Faculty Syllabus

BIOL-2401 Anatomy and Physiology I

Shawn Sieber


Credit Spring 2026

Section(s)

BIOL-2401-045 (26491)
LEC TuTh 1:30pm - 2:50pm RRC RRC3 3330.00

LAB TuTh 3:00pm - 4:20pm RRC RRC3 3325.00

Course Requirements

Course Description:

This pair of courses is designed for students entering professional programs, focusing on those pursuing careers in allied health.

  • BIOL 1308: An introduction to basic biological concepts, including the metric system, physical and chemical properties of life, cell structure and function, cell reproduction, and metabolism. Critical thinking, study, and basic math skills are also included. This course prepares students to take the anatomy and physiology assessment tests, anatomy and physiology courses (BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, BIOL  2404), and general biology courses (including BIOL 1408 and BIOL 1406). By co-enrolling in paired BIOL 1308-2401, Students do not have to take the assessment test to enter A&P I. 

    • Credit Hours: 3

    • Lecture Contact Hours per week: 3

    • Laboratory Contact Hours per week: 0

 

  • BIOL 2401: This course is the first part of a two-course sequence. It is a study of the structure and function of the human body including cells, tissues, and organs of the following systems:  integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and special senses. Emphasis is on interrelationships among systems and regulation of physiological functions involved in maintaining homeostasis. The lab provides a hands-on learning experience for the exploration of human system components and basic physiology. Systems to be studied include integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and special senses.

    • Credit Hours: 4

    • Lecture Contact Hours per week: 3

    • Laboratory Contact Hours per week: 3

 

NOTE: This is an integrated course, in which students will cover both Biology Fundamentals (BIOL 1308) and Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2401) objectives in one semester. Students taking this course will receive one overall grade, which will be applied to both BIOL 1308 and BIOL 2401.

 

Course Rationale: 

This course is designed for students entering professional programs. It provides a foundation for the clinical topics covered in those courses by requiring mastery of factual material, laboratory techniques, and problem-solving skills. This course is a prerequisite for Introduction to Microbiology (BIOL 2420) and Anatomy and Physiology II (BIOL 2402) and is intended to prepare students for these courses and health sciences programs.

 

Prerequisites:

This course has skill prerequisite R which means you must have reading skills at ACC placement skill level 5 or above or you must have passed a state-approved assessment test (TASP or COMPASS) in reading or you must be exempt from assessment through transcript hours from another college or you must have appropriate ACT,  SAT, TAKS, or TASS scores. If you do not have the required skills and course prerequisites, you must withdraw from the class. If you do not withdraw, the instructor will drop you from the class.

 

Co-requisites:

For this dual class, BIOL 1308 and BIOL 2401 are co-requisites of one another.

 

Skills Requirements:

Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency as determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test, or by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college.

Readings

  1. Textbook + Mastering: Students in this course will need access to the textbook for reading assignments and the Pearson Mastering Platform for homework assignments. I do not recommend purchasing the Pearson Mastering from a 3rd party vendor. BOTH the textbook and Modified Mastering A&P are required for this course. Pearson also has a free app that you can link to your account and use for on-the-go studying! 
    1. Title: Marieb Human Anatomy & Physiology [12e] (2025)
    2. Author(s): Hoehn, Haynes, & Abbott
    3. ISBN: 9780138244408 (eText + Mastering)
    4. Publisher: Pearson Education

Course Subjects

Chapter

Topic

1

The Human Body: An Orientation

2

Basic Chemistry

3

Cells: The Living Units

4

Tissues: The Living Fabric

5

The Integumentary System

6

Bones and Skeletal Tissues

7

The Skeleton

8

Articulated Joints

9

Muscles and Muscle Tissue

10

The Muscular System

11

Neurons and Nervous Tissue

12

The Central Nervous System

13

The Peripheral Nervous System and Reflexes

14

The Autonomic Nervous System

15

The Special Senses

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes:

Course-Level

BIOL 1308: Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

  • Describe basic physiochemical concepts that underlie the structure and function of cells
  • Describe the structure and function of the four classes of biomolecules.
  • Describe the structure and function of eukaryotic cells and their organelles
  • Describe the processes by which substances move into and out of cells
  • Describe the structure and function of enzymes
  • Discuss energy transfer in cells and the pathways of cellular respiration
  • Describe mitosis and meiosis
  • Analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information
  • Apply mathematical, logical, and scientific principles and methods

 

BIOL 2401: Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

  • Use anatomical terminology to identify and describe the locations of major organs of each system. 
  • Explain interrelationships among molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ functions in each system. 
  • Describe the interdependency and interactions of the systems. 
  • Explain contributions of organs and systems to the maintenance of homeostasis. 
  • Identify causes and effects of homeostatic imbalances. 
  • Describe modern technology and tools used to study anatomy and physiology.
  • Apply appropriate safety and ethical standards. 
  • Locate and identify anatomical structures. 
  • Appropriately utilize laboratory equipment, such as microscopes, dissection tools, general lab ware, physiology data acquisition systems, and virtual simulations. 
  • Work collaboratively to perform experiments. 
  • Demonstrate the steps involved in the scientific method. 
  • Communicate results of scientific investigations, analyze data, and formulate conclusions.
  • Use critical thinking and scientific problem-solving skills, including, but not limited to, inferring, integrating, synthesizing, and summarizing, to make decisions, recommendations, and predictions

 

General Education

BIOL 1308: As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

  • Demonstrating higher level critical thinking skills, solving problems, and following directions
  • Directing their own learning activities to meet course objectives

 

BIOL 2401: As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

  • Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and applying information. 
  • Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
  • Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical, and scientific principles and methods.
  • Written, Oral, and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

 

Departmental Common Course Objectives

The ACC Biology Department has specified the content of this course in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at http://sites.austincc.edu/biology/common-course-objectives/.

Office Hours

T Th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Zoom

NOTE

M W 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM RRC 3341.00

NOTE

M W 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Zoom

NOTE

Office Hours

T Th 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Zoom

NOTE

M W 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM RRC 3341.00

NOTE

M W 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Zoom

NOTE

Published: 01/19/2026 17:04:59