Foundational Concept 4

Foundational Concept 4

Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles. 

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Content Category 4B: Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange

Content Category 4B: Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange

Fluids are featured in several physiologically important processes, including the circulation of blood, gas movement into and out of the lungs, and gas exchange into the blood. The energetic requirements of fluid dynamics can be modeled using physical equations. A thorough understanding of fluids is necessary to understand the origins of numerous forms of disease. 

The content in this category covers hydrostatic pressure, fluid flow rates, viscosity, the Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases, and the Ideal Gas Law. 

Topic Biology, 2e Human Physiology
Circulatory System (BIO)
  • Arterial and venous systems; pressure and flow characteristics
  • Ch. 15 The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Hemodynamics
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Content Category 4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements

Content Category 4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements

Charged particles can be set in motion by the action of an applied electrical field and can be used to transmit energy or information over long distances. The energy released during certain chemical reactions can be converted to electrical energy, which can be harnessed to perform other reactions or work.  

Physiologically, a concentration gradient of charged particles is set up across the cell membrane of neurons at considerable energetic expense. This allows for the rapid transmission of signals using electrical impulses — changes in the electrical voltage across the membrane — under the action of some external stimulus.  

The content in this category covers electrical circuit elements, electrical circuits, and electrochemistry. 

Topic Biology, 2e Human Physiology Karp’s Cell and Molecular Biology
Specialized Cell — Nerve Cell (BIO)
  • Myelin sheath, Schwann cells, insulation of axon
  • Nodes of Ranvier: propagation of nerve impulse along axon
  • Ch. 7 The Nervous System and Neuronal Excitability, pp. 193-199
  • Ch. 4 The Structure and Function of the Plasma Membrane, pp. 118-119, 158-167
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