Physiology by Numbers: An Encouragement to Quantitative Thinking / Edition 2

by Richard F. Burton

Overview

Thinking quantitatively about physiology is difficult for many students. However, it is fundamentally important for students to gain a proper understanding of many of the concepts involved. In this enlarged second edition of his popular textbook, Richard Burton gives the reader an opportunity to develop a feel for values such as ion concentrations, lung and fluid volumes, and blood pressures through the use of calculations requiring little more than simple arithmetic. The book provides guidance on how to avoid errors and the usefulness of approximation and "back-of-envelope sums." The topics discussed here include energy metabolism, nerve and muscle, blood and the cardiovascular system, respiration, renal function, body fluids, and acid-base balance. This book is essential reading for physiology students (and teachers) everywhere, both those who are shy or adept with numbers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521777032
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/20/2000
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Burton, R. F., MD (Univ of Glasgow)

Table of Contents

Preface to the second edition; Preface to the first edition: how to use this book; 1. Introduction to physiological calculation: approximation and units; 2. Quantifying the body: interrelationships amongst 'representative' or 'textbook' quantities; 3. Energy and metabolism; 4. The cardiovascular system; 5. Respiration; 6. Renal function; 7. Body fluids; 8. Acid-base balance; 9. Nerve and muscle; References; Notes and answers; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Burton offers a well designed set of quantitative problems and carefully shows the reader how to solve them...I found that even with all my experience in mammalian physiology, the quantitative questions and answers in this book gave me further insights into several physiological processes." Growth, Development & Aging

From the Publisher

Burton (biomedical and life sciences, U. of Glasgow, Scotland), writing in an amiable prose, presents students of the biological sciences with a text to help them become more comfortable with the larger concepts they'll need to use arithmetic in their field. Dividing the human body into its parts as they're studied<-->energy and metabolism, the cardiovascular system, respiration, renal function, body fluids, acid-base balance, and nerve and muscle<-->each chapter is made up of a series of problems, which are followed by discussion of the math, as for example, in ion concentrations, lung and fluid volumes, and blood pressures, for the student to solve, with answers and explanations provided at the back. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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