Human Physiology
8-weeks | Unavailable
The human body is a marvel of complex systems working in harmony to allow us to thrive in a changing environment. This course examines how four of these systems function: the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, respiration and gas transport, and the water regulatory system (kidneys). From time-to-time, animal models will be examined as illustrative of alternatives or simpler systems.
Leathem Mehaffey
Leathem Mehaffey graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in zoology. He earned a master's degree in insect physiology from Fordham University and then a Ph.D. in biophysics from The Ohio State University. He spent two years at Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute before coming to Vassar. He taught in the Biology Department of Vassar for thirty-three years, primarily in General Biology and Physiology. For many of those years, he held a joint appointment at the New York University Department of Ophthalmology. Since retiring, he has taught numerous courses at the Marist University Center for Lifetime Study.