BIO 304 . Human Anatomy & Physiology . Week 1

Week 1 Workbook — Foundations & The Cell

Days 1 through 4 . Print one packet, work the whole week.

Print this whole packet at the start of the week and use it as you work through the videos and interactive notes for the days listed below. Each day starts on a fresh page so it’s easy to keep them organized.

Day 1 · Levels of Organization
Day 1 · Anatomical Terminology & Body Regions
Day 2 · Homeostasis & Feedback Loops
Day 3 · Cell Structure & Organelles
Day 4 · Membrane Transport

Day 1

Levels of Organization

BIO 304 . WEEK 1 . MONDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Levels of Organization

From atoms to organism: how living structure builds up in nested levels.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

Living matter is organized in nested levels. Each level has properties that emerge from the level below but cannot be predicted from any single component. Today you will draw the six levels twice: once in the abstract, once for a specific concrete example.

Box A. The six levels (abstract)

Directions

Draw six nested or stacked boxes from smallest to largest.
Label them in order: Chemical level (atoms, molecules), Cellular level (cells), Tissue level, Organ level, Organ system level, Organism level.
Beside each level, write one to two specific structural examples (e.g., Chemical: water, glucose, protein).
Draw an arrow up the stack labeled Emergent properties. Note: each level has properties not present at the level below.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

Box B. The six levels (worked example: skeletal muscle to movement)

Directions

Use skeletal muscle as your example.
Chemical level: draw an actin or myosin protein molecule. Label.
Cellular level: draw a single skeletal muscle fiber (long, striated, multinucleate cell).
Tissue level: draw a small bundle of muscle fibers wrapped together (skeletal muscle tissue).
Organ level: draw a whole muscle (e.g., biceps brachii) with tendons.
Organ system level: draw a simple stick figure with the musculoskeletal system highlighted (arrows to bones and muscles).
Organism level: draw a person performing a movement (e.g., lifting a bag). Note: function emerges only at the organism level.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

1C. Structures to label (13)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

Chemical level
Cellular level
Tissue level
Organ level
Organ system level
Organism level
Atom or molecule
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ system
Organism
Emergent property

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. At which level does it happen?

For each phenomenon below, identify the LOWEST level of organization where it occurs. Choose from: chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, organism. Briefly justify.

1. An enzyme breaks a covalent bond.

2. A neuron fires an action potential.

3. A wound heals by laying down new collagen.

4. The heart pumps blood through the body.

5. Blood pressure is regulated by the cardiovascular, urinary, and nervous systems working together.

6. A person feels hungry and decides to eat lunch.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. Explain what an emergent property is using one of your own examples. Why is the property not present at the level just below?

2. A drug poisons the mitochondria in every cell. Predict which higher levels of organization will be affected and in what order they will fail.

3. Pick one organ system. Argue, in two or three sentences, why no single cell or tissue could perform that system's function alone.

3. What to submit

Complete both the Anatomy Lab (your own drawings, hand-labeled, plus the structures list) and the Physiology Lab (activity and synthesis questions). Photograph or scan every page and upload to Canvas before the deadline listed on the schedule. Hand-drawn, hand-labeled work is the integrity mechanism for this course. Typed or AI-generated diagrams are not accepted.

Day 1

Anatomical Terminology & Body Regions

BIO 304 . WEEK 1 . MONDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Anatomical Terminology and Body Regions

Directional terms, planes of section, body cavities, and regional names.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

Anatomy is a precise vocabulary. Today you will draw the body in anatomical position with directional terms labeled, then sketch the three reference planes. Be deliberate about which way is up: anatomical position assumes the body upright, facing forward, with palms facing forward.

Box A. Anatomical position with directional terms

Directions

Draw a stick figure or simple outline of a person facing you, palms forward, feet shoulder-width apart. This is anatomical position.
Draw an arrow from the head pointing up. Label it Superior. Draw a downward arrow from the head and label it Inferior.
Label Anterior (front) and Posterior (back). Use a small note since both faces are not visible.
Pick one arm. Show Proximal (closer to trunk) at the shoulder and Distal (farther from trunk) at the fingers.
Mark Medial (toward midline) and Lateral (away from midline) on the legs.
Label two body regions on your figure: Brachial (arm), Femoral (thigh), Crural (leg), Antecubital (front of elbow), Popli#0B1530 (back of knee). Pick at least four.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

Box B. The three planes of section

Directions

Draw three small body outlines side by side.
On the first, draw a vertical line dividing the body into left and right halves. Label this the Sagittal plane (specifically, midsagittal if exactly down the middle).
On the second, draw a vertical line dividing the body into front and back halves. Label this the Frontal (coronal) plane.
On the third, draw a horizontal line dividing the body into upper and lower halves. Label this the Transverse plane.
Under each outline, list one imaging study that uses that plane (CT, MRI, ultrasound, etc., your choice).

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

1C. Structures to label (15)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

Superior
Inferior
Anterior
Posterior
Medial
Lateral
Proximal
Distal
Sagittal plane
Frontal (coronal) plane
Transverse plane
Brachial
Femoral
Antecubital
Popli#0B1530

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Applied terminology: describe the injury

Below are 5 patient presentations. For each, write a one-sentence description using ONLY anatomical terminology (the directional terms, body regions, and planes you labeled above). Avoid lay language like 'lower' or 'inside.'

1. A cut runs across the front of the elbow.

2. A bruise sits on the calf, just behind and below the knee.

3. A surgeon makes an incision dividing the abdomen into left and right halves.

4. A child scrapes the bony surface on the outer side of the lower leg.

5. An IV is placed in the vein closer to the wrist than to the elbow.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. Explain the difference between Proximal and Superior using the elbow as a reference point. Why can't these terms be used interchangeably?

2. A radiologist sees a tumor on the right kidney, posterior to the abdominal cavity. Translate that location for a patient using everyday language without losing precision.

3. If a surgeon says they made a parasagittal cut at the level of the right midclavicular line, draw a quick diagram of where that cut would be and which structures it would pass through.

3. What to submit

Day 2

Homeostasis & Feedback Loops

BIO 304 . WEEK 1 . TUESDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Homeostasis and Feedback Loops

How the body maintains a stable internal environment despite outside change.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment. Negative feedback corrects deviations and is the body's default. Positive feedback amplifies a signal and only runs in a few specific cases (birth, blood clotting). Draw the loop architecture first, then a specific example.

Box A. Negative feedback loop (generic)

Directions

Draw 5 boxes arranged in a circle, connected by arrows clockwise.
Box 1: Stimulus (a change away from setpoint). Box 2: Sensor (detects the change). Box 3: Control center (compares to setpoint, decides action). Box 4: Effector (produces the response). Box 5: Response (returns variable toward setpoint).
Draw an arrow from Box 5 back to Box 1 with a minus sign. Label it Negative feedback: response opposes the original change.
At the center of the loop, write Setpoint and one example variable (e.g., body temperature, blood glucose, blood pressure).

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

Box B. Worked example: body temperature drops

Directions

Use the same 5-box loop. Fill in each box with the body's response to cold.
Stimulus: cold environment, body temperature drops below 37 C.
Sensor: thermoreceptors in skin and hypothalamus.
Control center: hypothalamus.
Effector: name at least two (e.g., skeletal muscles, smooth muscle in blood vessels, arrector pili muscles).
Response: shivering, vasoconstriction, piloerection, behavioral changes. Body temperature rises back toward 37 C.
On the side, draw a small box labeled Positive feedback. Inside, name one example (childbirth, blood clotting, action potential firing). Note the arrow has a PLUS sign.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

1C. Structures to label (12)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

Stimulus
Sensor (receptor)
Control center
Effector
Response
Setpoint
Negative feedback
Positive feedback
Hypothalamus
Thermoreceptor
Shivering
Vasoconstriction

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Trace: blood glucose rises after a meal

Trace the negative feedback loop that lowers blood glucose after a meal. Fill in each step. Be specific about cells, hormones, and target tissues.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. Distinguish negative feedback from positive feedback in one sentence each. Why is negative feedback used for most homeostatic variables but positive feedback used for childbirth?

2. Type 1 diabetes destroys the beta cells of the pancreas. Walk through the blood-glucose loop and explain what happens after a meal in a patient with untreated Type 1 diabetes.

3. A fever is a temporary upward reset of the hypothalamic setpoint. Predict what a febrile patient will FEEL at the moment the setpoint resets to 39 C, and explain why they shiver even though their body temperature is technically high.

3. What to submit

Day 3

Cell Structure & Organelles

BIO 304 . WEEK 1 . THURSDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Cell Structure and Organelles

The machinery of a generic cell and what each organelle contributes.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

Today you will draw a generic eukaryotic cell with all its major organelles, then a specialized cell type and explain which organelles are emphasized. Cells are not all the same: form follows function.

Box A. Generic cell with all organelles

Directions

Draw a large irregular cell outline. Label the plasma membrane.
Draw a round nucleus inside, label it, and add a small darker spot inside labeled Nucleolus. Show the nuclear envelope around it.
Draw rough endoplasmic reticulum (rough ER) as folded sheets near the nucleus, with small dots on its surface (ribosomes). Label both.
Draw smooth endoplasmic reticulum (smooth ER) as folded tubes nearby. Label.
Draw a Golgi apparatus as stacked flattened sacs. Label.
Draw 3 or 4 mitochondria (oval shapes with internal folds). Label one.
Draw 2 lysosomes (small spheres). Label.
Draw a few free ribosomes floating in the cytoplasm. Label.
Add a cytoskeleton: thin lines crossing the cell. Label.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

Box B. A specialized cell type (pick one)

Directions

Pick ONE of these specialized cells and draw it: neuron, skeletal muscle fiber, pancreatic secretory cell, or red blood cell.
Draw it with realistic proportions and shape (e.g., a neuron has long axon and short dendrites; a muscle fiber is long and multinucleate; an RBC is biconcave and has no nucleus).
Label any organelles present. ALSO label any organelles that are absent or unusual (e.g., the RBC has no nucleus and no mitochondria).
Write one sentence explaining how the cell's organelle profile matches its function.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

1C. Structures to label (14)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

Plasma membrane
Nucleus
Nuclear envelope
Nucleolus
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Ribosome (free)
Ribosome (on rough ER)
Golgi apparatus
Mitochondrion
Lysosome
Peroxisome
Cytoskeleton
Cytoplasm

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Trace a protein from synthesis to secretion

A pancreatic acinar cell synthesizes digestive enzymes and secretes them into a duct. Trace the path of ONE enzyme protein from the moment its gene is read to the moment it leaves the cell. Number each step and name the organelle involved.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. A drug poisons all lysosomes in a cell. Predict the consequences over hours to days. Name at least two specific cellular processes that fail.

2. Red blood cells have no nucleus and no mitochondria. Predict (a) their lifespan, (b) their energy source, and (c) one type of damage they cannot repair.

3. A liver cell exposed to chronic alcohol consumption develops a dramatic expansion of its smooth ER. Explain why, in terms of what smooth ER does.

3. What to submit

Day 4

Membrane Transport

BIO 304 . WEEK 1 . FRIDAY . LAB WORKBOOK

Membrane Transport

How material crosses the plasma membrane: passive, active, and vesicular pathways.

Print this page. You will draw your own diagrams from the directions below, then hand-label the structures listed. Drawing by hand is the integrity mechanism for this course.

Part 1 of 2

Anatomy Lab

1A. What you will draw

Cells live or die by what they let in and out. Today you'll draw the membrane in detail and the four major transport modes that operate across it.

Box A. The plasma membrane

Directions

Draw a horizontal section of plasma membrane: two rows of phospholipid heads (small circles) with their tails (wavy lines) facing each other inside.
Label phospholipid head (polar, hydrophilic) and phospholipid tail (non-polar, hydrophobic).
Draw at least 3 integral membrane proteins spanning the bilayer. Label.
Draw a peripheral protein on one side. Label.
Embed cholesterol molecules between the phospholipids. Label.
Add carbohydrate chains on the extracellular surface attached to proteins (glycoproteins) and lipids (glycolipids). Label.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

Box B. Four transport modes side by side

Directions

Draw four panels, each with a small section of membrane.
Panel 1: Simple diffusion. Show O2 or CO2 passing directly through the bilayer down a gradient. Label.
Panel 2: Facilitated diffusion. Show glucose passing through a channel/carrier protein, still down its gradient. Label.
Panel 3: Primary active transport. Draw the Na+/K+ ATPase with 3 Na+ leaving the cell, 2 K+ entering, and ATP being consumed. Show the gradient: against concentration.
Panel 4: Vesicular transport. Show a vesicle fusing with the membrane (exocytosis) and releasing contents. Label.
Above each panel write: passive vs active, and whether ATP is required.

Draw here. Sketch by hand.

1C. Structures to label (12)

After you finish each drawing, label every structure below directly on your sketch.

Phospholipid bilayer
Phospholipid head (hydrophilic)
Phospholipid tail (hydrophobic)
Integral protein
Peripheral protein
Cholesterol
Glycoprotein
Simple diffusion
Facilitated diffusion
Primary active transport (Na+/K+ ATPase)
Exocytosis
Endocytosis

Part 2 of 2

Physiology Lab

2A. Transport comparison table

Fill in the table below. Use a short phrase per cell. After the table, answer the two follow-up questions.

Property	Simple diffusion	Facilitated diffusion	Primary active transport	Endocytosis
Uses a membrane protein?
Moves with or against gradient?
Requires ATP directly?
Typical molecule transported
Rate-limiting factor

Why are large polar molecules unable to cross the membrane by simple diffusion, while small non-polar molecules can?

Secondary active transport (e.g., glucose-Na+ symporter) does not directly consume ATP. Explain how it still depends on ATP, indirectly.

2B. Synthesis questions

Answer each in 2 to 4 sentences. Use the language from this week's lecture and your drawings as evidence.

1. Red blood cells placed in a 0.45% NaCl solution swell and lyse. Explain using tonicity terms (hypertonic, isotonic, hypotonic). Predict what would happen in a 3% NaCl solution.

2. Ouabain blocks the Na+/K+ ATPase. Predict the effect on a cell's resting Na+ and K+ concentrations over time, and on its ability to perform secondary active transport.

3. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defective chloride channel (CFTR). Predict the effect on the watery secretions of the airways, and explain why patients develop thick mucus.