Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems
Course facts
- Payment: Free, no certificate
- Credits: Non Credit
- Learning style: Self-paced, start anytime
- Resources: Exam Solutions; Exams; Problem Set Solutions; Problem Sets
MIT OpenCourseWare details
- As taught in: Spring 2004
- Department: Health Sciences and Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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Energy and mass flow applied to the cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems, with problem sets, exams and solutions, from a 2004 class.
The heart, lungs and kidneys can all be analyzed as systems of energy and mass flow. This course applies those physical principles to major human organ systems, covering how they regulate themselves and maintain homeostasis, and what goes wrong in disease. It emphasizes the systems, features and devices that the methods of physical science illuminate best, and closes with integrating case studies.
What You Will Achieve
- Apply energy and mass flow principles to organ systems
- Model the circulation and the heart as a pump
- Explain the physical basis of electrocardiography
- Interpret mechanisms of regulation and homeostasis
Program Overview
Cardiovascular Physiology
The circulation modeled, measured and controlled.
- Models of the peripheral circulation
- Electrophysiology of myocardial cells
- Clinical electrocardiography and arrhythmias
- Control and integration
Physiological Fluid Mechanics
Flow principles applied in the body.
- Five lectures on physiological fluid mechanics
- Pulmonary modeling
Respiratory and Renal Physiology
The lungs and kidneys, then the whole patient.
- Respiratory physiology
- Renal physiology
- Case study integration
Course Completion
Job Outlook
This material prepares students for further work in biomedical engineering, medical science and physiological research.
Good for: Students who want a quantitative account of the cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems.
Keep in mind: Two animal labs are central to the class and cannot be done on your own, and the course says textbooks and simulation cannot replace them. Problem sets and exams come with solutions.
Bottom line: A demanding, quantitative study of three organ systems, and a good source of worked physiology problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What textbook does it use?
Physiology by Linda Costanzo is the required text, supplementing the class notes. Berne and Levy's Physiology is recommended for students who want a fuller reference.
What were the labs?
There were six, including heart anatomy, electrophysiology of the frog heart, a day-long mammalian circulation lab and pulmonary modeling. Two involve animals, so they stay out of reach for independent learners.
What can be used for self-study?
Ten problem sets and three exams are published, each with solutions. The materials list does not include lecture notes or videos, so you need to rely on the textbook.
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