Chapter 1
Introduction to Human Biology and the Scientific Process

FIGURE 1.1. Blood pressure. A basic understanding of medical procedures allows you to better understand information collected by medical professionals.

Though you may approach a course in human biology strictly as a requirement for obtaining your degree, the knowledge you gain in this course will serve you well in many aspects of your life. An understanding of your body and how it works can benefit your own health. Familiarity with the human body can help you make healthful choices and prompt you to take appropriate action when signs of illness arise. Your knowledge in this field will help you understand news about nutrition, medications, medical devices, and procedures. This knowledge will also help you understand genetic and infectious diseases. At some point, everyone will have a problem with some aspect of his or her body and your knowledge can help you to be a better parent, spouse, partner, friend, or caregiver.

This chapter begins with an overview of anatomy and physiology. It then covers the characteristics of life and how the body works to maintain stable conditions.

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Introduction to Human Biology Copyright © by Wolf T Pecher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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