SUBJECT: Quantitative labs for physiology
DATE: 4/96
To the BioLab Net:
We are rewriting our introductory physiology labs. We are looking for examples
of equations, algorithms, and other numerical expressions of physiological
phenomena.
Our goal is to have students feel much more comfortable with modeling various
physiological events. We are looking for texts that have a variety of
mathematical expressions for physiological processes.
Sorry to be so vague in this request, but we are floundering a bit trying
to
get this project started.
Thanks for considering this request.
Blystone in Texas
**********************
ROBERT V. BLYSTONE PHONE:(210)736-7243
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY FAX:(210)736-7229
Trinity University E-Mail:RBlyston@Trinity.edu
715 Stadium Drive
San Antonio, TX, 78212
At the recent Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) conference
held in Portland, Allen Rovick along with Harold Modell and Joel
Micheal had a session on cooperative learning. Allen presented a
portion of a book that he and Joel have put together and will be
published by Prentice-Hall. In this book, there will be qualitative
and quantitative lessons. At the present time, I do not have their
e-mail address. Possibly someone can help.
From: JJOHNSON@wbc.edu
Robert Blystone was looking for texts that would help students build
mathematical models of physiological events....
>Our goal is to have students feel much more comfortable with modeling
various
>physiological events. We are looking for texts that have a variety of
>mathematical expressions for physiological processes.
Here's a couple of books that have helped us get started.
Physiology by Numbers: An Encouragement to Quantitative Thinking
Richard Burton
ISBN# 0-521-42138-1
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011-42-11
$19.95
Computer Simulation in Biology: A Basic Introduction
Robert Keen and James Spain
ISBN# 0-471-50971-X
Wiley-Liss
606 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10158-0012
Cost unavailable
The title of the book doesn't convey the treatment of the math underlying
a
variety of biological phenomona that can be found in this book. The bulk
of
the examples are physiological.
I'd be interested in hearing about some of the texts that others have used
to help students develop models in physiology.
Regards,
Mark Dewart
Park Tudor School
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240
mdewart@parktudor.pvt.k12.in.us
Not sure if this will help since I do not teach physiology, but here goes.
While not a human physiology text, or a lab manual, I used a text by Knut
Schmidt Nielson called Animal Physiology (Cambridge University Press) when
I took a course in comparative physiology. This text covers a variety of
organisms and has a number of equations that might be useful. Just
scanning the text this morning, I found equations for heat balance,
metabolic rate, energy required for osmotic regulation, and cardiac output.
Another author to look for is R. McNeil Alexander. He has published a lot
of information on animal locomotion.
Terry Davin
Biology and Allied Health
Penn Valley Community College
Kansas City MO 64111
davin@kcmetro.cc.mo.us
I too am intrested in finding sources of equations of physiological
processes. I have started a collection of computer simulations that
help students visualize and understand many biological processes.
Most will be published by W.W. Norton as part of the BioXplorer Plus
software. But there is a lot more that can be done.
A helpful source for me, besides the previously mentioned book by
Keen and Spain is a book titled "Dynamic Models in Biochemistry"
by
Atkinson, Clarke, and Rees (1989). It was meant as a textbook for students
to learn computing modelling of biochemical processes by entering
data and equations into their spreadsheets and seeing the resulting
graphs. It is clearly written and explained for the computer novice.
I'm not sure of its availibility, but the publisher is N. Stimson &
Co. of
Marina del Rey, CA. ISBN 0-9622556-0-2.
Hope this helps, Cheers, Graham Kent