The University of Pennsylvania is launching a course on “Vital Functions of the Human Body”, it’s FREE – Teach me about Science

Perhaps you have more than once encountered situations when a family member fell ill, you did not know what was happening or how to help him. The most important recommendation is to go to an urgent care clinic immediately so that medical professionals can diagnose and treat you.

Likewise, it is important to be aware of our body’s vital signs so that we can recognize when something is wrong and act immediately, which can be very beneficial for our health and those around us.

If you are interested in these topics, today we are sharing with you important vital signs coursewhich is taught at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania.

What are vital signs?

Vital signs are objective, quantifiable measurements that provide important information about the basic physiological functions of the human body. The main vital signs are:

-Pulse rate: number of heart beats per minute.

-Respiratory rate: number of breaths per minute.

-Body Temperature: Measures the amount of heat in the body.

-Blood pressure: the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries.

These signs are important because they provide insight into the health and functioning of the body. Changes in vital signs can be signs of medical problems or critical conditions, allowing healthcare providers to assess a patient’s condition and make informed treatment decisions. Regular monitoring of vital signs is essential in clinical settings, emergency medicine, and patient care.

About the progress of vital functions

This course, hosted on the Coursera learning platform, is called “Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body is Telling Us”, taught at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania in the USA. To date, 355,588 students have enrolled and successfully completed the curriculum. The course has a rating of 4.8 stars out of 5, making it one of the best courses on Coursera.

This training is available in 19 languages ​​(including Spanish), is free, 100% online, requires a total of 13 hours of investment (recommended 3 to 4 hours per week), and has a flexible schedule that you can adapt to your schedule.

Training program

Lessons are spread over 6 weeks and cover fundamental topics related to vital signs. We will briefly describe what each of them consists of:

Week 1 “Pulse/Heart”: This week we begin our examination of vital signs by looking at the heart. We’ll explore the basic structure of the heart, think about how the heart pumps blood throughout the body, and learn how doctors evaluate and think about heart rate and pulse.

Week 2 “Blood pressure”: In week two we will learn about the anatomy of blood vessels and how they function. You will better understand systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and how to accurately estimate blood pressure.

Week 3 “Metabolism”: This week we will study metabolism. We’ll talk about anabolism and catabolism, basal metabolic rate, and how the body produces heat. You’ll also have a better understanding of how healthcare professionals evaluate your metabolic rate.

Week 4 “Temperature”: In the fourth week you will learn what average body temperature is and how the body regulates it. We’ll talk about hypothermia and the difference between hyperthermia and fever. Finally, you will learn to estimate body temperature.

Week 5 “Respiration rate”: This week we will learn about the anatomy of the lungs, capillary gas exchange and the regulation of respiration. You will better understand how health care providers assess respiratory rate and quality of lung sounds.

Week 6 “Pain”: This week we explore the neurological pathways associated with pain and the difference between pain tolerance and pain threshold. We will understand what pain is telling us and why it is important to accurately assess it and treat it effectively. In addition, we will look at how health care providers assess pain.

In this way, the entire course syllabus will be completed and you will gain the competent knowledge required to understand the vital functions of the human body.

Registration for the course: To access this training, you just need to click on the button direct linkfill out the form with your registration details and start training.