Foundations of Human Structure

This unit builds foundational knowledge of human anatomy and physiology from atoms and cells through tissues and major organ systems, emphasizing structure–function relationships and basic homeostatic mechanisms. It prepares students for applied clinical and system-level study in subsequent units by developing skills in observation, classification, and analysis of normal and disrupted physiological processes.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the hierarchical organization of the human body by categorizing examples at the atomic, molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and system levels and explaining how structure at each level supports higher-level functions.
• Apply principles of cell biology— including membrane transport, cell cycle phases, mitosis/meiosis, and common division errors— to predict cellular outcomes and interpret model or laboratory data.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and classify epithelial, connective, muscle (smooth, cardiac, skeletal), and nervous tissues, and relate these tissue specializations to the functions of at least four major organ systems (e.g., integumentary, musculoskeletal, circulatory, digestive).
• Evaluate homeostatic mechanisms and inter-system interactions by tracing the roles of the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and endocrine glands in maintaining fluid, chemical, and temperature balance and proposing responses to typical physiological disruptions.