covering all material (100 pts)
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
Weekly Laboratory Schedule for Bio 401
Week
Date
Laboratory
Quiz
1
1/29
Laboratory 1: Tools for physiology
none
2
2/5
Laboratory 2: The heart as a pump
1
2/12
College Closed – Lincoln’s Birthday
3
2/19
Laboratory 3: Intrinsic and extrinsic heart regulation
2
4
2/26
Laboratory 4: Blood flow in the circulation
3
5
3/5
Laboratory 5: The ECG and blood pressure
4
6
3/12
Cardiovascular case studies
5
7
3/19
Laboratory 6: Kidney function
6
8
3/26
Laboratory 7: Kidney function II
7
9
4/2
Laboratory 8: Fluid and osmotic balance
8
10
4/9
Renal case studies
9
4/14-4/22
Spring Break
11
4/23
Laboratory 9: Ventilatory mechanics
10
12
4/30
Laboratory 10: The pathway and amount of lung air flow
11
13
5/7
Laboratory 11: Regulation of breathing; Exercise: the
integration of cardiovascular and
pulmonary physiology
12
14
5/14
Practical Exam: covers weeks 1-14; pulmonary case
studies
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
Assessment
The evaluation will be of the following kinds:
1. Exams (30% of grade): A one hour exam will be given at mid-term on the date indicated in
the schedule and a two-hour exam will be given finals week. These examinations will be
mostly multiple choice but may include some short answer and paragraph answer
questions. Exams will cover all lecture, lab, reading and other material. Most importantly,
all of the questions will be derived exclusively from the Benchmarks. Exam questions
will often involve some reasoning or problem solving as many of the Benchmarks indicate.
So, pay close attention to the Benchmarks when preparing for exams.
2. Progress quizzes (24% of grade) will be given at the beginning of each class session using
iClickers. These will cover the material from the previous week’s topics and/or material
available online for the current week’s topic.
3. Laboratory quizzes (24% of grade) will be given at the beginning of each lab session.
These 10-15 minute quizzes will cover the previous lab session, and will also have
questions about the lab to be done that day. The emphasis will be approximately half from
the previous lab and half from the current lab. Quizzes will include problems to be solved
that are similar to those from the previous lab, explanations of experimental procedures,
graphing, analysis and interpretation of results of similar experiments and application of
information gained in the lab. If you are late to class you will not be given extra time. You
may drop your lowest and highest quiz grades if you wish.
4. A Laboratory practical (5% of grade) will be given. They will cover the material from
slides, dissections and models that you have studied. There will be approximately 15
stations with one or two questions per station for a total of 50 points. You will have two
minutes at each station. The questions on the practical will often require that you explain or
understand the function of the structures displayed; simply naming the structures in such
cases will not be acceptable.
5. One case study presentation and write-up (12% of grade).
6. Online physiology learning module evaluation and posting a review on Blackboard of a
current module such as those at the Khan Academy and other similar sites. (5% of grade).
Summary of Assessment
Points each
Number
Points
Midterm exam
100
1
100
Final exam
200
1
200
Weekly progress quiz
20
12
240
Lab quizzes
20
12
240
Case presentation
50
1
50
Case writeup
70
1
70
Practical exam
50
1
50
Online module evaluation
50
1
50
1000
Total points
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
At the end of the term, you will have accumulated a total number of points based on all the
components listed above. Grades will be recorded on Blackboard. If you divide your total
number of points by 10 you will have determined your percentage score for the term. Grades
will be determined approximately according to these guidelines: A- to A+, ≥ 90%; B- to B+,
80-89%; C- to C+, 70-79%; D, 55-69%; F, ≤ 54%.
Components of the course
This fifteen-week course includes class sessions, laboratory/tutorial sessions, online
materials and out-of-class work. All of the components are designed to complement each other
and create a seamless, thematically-based course. The course activities have been carefully
chosen to support your learning about how organisms function in their environments. To
succeed you will need to be an active participant in all the course settings. You will be called
upon regularly to respond individually to material being considered. You should be present at
every class session and prepared to respond immediately to what is being covered.
Laboratories
There are fourteen laboratory sessions. At the beginning of each laboratory session you will
take a quiz that covers the material from the preceding lab exercise as well as background
material for the current week’s lab exercise. These quizzes will be graded and each quiz will
contribute 20 points towards the final course grade. If you miss more than one laboratory
session you will be dropped from the course.
Reading
The text for the course is Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach. You are encouraged
to consult other physiology texts as well and to explore online resources such as the Khan
Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/healthcare-and-medicine). The publisher of
the text also has a website with study aids and other material for each chapter. There will also
be additional reading material handed out throughout the term, and you will also need to consult
an introductory level biology text occasionally. Reading assignments will be given ahead of
time and you are expected to keep up with them so you are prepared to actively participate in
class sessions. Because the weekly lab quizzes cover both the previous lab and the current lab,
you are expected to come to lab having reviewed the background material of the current day’s
lab and having read the laboratory write-up.
Written assignments
There will be an automatic deduction for late papers which must be submitted by 11:59PM
on the due date. Your instructors will use websites that check for plagiarized material. (See the
“fine print” at the end of the syllabus.)
Course Resources – Making it Work
How do you know what you are really supposed to learn?
Since you will learn material in reading, presentations, labs, online and through out-of-class
problem sets, you are no doubt going to wonder what you are really expected to learn. To help
you answer that question, you will have a guide for every part of the course that spells out
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
clearly how you are expected to demonstrate your learning. On BlackBoard you will find
Learning Benchmarks for each unit which indicate specifically what level of detail you should
know and what you should be able to do to demonstrate that you have mastered the material.
The reading in particular contains a great deal of detail, and you can use the Benchmarks to
guide you in deciding which details to devote your attention to when preparing for quizzes and
exams. You will notice that the laboratory exercises also have Benchmarks which will be
covered in laboratory quizzes. Benchmarks will enable you to assess your progress and to
prepare for exams and quizzes.
What are the most important study strategies?
A number of studies show that the most important factors in succeeding as a student are:
1) allocating enough out-of-class study time; 2) studying and reviewing effectively with your
fellow students; and, 3) preparing before class sessions. For you to succeed and develop your
ability to think through the mechanisms used by organisms, you must come to class prepared,
having completed preparatory reading and exercises.
Getting Organized
Many of the materials for the course will be posted on Blackboard or handed out on a
weekly basis. Monitor Blackboard regularly to keep up-to-date.
Biology Resource Center and Campus Resources (Room J502 and NAC Tech Center)
A resource center in MR502 is maintained by the Biology department. It holds some
useful tools for self-study including books, tutorial services and internet access. The new
NAC cITy Tech Center has many state-of-the-art group study rooms with full technology
available, including multiple laptop plug-in and display ports per room. These rooms can be
scheduled ahead of time. Students are urged to avail themselves of these resources.
Office hours
The teaching staff is available during specific times which will be announced and posted
on BlackBoard. You are encouraged to come frequently to see your instructors during those
hours. If you cannot come during office hours, please phone or email your instructor to make
an appointment. Although your instructor may appear to be available should you stop by
during times other than announced office hours, frequently he or she will be involved in other
work commitments and will have difficulty sparing the time outside office hours, so arrange
meetings ahead of time.
Policies (the fine print)
Grades obtained are final and not negotiable
You will have sufficient graded work to assess your standing before the 4/24/2014
deadline for withdrawal. If you have an average below 55% at that time you may want to
seriously consider withdrawing from the course. If you are concerned about your grades,
please see your lab instructor to discuss how you might adapt your studying to improve them.
If you receive a score of less than 60% for the midterm, please make an appointment to see
me. There will be no extra-credit options. If you find you are doing less well than you hoped,
your best strategy will be to try to figure out what isn’t working for you and then applying that
understanding to the remaining work of the term.
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend every class session of each course in which they are
enrolled and to be on time. An instructor has the right to drop a student from a course for
excessive absence. Students are advised to determine the instructor’s policy at the first class
session. They should note that an instructor may treat lateness as equivalent to absence. (No
distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences.) Each instructor retains the
right to establish his or her own policy, but students should be guided by the following general
College policy: In courses designated as clinical, performance, laboratory or field work
courses, the limit on absences is established by the individual instructor. For all other courses,
the number of hours absent may not exceed twice the number of contact hours the
course meets per week. When a student is dropped for excessive absence, the Registrar will
enter the grade of WU.
Absences from tests and exams
Unless a medically certified reason or official notification of death in the family, and/or
police report of a car accident is provided, there will be no opportunities to reschedule tests
nor will there be any retakes if you miss a quiz, practical, test or exam. You may go to a
different lab section to catch up, provided there is space available and you obtain prior
permission from the instructor.
Incompletes and other contingencies
Incomplete grades (INC) will not be given for any reason except the documented inability
to finish one part of the course such as an exam. This is the college’s policy. If
documentation of illness or other serious situation is presented, an Incomplete may be given,
and when the missing material is completed a final grade will be assigned. An Incomplete
does not allow you to retake the entire course; you will only make up the part that you have
missed. Do not ask for an incomplete unless you have a very good reason; it will not be given
as an alternative to a failing grade or a withdrawal.
Laboratory maintenance
The laboratory is managed by Ms. Suzhen Chen. She will ensure that all the materials for
the laboratory exercises are available and that the lab is clean and ready for each session. For
your part, on completion of laboratory exercises, please wash all glassware you may have
used, put any equipment away and leave the laboratory clean and tidy. No food or drink is
allowed in the lab.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
The academic world, like the scientific and medical communities, has no tolerance for
presenting the words of others as your own. This could be simply lifting sections from
texts; copying work off the internet, copying answers from previous years’ classes or
copying your fellow classmate’s work. We maintain the following standard: It is
plagiarism if you copy more than a phrase or a sentence without having it in quotation
marks with the original source indicated, or if you paraphrase a paragraph or more
without indicating what the source is. Please do not plagiarize work, for we will be
forced to report you to the College disciplinary authorities which could lead to your
failing the course and/or other disciplinary consequences.
CUNY Academic Integrity Policy
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Bio 401 Syllabus – Spring 2014
The CUNY Policy on plagiarism says the following about plagiarism (it can be found at:
http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/about/upload/academic_integrity.pdf
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own.
The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:
1. Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes
attributing the words to their source.
2. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging
the source.
3. Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
4. Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
5. Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers,
paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and
“cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
The procedures in cases of suspected breaches of academic integrity are delineated in the
CUNY document referenced above. Where necessary we will follow these procedures without
exception, working with the CCNY Academic Integrity Office.
Additional information on what constitutes plagiarism can be found at:
http://www.plagiarism.org
Disability Statement
In compliance with CCNY policy and equal access laws, appropriate academic
accommodations are offered for students with disabilities. Students must register with The
AccessAbility Center for reasonable academic accommodations. The AccessAbility Center is
located in the North Academic Center (NAC), Rm. 1-218. Tel: (212) 650-5913. Under The
Americans with Disability Act, an individual with a disability is a person who has a physical
or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. If you have
any such issues, I encourage you to visit the AccessAbility Center to determine which services
may be appropriate for you.
Courtesy Policy
Eating, drinking, or use of unauthorized hand held electronic equipment is not allowed in
the classroom.
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