BI 233: Anatomy and Physiology III
I am working on updating this page! If you are interested in the general layout of my classes and my policies, go to the webpages for BI231 (link to a google doc syllabus) or BI232 (liquid syllabus that should be easy to read on a mobile device) and check out the syllabi there. BI233 format is nearly identical to the other two as of 2026.
If you’re looking to get a head start on the term, I highly recommend that you review concepts from BI112 (also listed below)
1. Water, chemical equations, pH, Acids, Bases, and Buffers
- What is the molecular formula of water?
- What does ionization of water mean?
- Define pH (equation and words).
- What defines an acid vs. a base?
- What is a buffer and why is it necessary in the body?
- How does the pH scale work, and how do you calculate values on it?
- What is a chemical equation? What are the products and reactants? What does it mean for a chemical equation to be at equilibrium?
2. Macromolecules and Metabolism
- What is a polymer vs. a monomer?
- What is a hydrolysis reaction?
- Describe the general structure of:
- Polysaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides
- Proteins and amino acids
- Triglycerides (and the difference between saturated vs. unsaturated fats)
- Why do cells need amino acids?
- Why does the body need lipids, and where are they used in cells?
- What is ATP? Can it be stored? Where/how is it made?
- What is glycolysis? Where does it occur? Net result? Does it require oxygen?
- Difference between anaerobic and aerobic processes.
- Where does most ATP in the body get made? In general, how (what is required from this process and what are the waste products)?
- What is metabolism?
- Define hydrolysis and explain how it’s related to macromolecules and ATP.
3. Transport Across Membranes
- Explain hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic (and polar vs. nonpolar) molecules.
- Define:
- Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, passive transport, osmosis
- Cotransport, symport, uniport, receptor-mediated endocytosis, pinocytosis, phagocytosis, exocytosis, endocytosis
- How does facilitated diffusion differ from simple diffusion?
- What components are required for facilitated diffusion (channels/carriers)?
- What defines active transport, and how does it differ from diffusion?
- What energy inputs are required for active transport?
- What is secondary active transport, and how does it work?
- Explain osmosis, the forces involved, and predict water movement based on solute concentration.
- How do concentration gradient, distance, time, charge, and solubility affect diffusion?
- Is diffusion active or passive?
4. Fluids and Flow in the Body
- What is a fluid, and give examples in the human body.
- How is flow through tubes affected by pressure changes and resistance? (learned in BI232)
- How does resistance change with tube diameter? (learned in BI232)
5. Cellular Membranes
- Describe the structure of cellular membranes (plasma membrane).
- How does membrane structure create compartments in the cell/body?
- How does membrane structure affect the movement of polar vs. nonpolar and charged vs. uncharged particles?
- What are aquaporins? Describe general structure and function.
6. Enzymes
- What is an enzyme (structure and function)?
- What roles do enzymes play in biological systems?
- How does pH affect enzyme structure and activity?
7. Cellular structure
- Define cell. What four components do all cells (of any organism) have?
- What are the general functions of: mitochondria, plasma membrane, nucleus, rough ER, smooth ER, vesicles.