Offered Every Fall


Credit Hours: 3-0-3
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in engineering or a related discipline.
Catalog Description: Overview of human pathophysiology from a quantitative perspective. Emphasis on systems of interest to bioengineering faculty. A brief introduction to quantitative models for biological systems. Crosslisted with BMED, CHE, and ECE 6793.
Textbooks: Sue E. Huether and Kathryn L. McCance; Understanding Pathophysiology, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Science, 2003.
Instructors: Robert Guldberg, David Ku, invited lecturers
Goals: Prepare students for graduate education in bioengineering by providing them with the rudiments of human physiology and pathology. Also provide a brief introduction to the method by which engineering principles are applied to biological systems for the purposes of understanding and predicting pathophysiology.
Topics:
  1. Cardiovascular System Pathophysiology
    1. overall structure
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Microscopic anatomy of arteries and veins
  • pathology
    • Atherosclerosis
    • Congenital disease
    • Hypertension
    • Valvular disease
    • Intimal Hyperplasia
    • Thrombosis
  • treatment
    • Diagnostic Techniques
    • Therapy
  • Blood
    1. components
    2. what it's for
    • immunity
    • nutrients
    • waste removal
    • tissue repair
  • pathology
    • leukemia
    • cycle cell anemia
  • Neural System
    1. overall structure
    2. electrically active cells
    • action potential
  • information processing
  • motor functions
  • CNS/PNS
  • autonomic/voluntary
    • sympathetic/parasympathetic
  • Bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles
    1. overall structure and physiology
    2. muscle-bone interaction
    3. pathology
    • osteoporosis
    • arthritis
  • Renal
    1. components
    2. what it's for
    • blood pressure
    • waste excretion
  • pathology
    • obstructive uropathy
    • nephropathy