Vander's Human Physiology The Mechanisms of Body Function [Paperback]

Eric P Widmaier (Author), Hershel Raff (Author), Kevin T Strang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2006

International Edition, 2006, ISBN 007111677X, book only, softcover, 827 pages

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Tenth Edition edition (2006)
• ISBN-10: 007111677X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071116770
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,886,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well written introduction to human physiology, August 13, 2008

By 

ninjasuperstar (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vander's Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function with ARIS (HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY (VANDER)) (Hardcover)

The best aspect of this text is the quality of the writing. The writers have a clear excitement about the subject, and for the most part, this makes reading the text pleasant rather than dry.

The book opens with an introduction to homeostasis and provides a theoretical backbone for the study of human physiology. The second chapter is the obligatory introduction to fundamental chemistry (atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, etc.) that seems to be in almost every basic science book. Chapters three, four, and five are typical of almost all texts about life - cell structure and function, proteins, metabolism, and chemical messengers.

It's not until chapter six, "Neuronal Signaling and the Structure of the Nervous System," that the text begins to move away from an introductory biology book. Chapter six serves as a model for the rest of the book and the central principle of physiology: The human body wants to be in balance, and there are competing chemical and electrical pathways fighting for and against this balance. The final chapter, which my professor skipped, is medically oriented. The student is asked to consider what they have learned and apply it to a case study narrative, to essentially diagnose a patient.

Throughout the text there are numerous figures, tables, key words, and end-of-chapter study guides (the guides are very helpful for organizing information when studying for a test). Yet the diverse presentation of information is a bit overwhelming sometimes. For example, some chapters have far too many bolded key words in a row, which can be distracting to read.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this text. There's a lot of information in this book, but if you take the time to read and reread the text, you'll have a very good understanding of basic human physiology.

Subjects of each chapter:

1. Homeostasis

2. Basic chemistry

3. Cell structure and function

4. Cell membranes

5. Chemical messengers

6. Nervous system

7. Sensory physiology

8. The brain

9. Muscle

10. Control of body movement

11. Endocrine system

12. Cardiovascular system

13. Respiratory system

14. Kidneys

15. Digestion

16. Metabolism

17. Reproduction

18. Defense mechanisms of the body

19. Clinical cases

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed but Approachable, October 28, 2008

By 

Jules Green - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vander's Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function (Hardcover)

I haven't had any exposure to biology-related topics for quite some time, but Vander's Physiology brings it back with enough depth and breadth to understand without getting lost in the details. This is not the most recent edition but still very useful for those of us not going much further in our study of physiology.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 30, 2009

By 

Tyler M. Keckley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vander's Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function with ARIS (HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY (VANDER)) (Hardcover)

Book is what you need for any intro physiology class and goes even more in depth then my prof does