BIOL181

ST UDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and
serves only as a preparatory reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until
the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the updated course syllabus.
Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus
may NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet
started. If you need to verify course textbooks, please refer to the online course
description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material of APUS.

Course Summary
Course : BIOL181 Title : Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology
Length of Course : 8
Prerequisites : N/A Credit Hours : 3

Description
Course Description: This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of biology emphasizing
the structure and function of the human body. The course will begin with a general introduction to biology and
the scientific method. It continues with an overview of organic chemistry, a study of cellular and tissue
structure and function, the organization and regulation of body systems, and then move on to survey each of
the following organ systems of the human body: cardiovascular, lymphatic, and immune, digestive,
respiratory, urinary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive. The course closes with
introductions to genetics, and human evolution and ecology. Students will discuss the process of the
scientific method and also demonstrate science information literacy skills through source selection and
creation of a narrated presentation.
Course Scope:

Objectives
After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:
CO-1 Explain the characteristics common to all living things, describe the levels of organization of life,
explain the theory of evolution, and describe the scientific method.
CO-2 State the basic principles of cell theory and describe the structures cell are composed of. Differentiate
the methods of transport across the plasma membrane and identify the various types of tissues. Explain the
concept and mechanisms involved in homeostasis.
CO-3 List the functions of blood and describe the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels.
CO-4 Describe the basic structures and functions of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems.
CO-5 Identify the structure and location of bones, list examples of the various types of joints, describe the
process of muscular contraction, and identify the muscles affected by specific movements. List the structures
and basic functions of the nervous system and describe how a nerve impulse is generated and conducted.
CO-6 Describe the function and organization of the endocrine and lymphatic systems, and define
metabolism and describe its importance in homeostasis. Explain the functions of the male and female
reproductive organs.
CO-7 Describe patterns of human genetic diversity and explain the role of DNA and issues in DNA
technology.
CO-8 Describe how organisms interact with their environments and explain the relationship of humans with
ecosystems.

Outline
Week 1: Exploring Life & Science and Basic Chemistry

Learning Outcomes
CO-1
Required Readings
The BIOL181 Course Syllabus
The BIOL181 Course Project Guide

Week 1 Lesson

Week 1 Scientific Method Lesson

Concepts of Biology - 1 Unit 1: The Cellular Foundation of Life

Chapter 1. Introduction to Biology

Introduction
1.1 Themes and Concepts of Biology
1.2 The Process of Science

Anatomy and Physiology - 1 Unit 1: Levels of Organization

Chapter 2. The Chemical Level of Organization

Introduction
2.1 Elements and Atoms: The Building Blocks of Matter
2.2 Chemical Bonds
2.3 Chemical Reactions
2.4 Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
2.5 Organic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Assignments
Week 1 Forum

Academic Honor Code Quiz

Week 1 Quiz

Recommended Optional Reading

Recommended Media
Week 2: Cells, Tissues, and the Regulation of Body Systems

Learning Outcomes
CO-2
Required Readings
Week 2 Lesson

Week 2 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 1 Unit 1: Levels of Organization

Chapter 1. An Introduction to the Human Body

Introduction
1.1 Overview of Anatomy and Physiology
1.2 Structural Organization of the Human Body
1.3 Functions of Human Life
1.4 Requirements for Human Life
1.5 Homeostasis
1.6 Anatomical Terminology
Chapter 3. The Cellular Level of Organization
Introduction
3.1 The Cell Membrane
3.2 The Cytoplasm and Cellular Organelles
3.3 The Nucleus and DNA Replication
3.4 Protein Synthesis
3.5 Cell Growth and Division
3.6 Cellular Differentiation
Chapter 4. The Tissue Level of Organization
Introduction
4.1 Types of Tissues
4.2 Epithelial Tissue
4.3 Connective Tissue Supports and Protects
4.4 Muscle Tissue and Motion
4.5 Nervous Tissue Mediates Perception and Response
4.6 Tissue Injury and Aging

Anatomy and Physiology - 2 Unit 2: Support and Movement

Chapter 5. The Integumentary System

Introduction
5.1 Layers of the Skin
5.2 Accessory Structures of the Skin
5.3 Functions of the Integumentary System
5.4 Diseases, Disorders, and Injuries of the Integumentary System
Assignments

Week 2 Forum

Week 2 Quiz
Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Week 3: Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, and Immune Systems

Learning Outcomes
CO-3
Required Readings
Week 3 Lesson

Week 3 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 4 Unit 4: Fluids and Transport

Chapter 18. The Cardiovascular System: Blood
Introduction
18.1 An Overview of Blood
18.2 Production of the Formed Elements
18.3 Erythrocytes
18.4 Leukocytes and Platelets
18.5 Hemostasis
18.6 Blood Typing
Chapter 19. The Cardiovascular System: The Heart
Introduction
19.1 Heart Anatomy
19.2 Cardiac Muscle and Electrical Activity
19.3 Cardiac Cycle
19.4 Cardiac Physiology
19.5 Development of the Heart
Chapter 20. The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Circulation
Introduction
20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels
20.2 Blood Flow, Blood Pressure, and Resistance
20.3 Capillary Exchange
20.4 Homeostatic Regulation of the Vascular System
20.5 Circulatory Pathways
20.6 Development of Blood Vessels and Fetal Circulation
Chapter 21. The Lymphatic and Immune System
Introduction
21.1 Anatomy of the Lymphatic and Immune Systems
21.2 Barrier Defenses and the Innate Immune Response
21.3 The Adaptive Immune Response: T lymphocytes and Their Functional Types
21.4 The Adaptive Immune Response: B-lymphocytes and Antibodies
21.5 The Immune Response against Pathogens
21.6 Diseases Associated with Depressed or Overactive Immune Responses
21.7 Transplantation and Cancer Immunology
Assignments

Week 3 Forum

Week 3 Quiz

Assignment #1: Annotated Bibliography

Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Week 4: Digestive, Respiratory, and Urinary Systems

Learning Outcomes
CO-4
Required Readings
Week 4 Lesson
Week 4 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 5 Unit 5: Energy, Maintenance, and Environmental Exchange

Chapter 22. The Respiratory System

Introduction
22.1 Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System
22.2 The Lungs
22.3 The Process of Breathing
22.4 Gas Exchange
22.5 Transport of Gases
Chapter 23. The Digestive System
Introduction
23.1 Overview of the Digestive System
23.2 Digestive System Processes and Regulation
23.3 The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus
23.4 The Stomach
23.5 The Small and Large Intestines
23.6 Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder
23.7 Chemical Digestion and Absorption: A Closer Look
Chapter 24. Metabolism and Nutrition
Introduction
24.5 Metabolic States of the Body
24.6 Energy and Heat Balance
24.7 Nutrition and Diet
Chapter 25. The Urinary System
Introduction
25.1 Physical Characteristics of Urine
25.2 Gross Anatomy of Urine Transport
25.3 Gross Anatomy of the Kidney
25.4 Microscopic Anatomy of the Kidney
25.5 Physiology of Urine Formation
25.6 Tubular Reabsorption
25.7 Regulation of Renal Blood Flow
25.8 Endocrine Regulation of Kidney Function
25.9 Regulation of Fluid Volume and Composition
25.10 The Urinary System and Homeostasis
Assignments

Week 4 Forum
Week 4 Quiz
Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Week 5: Skeletal, Muscular, & Nervous Systems and Senses

Learning Outcomes
CO-5
Required Readings
Week 5 Lesson

Week 5 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 2 Unit 2: Support and Movement

Chapter 6. Bone Tissue and the Skeletal System

Introduction
6.1 The Functions of the Skeletal System
6.2 Bone Classification
6.3 Bone Structure
6.4 Bone Formation and Development
6.5 Fractures: Bone Repair
6.6 Exercise, Nutrition, Hormones, and Bone Tissue
6.7 Calcium Homeostasis: Interactions of the Skeletal System and Other Organ Systems
Chapter 7. Axial Skeleton
Introduction
7.1 Divisions of the Skeletal System
7.2 The Skull *Focus on main points
7.3 The Vertebral Column *Focus on main points
7.4 The Thoracic Cage *Focus on main points
Chapter 8. The Appendicular Skeleton
Introduction
8.1 The Pectoral Girdle *Focus on main points
8.2 Bones of the Upper Limb *Focus on main points
8.3 The Pelvic Girdle and Pelvis *Focus on main points
8.4 Bones of the Lower Limb *Focus on main points

Biology - 7 Unit 7. Animal Structure and Function

Chapter 38. The Musculoskeletal System

38.3 Joints and Skeletal Movement

Anatomy and Physiology - 2 Unit 2: Support and Movement

Chapter 10. Muscle Tissue

Introduction
10.1 Overview of Muscle Tissues
10.2 Skeletal Muscle
10.3 Muscle Fiber Contraction and Relaxation
10.4 Nervous System Control of Muscle Tension
10.5 Types of Muscle Fibers
Chapter 11. The Muscular System
Introduction
11.1 Interactions of Skeletal Muscles, Their Fascicle Arrangement, and Their Lever Systems
11.2 Naming Skeletal Muscles

Anatomy and Physiology - 3 Unit 3: Regulation, Integration, and Control

Chapter 12. The Nervous System and Nervous Tissue

Introduction
12.1 Basic Structure and Function of the Nervous System
 12.2 Nervous Tissue
12.3 The Function of Nervous Tissue
12.4 The Action Potential
12.5 Communication Between Neurons
Chapter 14. The Somatic Nervous System
Introduction
14.1 Sensory Perception
Chapter 15. The Autonomic Nervous System
15.4 Drugs that Affect the Autonomic System
Assignments

Week 5 Forum

Week 5 Quiz
Assignment #2: The Outline
Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Week 6: Endocrine & Reproductive Systems and Development and Aging

Learning Outcomes
CO-6
Required Readings
Week 6 Lesson
Week 6 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 3 Unit 3: Regulation, Integration, and Control

Chapter 17. The Endocrine System

Introduction
17.1 An Overview of the Endocrine System
17.2 Hormones
17.3 The Pituitary Gland and Hypothalamus
17.4 The Thyroid Gland
17.5 The Parathyroid Glands
17.6 The Adrenal Glands
17.7 The Pineal Gland
17.8 Gonadal and Placental Hormones
17.9 The Endocrine Pancreas
17.10 Organs with Secondary Endocrine Functions
Anatomy and Physiology - 6 Unit 6: Human Development and the Continuity of Life

Chapter 27. The Reproductive System

Introduction
27.1 Anatomy and Physiology of the Male Reproductive System
27.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Female Reproductive System
27.3 Development of the Male and Female Reproductive Systems
Chapter 28. Development and Inheritance
Introduction
28.1 Fertilization
 28.2 Embryonic Development
28.3 Fetal Development
28.4 Maternal Changes During Pregnancy, Labor, and Birth
28.5 Adjustments of the Infant at Birth and Postnatal Stages
28.6 Lactation
Assignments

Week 6 Forum
Week 6 Quiz

Recommended Optional Reading

Recommended Media

Week 7: Human Genetics

Learning Outcomes
CO-7
Required Readings
Week 7 Lesson

Week 7 Scientific Method Lesson

Anatomy and Physiology - 6 Unit 6: Human Development and the Continuity of Life

Chapter 28. Development and Inheritance

28.7 Patterns of Inheritance

Concepts of Biology - 3 Unit 3. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Chapter 9. Molecular Biology

Introduction
9.1 The Structure of DNA
9.2 DNA Replication
9.3 Transcription
9.4 Translation
9.5 How Genes Are Regulated

Biology - 3 Unit 3. Genetics

Chapter 13. Modern Understandings of Inheritance

13.2 Chromosomal Basis of Inherited Disorders

Concepts of Biology - 3 Unit 3. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Chapter 10. Biotechnology
Introduction
10.1 Cloning and Genetic Engineering
10.2 Biotechnology in Medicine and Agriculture
10.3 Genomics and Proteomics
Assignments

Week 7 Forum
Week 7 Quiz

Assignment #3: The Presentation

Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Week 8: Human Evolution and Ecology

Learning Outcomes
CO-8
Required Readings
Week 8 Lesson

Week 8 Scientific Method Lesson

Biology - 5 Unit 5. Biological Diversity

Chapter 29. Vertebrates

29.7 The Evolution of Primates

Concepts of Biology - 4 Unit 4. Evolution and the Diversity of Life

Chapter 11. Evolution and Its Processes

Introduction
11.1 Discovering How Populations Change
11.2 Mechanisms of Evolution
11.3 Evidence of Evolution

Concepts of Biology - Unit 6. Ecology

Chapter 19. Population and Community Ecology

Introduction
19.1 Population Demographics and Dynamics
19.2 Population Growth and Regulation
19.3 The Human Population
19.4 Community Ecology
Chapter 20. Ecosystems and the Biosphere
Introduction
20.1 Energy Flow through Ecosystems
20.2 Biogeochemical Cycles
20.3 Terrestrial Biomes
 20.4 Aquatic and Marine Biomes
Chapter 21. Conservation and Biodiversity
Introduction
21.1 Importance of Biodiversity
21.2 Threats to Biodiversity
21.3 Preserving Biodiversity
Assignments

Week 8 Forum

Week 8 Quiz
Recommended Optional Reading
Recommended Media

Evaluation
Grading:
Name Grade %
Forums 16.00 %
Week 1 Forum 2.00 %
Week 2 Forum 2.00 %
Week 3 Forum 2.00 %
Week 4 Forum 2.00 %
Week 5 Forum 2.00 %
Week 6 Forum 2.00 %
Week 7 Forum 2.00 %
Week 8 Forum 2.00 %
Quizzes 56.00 %
Week 1 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 2 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 3 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 4 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 5 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 6 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 7 Quiz 8.00 %
Week 8 Quiz 8.00 %
Course Project: Prep 14.00 %
Assignment #1: Annotated
7.00 %
Bibliography
Assignment #2: The Outline 7.00 %
Course Project 14.00 %
Assignment #3: The Presentation 14.00 %
Materials
Book Title: Concepts of Biology - e-book available online, link provided inside the classroom in the Lessons
section
Author: OpenStax College
Publication Info:
ISBN: 9781938168116
Book Title: Biology- e-book available online, link provided inside the classroom in the Lessons section
Author: OpenStax College
Publication Info: OpenStax College
ISBN: 9781938168093
Book Title: Anatomy & Physiology - e-book available online, link provided inside the classroom in the
Lessons section
Author: OpenStax College
Publication Info:
ISBN: 9781938168130

Course Guidelines
Citation and Reference Style
Attention Please: Students will follow the APA Format as the sole citation and reference style used in
written work submitted as part of coursework to the University. Assignments completed in a narrative
essay or composition format must follow the citation style cited in the APA Format.
Tutoring
Tutor.com offers online homework help and learning resources by connecting students to certified
tutors for one-on-one help. AMU and APU students are eligible for 10 free hours* of tutoring provided
by APUS. Tutors are available 24/7 unless otherwise noted. Tutor.com also has a SkillCenter
Resource Library offering educational resources, worksheets, videos, websites and career help.
Accessing these resources does not count against tutoring hours and is also available 24/7. Please
visit the APUS Library and search for 'Tutor' to create an account.
Late Assignments
Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the
course according to the published class schedule. The due date for each assignment is listed under
each Assignment.
Generally speaking, late work may result in a deduction up to 15% of the grade for each day late, not to
exceed 5 days.
As a working adult I know your time is limited and often out of your control. Faculty may be more flexible
if they know ahead of time of any potential late assignments.
Turn It In
Faculty may require assignments be submitted to Turnitin.com. Turnitin.com will analyze a paper and
 report instances of potential plagiarism for the student to edit before submitting it for a grade. In some
cases professors may require students to use Turnitin.com. This is automatically processed through the
Assignments area of the course.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic Dishonesty incorporates more than plagiarism, which is using the work of others without
citation. Academic dishonesty includes any use of content purchased or retrieved from web services
such as CourseHero.com. Additionally, allowing your work to be placed on such web services is
academic dishonesty, as it is enabling the dishonesty of others. The copy and pasting of content from
any web page, without citation as a direct quote, is academic dishonesty. When in doubt, do not
copy/paste, and always cite.
Submission Guidelines
Some assignments may have very specific requirements for formatting (such as font, margins, etc) and
submission file type (such as .docx, .pdf, etc) See the assignment instructions for details. In general,
standard file types such as those associated with Microsoft Office are preferred, unless otherwise
specified.
Disclaimer Statement
Course content may vary from the outline to meet the needs of this particular group.
Communicating on the Forum
Forums are the heart of the interaction in this course. The more engaged and lively the exchanges, the
more interesting and fun the course will be. Only substantive comments will receive credit. Although
there is a final posting time after which the instructor will grade comments, it is not sufficient to wait until
the last day to contribute your comments/questions on the forum. The purpose of the forums is to
actively participate in an on-going discussion about the assigned content.
“Substantive” means comments that contribute something new and hopefully important to the
discussion. Thus a message that simply says “I agree” is not substantive. A substantive comment
contributes a new idea or perspective, a good follow-up question to a point made, offers a response to
a question, provides an example or illustration of a key point, points out an inconsistency in an
argument, etc.
As a class, if we run into conflicting view points, we must respect each individual's own opinion. Hateful
and hurtful comments towards other individuals, students, groups, peoples, and/or societies will not be
tolerated.

University Policies
Student Handbook
Drop/Withdrawal policy
Extension Requests
Academic Probation
Appeals
Disability Accommodations
The mission of American Public University System is to provide high quality higher education with emphasis
on educating the nation’s military and public service communities by offering respected, relevant, accessible,
affordable, and student-focused online programs that prepare students for service and leadership in a
diverse, global society.
ST UDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and
serves only as a preparatory reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until
the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the updated course syllabus.
Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus
may NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet
started. If you need to verify course textbooks, please refer to the online course
description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material of APUS.