Information and Policies

The aim of this course is to teach advanced undergraduate and graduate students in life sciences the fundamental principles of mammalian physiology. The emphasis is in providing a comprehensive understanding of the concepts of how body works. Highlighted are the mechanisms of function and dysfunction of living systems, and the regulatory processes responsible for maintaining body function. The course will begin with lectures that focus on how does cell membrane work. These will be followed by lectures that describe the mechanisms of how the nervous system integrates sensory information and regulates motor output, and how the respiratory, the cardiovascular, the renal, the gastrointestinal, and the endocrine systems operate to bring about homeostasis. The homeostatic mechanisms will be described at various levels of the organization, from molecules and proteins, to cells and tissues, and to the behavior of the intact organism (where appropriate).

  • Required Textbook
         Medical Physiology (Updated Edition) by Boron and Boulpaep

  • Optional Textbooks
         Principles of Physiology (4th Edition) by Levy, Koeppen, and Stanton
         Physiology (5th Edition) by Berne, Levy, Koeppen, and Stanton

  • See the homepage (http://www.life.uiuc.edu/mcb/402/) to obtain a copy of the Lecture Outlines (under "Course Calender & Lecture Presentations"). The username is "mcb402" and the password is "physiology".

  • Your FINAL GRADE will be in letter grade (with plus/minus) and will be determined by the total number of points you receive on the three examinations, compared to the class average. The class median will be the border between B- and C+ (thus half the class will have grades of B- or above). Grades of "A" or "D" are usually conferred to students having scored about one standard deviation above or below the class median, respectively. Each exam question is worth 2 points, and thus from a total of 126 questions one can earn a maximum of 252 points. Students can earn additional 23 points from credit for regular class attendance (see below for details), and when added to the above gives a possible total of 275 points.

  • Attendance of lectures is required.   Announcements made in class are considered official.  Students can earn 23 points (towards the total) from regular class attendance. To earn this, a student must attend at least 38 of the 42 lectures offered during the semester. Attendance will be recorded in each class, and a student missing more than 4 classes during the semester will forfeit all credit for class attendance.

  • To request disability accommodations, please speak to Dr. Feng after class or make an appointment to see him at the beginning of the semester.

  • MAKEUP EXAMS will be given in case of illness or other emergency. A letter from the McKinley Health Center or the Emergency Dean is Mandatory. The student must contact the course coordinator (Dr. Feng) within 48 hours of the scheduled exam. No exceptions would be made if the student fails to notify him within this period.

  • If there is a conflict with the scheduled exam hour, the student must inform Dr. Feng at least 14 days prior to the exam date.