This is the first edition for Anatomy and Physiology I for the Health Sciences. Taking an anatomy and physiology course is one of the most challenging courses a student majoring in a health science topic can take. Students take anatomy and physiology for different reasons. This includes studying to obtain a degree in exercise science, nursing, and biology, or in some cases, aspiring to be a dentist or a medical doctor. What makes this book different from other anatomy and physiology lab manuals are the tools included in this book, as well as how the information is organized.
As an instructor for anatomy and physiology for several years, there were certain patterns that emerged when my students attempted to learn the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. These are the systems that challenged students the most. This lab manual is written in a way to make it easier for students to connect these systems with everyday life. For example, the information on the nervous system is organized in a way that’s different from a typical A&P book and includes examples from everyday life. This information is presented in a more practical way can be found in the indices under Tables.
Some of the physiological procedures in the lab manual require access to a Iworx TA-220 or similar model for performing physiological activities, such as the muscle grip activities.
The human body can be thought of as a group of organ systems that are made up of layers structurally, and as a series of events that occur functionally. One of the first challenges of learning A&P is learning the names of layers. To help with learning, there is a section in the index called Layers. In this section, students can see the names of layers of skin, as well as other parts of the body, such as blood vessels, intestinal walls, or heart wall, at a glance.
Another section in the index is called Steps, which covers selected events that are critical for understanding the physiology of the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and urinary system. In this section, students can see (at a glance) the series of events that occur during certain physiological events, such as an action potential, the passage of air from the oral cavity to the alveoli in the lungs, the pathway that blood flows through the heart, the pathway that food takes in the intestines, or the pathway that lymph takes from the bloodstream, through a lymphatic node, and back to the bloodstream.
Another challenge for learning anatomy and physiology is the vast amount of material that students must memorize. Thus, this lab manual also includes helpful tools to do that. For example, it has acronym tools. With these tools, students can use the acronyms provided or develop their own. There is also an interactive Muscle Explorer Tool that students can use for learning skeletal muscles.
Finally, dissection is a great way to learn anatomy hands-on in an anatomy and physiology laboratory. All dissections include a video that students can watch and perform dissections. Meanwhile, the instructor can monitor and provide pointers, make suggestions, or clarify parts of the procedure. In addition to dissection videos, transcripts are provided. Students should be encouraged to take pictures of their dissections and label structures from a pre-determined list (included with dissections) and label the functions of those structures. Labeling structures from dissections has historically challenging in an A&P course due to the lack of tools available for labeling. To assist with this, another tool has been made available that can be used for students who struggle to label structures using Word or PowerPoint. Students can upload multiple pictures using the Image Labeling tool and label structures as needed.
This lab manual is written for different disciplines in the health sciences. Enjoy!
