Physiology

The focus of Physiology is on understanding how organisms tackle the physical challenges of life on Earth. This course will provide an overview of animal and plant physiology and teach an understanding of how organisms maintain homeostasis, respond to environmental cues and coordinate behaviors across multiples tissues and organ systems. We will examine the structure and function of organs and organ systems and how those systems are controlled and regulated to maintain homeostasis. Control and regulation requires information as does the ability to respond to environmental stimuli, so we will give special consideration to hormonal and neural information systems. We will also be concerned with the interactions and integration of the activities of the different organ systems we study. Prerequisites: none. Attendance at a discussion section held once a week is mandatory. For logistical questions about the course, please contact Waheeda Khalfan (wkhalfan@stanford.edu).