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Course Description

The content of the course is equivalent to the University of Toronto courses (PSL200 and PSL201). This is a survey course designed to provide a general coverage of all major areas of human physiology. This course is taught by the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and administered through the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto. It is intended for any students who require a credit-equivalent course in Human Physiology as a prerequisite for entrance into Health Science professional programs (including medicine, nursing, dentistry, speech and language pathology, occupational and physical therapy, etc...Our online physiology course also counts as one of the two life sciences pre-requisites for admission into Medicine at UofT) and Individuals who simply have an interest in understanding how the body works will also benefit from the course as it provides a working knowledge of various systems in the human body. At the completion of the course, students receive an official Grade Report from the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Before registering, students should inquire of the institution to which they are applying whether this credit-equivalent course meets the prerequisites of their intended degree program. This course cannot be applied towards any university’s undergraduate bachelor degree, or any degree at the University of Toronto. Although there are no prerequisites for this course, it is recommended that you have successfully completed a first-year university or college level general biology course.

Catalog Course Description

This online course is intended for students who wish or require an open-enrolment health-science course. It is open to all individuals who want to know how the body works. It com­prises 54 hours of illustrated lectures. See the website for details.

Learning Outcomes

This physiology course will introduce the function of the human body according to physiological systems:

Cell Physiology and Homeostasis

  • Describe the principles of homeostasis

Nervous System

  • Describe nerve impulses and action potentials
  • Describe the mechanism of synaptic transmission
  • Describe the function of the central nervous system
  • Describe the mechanism of sensory systems

Endocrine System

  • Describe hormone actions and their receptors
  • Describe the functions of hormones secreted by the glands
  • Describe hormonal regulation and reproduction

Musculoskeletal System

  • Describe the generalized functions of skeletal muscle tissue

Cardiovascular System

  • Describe the function (and related anatomy) of the cardiovascular system
  • Describe nervous and hormonal control of cardiac function
  • Describe the factors involved in the regulation of arterial blood pressure

Blood and Immunity

  • Describe blood composition and function
  • Describe non-specific Immunity
  • Describe specific Immunity and transfusion reactions

Respiratory System

  • Describe the principles of gas exchange in the alveoli
  • Describe respiration and exercise

Renal System

  • Describe the functions (and related anatomy) of the kidney
  • Describe filtration, reabsorption, and secretion
  • Describe the regulation of fluid and acid-base balance in the body

Digestive System

  • Describe the absorption of nutrients from the GI tract
  • Describe the nervous and hormonal regulation of digestion

Integrative Physiology

  • Describe integration of various physiological systems

Notes

For information about this course, contact Dr N. Kee (416-978-6379; nohjin.kee-at-utoronto.ca).

Recommended textbook: Principles of Human Physiology. Germann and Stanfield. Benjamin Cummings

https://physiology.utoronto.ca/scs2159-online-human-physiology-course

Recommendations

Although there are no formal prerequisites for this challenging course, a good knowledge of first-year general biology is recommended.

This course may be applied towards the SCS Certificate(s) in

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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in
Type
Online
Dates
Sep 23, 2025 to Feb 20, 2026
Contact Hours
78.0
Delivery Options
ON-LINE  
Course Fees
Flat Fee non-credit $1,350.00 Click here to get more information
Instructors
Section Notes

Textbooks are required for this class. Learners may purchase an electronic version of the textbook directly from the publisher: https://console.pearson.com/enrollment/hwixmc.  Alternatively, if learners prefer to purchase a physical version of the textbook via other vendors, please note that Mastering A&P and PhysioEx resources will not be required for the course and need not be purchased. 

You will receive login information for your online classroom, Quercus (UofT Learning Management Engine) via email.
Go here for information on when you will receive your access information.

For technical requirements for Quercus, please go here. 

Prerecorded lectures will be released to learners at the start of every week throughout the course. Once lectures are released, learners can review them as often as needed up to 30 days after the end date of the course. There will also be two live hour-long webinar sessions the details of which will be shared by instructors in the course outline released on the first day of class. 

Final Exams are scheduled for the last day of class. All tests and exams in this online section are proctored online using Proctortrack by Verificient Technologies® proctoring services

Before registering, all students MUST ensure that their computer and internet are compatible with the online proctoring service. Please view the online proctoring requirements by clicking here. If your computer does not meet technical requirements, please contact the School before registering. 

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