Integrative Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology
VPHY 4500/6500
3 hours
Integrative Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology
Analytical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Course Description
An examination of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems using cellular physiology and organ-organ interactions. Physiological and pathological adaptations of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems will be explored in the context of physical activity, disease, and aging. Regenerative medicine and rehabilitation physiology discussions will investigate evidence-based treatments and emerging technologies to diagnose and prevent disease.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be required to complete an end-of-term research report on a cardiovascular-respiratory topic of their choice. Graduate students are expected to complete a literature review and appropriately cite their research report.
Athena Title
Integr Cardiovasc Resp Physiol
Prerequisite
VPHY 3100 or VPHY 3100E or VPHY 3107-3107D or CBIO 2210-2210L or CBIO 3710 or EHSC 2100 or PMCY 3000 or PMCY 3000E or POUL 4175 or POUL 4200/6200-4200L/6200L or WILD 4400/6400 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will explain the mechanisms governing cardiac output, vascular resistance, and the distribution of blood flow, and predict how alterations in preload, afterload, contractility, and heart rate affect systemic hemodynamics.
Students will explain the mechanisms of pulmonary ventilation, gas exchange, and gas transport, and predict how changes in ventilation, perfusion, diffusion, and hemoglobin binding affect arterial and tissue partial pressures.
Students will analyze the integrated cardiovascular and respiratory response to physical activity and to disease states, distinguishing primary perturbations from compensatory responses.
Students will evaluate assigned primary research articles in cardiovascular and respiratory physiology each week, judging on associated weekly quizzes whether the authors' conclusions are supported by their data and identifying methodological limitations and alternative explanations that the study design does not exclude.
Students will compare paired primary research articles that reach opposing conclusions on the same physiological question, weigh the relative strength of the evidence supporting each position, and justify a reasoned judgment about which interpretation the available data better support.
Students will interpret and manipulate quantitative and graphical models of cardiovascular and respiratory function (cardiac and vascular function curves, pressure–volume loops, and ventilation–perfusion relationships) through independent practice assignments completed across the semester.
Students will predict the immediate and compensatory changes in cardiovascular and respiratory models (SLO #6) resulting from a specified physiological or pathophysiological perturbation, and justify each prediction with an explicit mechanistic rationale on course examinations.
Topical Outline
i) Cellular physiology of cardiac muscle contraction and blood pressure
ii) Control of cardiac function during physical activity
iii) Cellular physiology of blood flow control
iv) Control of circulation during physical activity
v) Vascular adaptations to disease, aging, and physical activity
vi) Respiratory mechanics
vii) Gas exchange and transport
viii) Cardiovascular and respiratory system interactions
ix) Heart failure
x) Diabetes
xi) Hypertension
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
