Feature Summary

As the amount of information in a textbook increases, it becomes more and more difficult for students to organize the material in their minds, determine the main points, and evaluate the progress of their learning. Above all, the text must be an effective teaching tool. Because each student may learn best in a different way, a variety of teaching and learning aids is provided.

1. Chapter Objectives. Each chapter begins with a series of learning objectives. The objectives are not a detailed cataloging of everything to be learned in the chapter; rather, they emphasize the important facts, topics, and concepts to be covered. The chapter objectives are a conceptual framework to which additional materials will be added as the chapter is read in detail.
   
   
2. Key Terms. All key terms in the chapter are listed and defined on the chapter opening page. Within the chapter, these terms are set in boldface for student identification. The terms are also included in the glossary at the end of the book.
   
   
3. Vocabulary Aids. Learning anatomy and physiology is, in many ways, like learning a new language. Basic terminology must be mastered to communicate effectively. In cases where it is instructionally valuable, the derivation or origin of key words is given. In their original language, words are often descriptive, and knowing the original meaning can often enhance understanding and make it easier to remember the definition of the word. Common prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms of many biological terms appear on the inside of the front and back covers of the text and provide additional information on the derivation of words. When the pronunciation of a word is complex, a pronunciation guide is included. Simply being able to pronounce a word correctly is often the key to remembering it. The glossary, which collects the most important terms into one location for easy reference, also has a pronunciation guide.
   
   
4. Did You Know? Did You Know? boxes are designed to provide relevant and interesting examples to enhance the background of students who plan to pursue areas related to health. Other examples related to sports medicine or everyday experiences are included when they reinforce basic concepts. Did You Know? essays appear right after concepts are presented, and in so doing, the relevance of the concepts is immediately apparent, helping the student to better appreciate and understand them.
   
   
5. Clinical Focus Boxes. These boxed essays are expanded versions of the Did You Know? boxes that permit more detailed coverage of a topic. Subjects covered include pathologies, current research, sports medicine, exercise physiology, pharmacology and clinical applications. They are designed not only to illustrate the chapter content but also to stimulate interest.
   
   
6. Predict Questions. Did You Know? essays and Clinical Focus boxes can illustrate how a concept works, but a Predict question requires application of a concept. When reading a text, it is very easy to become a passive learner; everything seems very clear to passive learners until they attempt to use the information. The Predict questions convert the passive learner into an active learner who must use new information to solve a problem. The answer to this kind of question is not a mere restatement of a fact, but rather a prediction and analysis of the data, the synthesis of an experiment, or the evaluation and weighing of important variables of a problem. For example, "Given a stimulus, predict how a system will respond." Or, "Given a clinical condition, explain why the observed symptoms occurred." Answers for the Predict questions are given at the end of each chapter, along with explanations that demonstrate the process of problem solving.
   
   
7. Tables. The book contains many tables that have several uses. They provide more specific information than that included in the text discussion, allowing the text to concentrate on the general or main points of a topic. The tables also summarize some aspects of the chapter?s content, providing a convenient way to find information quickly. Often, a table is designed to accompany an illustration, so a written description and a visual presentation are combined to communicate information more effectively.
   
   
8. Homeostasis Figures. These flow-chart-style figures provide a summary of the functions of a system and the means by which that system regulates a parameter within a narrow range of values. Homeostasis is a major theme of this text, and the homeostasis figures reinforce that theme effectively. The format of each homeostasis figure in the fourth edition has been customized to reflect the specific homeostatic mechanism it demonstrates.
   
   
9. Systems Pathology. These boxes, appearing at the end of each system chapter, present a modified case study pertaining to the relevant system. Their goal is to show how each body system is influenced by the condition described in the case study. A Predict question and a table identifying how body systems interact in the presence of the profiled condition follow each Systems Pathology essay.
   
   
10. Chapter Summary. As the student reads the chapter, details may obscure the overall picture. The chapter summary is an outline that briefly states the important facts and concepts and provides a perspective of the "big picture."
    
    
11. Content Review Questions. The Content Review questions are another method used in this text to transform the passive learner into an active learner. The questions systematically cover the content and require students to summarize and restate the content in their own words.
    
    
    
12. Develop Your Reasoning Skills Questions. Following mastery of the Content Review questions and therefore chapter content, the Develop Your Reasoning Skills questions require the application of content to new situations. These are not essay questions that involve the restatement or summarization of chapter content. Instead, they provide additional practice in problem solving and promote the development and acquisition of problem-solving skills.