Human Reproductive Biology
Course facts
- Payment: Free, no certificate
- Credits: Non Credit
- Learning style: Self-paced, start anytime
- Resources: Exams; Lecture Notes
MIT OpenCourseWare details
- As taught in: Fall 2005
- Department: Health Sciences and Technology
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The physiology and pathology of human reproduction: the menstrual cycle, contraception, infertility, pregnancy, prenatal diagnosis and labor.
Human reproduction is taught here from its normal physiology to what goes wrong and how clinicians detect it. Lectures cover the menstrual cycle, fertilization and implantation, sexual differentiation, pregnancy and parturition, and the disorders of each, with quantitative methods where they apply: fetal surveillance, in vitro fertilization and prenatal diagnosis. Each lecture is paired with a short clinical pathological conference that applies the basic principles to clinical cases; menopause and the use of hormone replacement are covered too.
What You Will Achieve
- Describe the normal menstrual cycle and the main abnormalities of it
- Explain male and female reproductive anatomy and physiology, and causes of infertility
- Outline how pregnancy is monitored, including fetal surveillance and prenatal diagnosis
- Relate the principles of teratology to disorders of fetal development
Program Overview
Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology
The male and female systems and the normal menstrual cycle.
- Male reproductive anatomy, physiology and fertility
- Female system anatomy and endometriosis
- The normal menstrual cycle and its abnormalities
- Sexual differentiation
Gynecologic Disorders and Fertility
Pathology of the reproductive organs, contraception and infertility.
- Uterine, ovarian and cervical pathology
- Hormonal and non-hormonal contraception
- Infertility and assisted reproductive technology
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome and ovarian failure
Pregnancy and Prenatal Care
Maternal physiology, the placenta, labor and the tools for checking on the fetus.
- The placenta and maternal physiology
- Hypertension in pregnancy, toxoplasmosis and isoimmunization
- Teratology, ultrasound and prenatal genetic diagnosis
- Uterine physiology, parturition and fetal surveillance
Course Completion
Job Outlook
This grounding supports study and work in obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive medicine, midwifery and biomedical research.
Good for: Medical and health science students who want reproductive physiology tied to the clinical cases it explains.
Keep in mind: Taught in fall 2005 with lecture notes, assignments from 2002 and past exams; its clinical guidance is out of date, so it is no source of current medical advice.
Bottom line: Reproductive physiology and pathology taught by a series of specialist lecturers, with a clinical case after almost every lecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a clinical pathological conference?
A short session after a lecture that works through clinical applications of the principles just taught, for example on the male reproductive system, contraception, the cervix or infertility.
Who gives the lectures?
Henry Klapholz gives most of them, with other physicians on their own fields, such as Abe Morgentaler on the male system, Alan Penzias on the menstrual cycle and Selwyn Oskowitz on infertility.
Which exams are posted?
The fall 2005 final exam is posted with two sample final exams from earlier semesters, and the 2002 assignments cover topics such as phytoestrogens, contraception and prenatal diagnosis.
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