What is Human Anatomy?
Human anatomy is the study of human body parts and their locations in the body. As you study human anatomy in a free online anatomy course, you'll learn about the locations of structures in the body like nerves, blood vessels, organs, muscles and bones. Many anatomy courses also incorporate a physiology component that teaches about the roles these structures play in the body. Read on to find out where you can learn anatomy and physiology.
Anatomy and Physiology Online Courses for Credit
Individuals who want to learn more about anatomy and physiology can find a number of online resources that don't require registration or tuition; however, these courses don't lead to college credit. Study.com offers for-credit options through low-cost online courses that include concise, engaging video lessons and self-assessment quizzes. Students also have access to free transcripts for the video lessons, both of which can prepare students to earn real college credit.
Students who explore the Biology 105: Anatomy and Physiology course will find lessons on these topics and more:
- Overview of Anatomy and Cell Biology - Use this chapter to learn about the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, passive and active cell transport, epithelial tissue, anatomical directional terminology and human body planes.
- Human Respiratory System - Examine the airway and the lungs, pleural cavities, external and internal respiration, gas and carbon dioxide transport and ventilation.
- The Five Senses - Subjects include the olfactory bulb, receptors of the eye, external ear structures, the inner ear and cranial nerves.
- Gross Anatomy of Muscular System - Find out about the various muscles of the body, including head and neck, shoulder, arm, axial and hip muscles.
- Male and Female Reproductive Systems - Topics in this chapter include meiosis, male and female reproductive anatomy, hormones and oogenesis.
Free Online Non-Credited Anatomy and Physiology Courses
Free online anatomy and physiology courses are made available through OpenCourseWare (OCW) programs. OCW courses are free, available to anyone, and are not-for-credit. There is no registration or application required. OCW courses are publications of the course materials and assignments used in teaching anatomy and physiology. OCW programs don't use email or chatrooms to provide communication between students and faculty.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also offers three online physiology courses for free. All of the OCW courses at MIT provide downloadable course materials and assignments.
- Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems covers the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the renal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
- Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues discusses how cells maintain their composition and how molecules move across cellular membranes.
- Physiology of the Ear investigates the analysis and coding of sounds that is performed by the inner ear, the mechanics of sound transmission, hair-cell transduction and causes for hearing disorders.
Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative
If you're looking for a free anatomy course, the Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative may be for you. This initiative seeks to provide free courses in a variety of topics that students can access online. These courses cannot be taken for credit, but they can provide valuable foundational material and introduce students to topics that interest them. Specifically, CMU provides two free online anatomy and physiology courses: Anatomy & Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology II. Both free anatomy and physiology courses courses are open to all students.
