Module A1.4 - Human Biology I

Coordinator

Prof. Dr. Christoph Biskup

Lecturers

Biomolecular Photonics Group: Prof. Dr. Christoph Biskup, PD. Dr. Christian Melle
Institute of Physiology I: PD Dr. Andrea Ebersberger
Experimental Nephrology Group: Prof. Dr. Ralf Mrowka

Components of the module

Virtual lectures: Please, follow the links on the download page or in the moodle room to view the lectures.
In the moodle room also additional material, i.e. exercise sheets and plenty of review questions are available.
Seminars: Seminars/tutorials to discuss remaining questions will take place in the seimnar room Kollegiengasse 9. Enter the historic courtyard of the Medical Theoretical Institutes to get access to the lecture hall. A detailed map can be found here.

Additional help

To help you in learning Human Biology the following tools can be borrowed/obtained:

Molecular models: A set of color coded atoms such as the one used in the lecture videos can be borrowed from the Biomeolecular Photonics group.
Virtual microscopy: Virtual microscope of the Dept. of Anatomy (link).

Requirements to complete this module

Self study of the recommended textbook chapters. For this course we will use the 2nd edition of the OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology (2017) textbook. The online version of the textbook can be accessed free of charge via this link. A pdf of the book can be downloaded here.
Self study of the online lectures
Regular work on the exercise sheets to the videos and the questions implemented in moodle
Successful participation in the written exam

Exam

Please note: Like the quizzes, which were available for each unit, most of the actual exam will be performed in moodle. Therefore the exam takes place at one of the computer pools of the core university at the location indicated below. (Note: This is neither the computer pool which was used for Image Processing nor the computer pool which was used for last year's Human Biology I exam)

Date: 27.02.2026
Time: 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 a.m.
Location: Computer Pool of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration - Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3 - 2nd floor - Room 217 (A detailed description about how to find the Computer Pool is given here)

Please note: To be able to login at one of the computers you need to have ready your student login and password of the university computation center (i.e. the login and password you use for Friedolin and Moodle)

Additional note: Unfortunately, there are public transport strikes on Friday, February 27th. Since many of you have already planned your activities (e.g., home trips, vacations) we cannot postpone the exam. The exam will take place at the scheduled time. Please ensure that you arrive on time, despite the strike. The strike will not be considered a valid excuse for being late or for not attending the exam.

Exam results can be looked up here. Exam results will be discussed on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 in the seminar room Kollegiengasse at 10.15 a.m. Come to this meeting, if you want to review your exam. In the meeting we will also give you additional information and useful tips for the retake.

Retake

Please note: Everybody who signed up for the exam and failed or was ill on the exam date is supposed to participate in the retake.

Date: 17.04.2026
Time: 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 a.m.
Location: Computer Pool of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration - Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3 - 2nd floor - Room 216 (A detailed description about how to find the Computer Pool is given here)

Time table and overview of the individual lectures

Unit	Lecturer	Subject and content	Links
Week 1 Unit 1 Monday 13.10.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Lecture Introduction into Human Biology History Principles Aims of this module, how to survive this module	See the download page for a copy of the lecture slides
Unit 2 Tuesday 14.10.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Lecture Introduction into medical terminology	See the download page for course materials
Unit 3 Video lecture	Biskup	Organization of the cell Cell morphology Physical structure of the cell Functional organization of the cell: cytoplasm, nucleus, organelles	See the download page for course materials
Friday 17.10.2025 10.15 a.m	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of the moodle quiz Discussion of questions to topics of week #1 Introduction into microscopy Introduction to the virtual microscope of the Dept. of Anatomy (link)
Week 2 Unit 4 Video lecture	Biskup	Microscopic anatomy Introduction to microscopy Processing and staining of microscopic samples	See the download page for course materials
Unit 5 Video lecture	Biskup	Morphology and classification of tissues Epithelial tissue Connective tissue Muscle tissue Nervous tissue	See the download page for course materials
Unit 6 Video lecture	Biskup	The integumentary sytem Cutaneous membranes: epidermis, dermis Accessory structures: Hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, nail	See the download page for course materials
Friday 24.10.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #2 The virtual microscope of the Dept. of Anatomy (link)
Week 3 Unit 7 Video lecture	Biskup	Biomolecules I Proteinogenic amino acids Properties of amino acids "nonstandard" amino acids Protein folding and protein structure See also the Chemistry Precourse for more details	See the download page for course materials
Unit 8 Video lecture	Biskup	Biomolecules II Lipids See the Chemistry Precourse for more details.	See the download page for course materials
Monday 03.11.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #3
Week 4 Unit 9 Video lecture	Biskup	Biomolecules III Carbohydrates See the Chemistry Precourse for more details.	See the download page for course materials
Unit 10 Video lecture	Biskup	Biomolecules IV Nucleic acids, nucleotides, DNA Forces stabilizing the nucleic acid structure DNA replication	See the download page for course materials
Friday 07.11.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #4
Week 5 Unit 11 Video lecture	Melle	Chromosome structure	See the download page for course materials
Unit 12 Video lecture	Melle	Cell cycle, cell reproduction Cell growth, cell differentiation Cell cycle Cell reproduction Apoptosis	See the download page for course materials
Unit 13 Video lecture	Melle	DNA replication	See the download page for course materials
Friday 14.11.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #5
Week 6 Unit 14 Video lecture	Melle	Mitosis, meiosis, recombination	See the download page for course materials
Unit 15 Video lecture	Melle	Transcription & translation Transcription Translation Regulation of gene expression	See the download page for course materials
Friday 21.11.2025 10.15 a.m.	Melle	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #6
Week 7 Unit 16 Video lecture	Melle	DNA damage DNA damage signalling DNA repair	See the download page for course materials
Unit 17 Video lecture		Molecular cloning recombinant DNA technology chromatographic separations, electrophoresis	See the download page for course materials
Friday 28.11.2025 10.15 a.m.	Melle	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #7
Week 8 Unit 18 Video lecture	Biskup	Thermodynamic principles Application of the laws of thermodynamics to biochemistry Gibbs free energy, chemical equilibria Enzyme kinetics	See the download page for course materials
Unit 19 Video lecture	Biskup	Enzymes, enzyme kinetics Classification of enzymes Coenzymes Enzyme kinetics, regulation of enzymatic activity	See the download page for course materials
Unit 20 Video lecture	Melle	Metabolism I Glycolysis Glykogen metabolism	See the download page for course materials
Friday 05.12.2025 10.15 a.m.	Biskup/ Melle	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #8
Week 9 Unit 21 Video lecture	Melle	Metabolism II Citric acid cycle	See the download page for course materials
Unit 22 Video lecture	Melle	Metabolism III Oxidative phosphorylation	See the download page for course materials
Friday 12.12.2025 10.15 a.m.	Melle	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #9
Week 10 Unit 23 Video lecture	Biskup	Membrane Physiology I - Biophysical basics Diffusuion, dynamic equilibrium Osmosis Electrochemical diffusion Active and passive transport processes	See the download page for course materials
Unit 24 Video lecture	Biskup	Membrane Physiology II - Transport phenomena Primary active transport mechanisms: pumps Secondary active transport mechanisms: symporter, antiporter Passive transport mechanisms: pores, ion channels, uniporter	See the download page for course materials
Unit 25 Video lecture	Biskup	Membrane Physiology III - Excitable tissues Resting membrane potential Action potentials of excitable tissues	See the download page for course materials
19.12.2025 10.15 a.m..	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of weeks #10
Week 11 Unit 26 Video lecture	Biskup	Physiology of neurons Microscopic anatomy of the neuron Conduction	See the download page for course materials
Unit 27 Video lecture	Biskup	Synaptic transmission, the neuromuscular junction Structure of electrical and chemical synapses Transmitters	See the download page for course materials
Unit 28 Video lecture	Biskup	Cellular physiology of the skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle Excitation and contraction of the skeletal muscle (neuromuscular transmission, excitation-contraction coupling) Excitation and contraction of the cardiac muscle Excitation and contraction of the smooth muscle	See the download page for course materials
Friday 09.01.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of weeks #11
Week 12 Unit 29	Biskup	Macroscopic anatomy I Overview Bones and bone structure The axial skeleton	See the download page for course materials
Unit 30	Biskup	Macroscopic anatomy II The apendicular skeleton Joints	See the download page for course materials
Unit 31	Biskup	Macroscopic anatomy III Muscles	See the download page for course materials
Unit 32	Biskup	Macroscopic anatomy IV Inner organs	See the download page for course materials
Friday 16.01.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #12
Week 13 Unit 33	Biskup	Organization of the nervous system General design of the nervous system Major levels of CNS function	See the download page for course materials
Unit 34	Biskup	Autonomic nervous system Physiologic anatomy of the symathetic and parasympathetic nervous system Autonomic reflexes Pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system	See the download page for course materials
Unit 35	Biskup	Signalling Ways to transmit information to cells (extracellular signalling) Signal transduction at the plasma membrane Intracellular signal transduction pathways	See the download page for course materials
Friday 23.01.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #13
Week 14 Unit 36	Biskup	Cardiac physiology I Introduction to the cardiovascular system Anatomy of the heart The action potential of the working myocardium	See the download page for course materials
Unit 37	Biskup	Cardiac physiology II The excitatory and conductive system of the heart Regulation of the cardiac activity by the autonomous nervous system	See the download page for course materials
Friday 30.01.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #14
Week 15 Unit 38	Biskup	Cardiac physiology III Cardiac mechanics Work diagram of the heart	See the download page for course materials
Unit 39	Biskup	Cardiac physiology IV The normal electrocardiogram Cardiac arrhythmias	See the download page for course materials
Friday 06.02.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Seminar Discussion of questions concerning the topics of week #15
Friday 20.02.2026 14.15 a.m.	Melle	Additional seminar (Molecular Biology) Review of this semester's topics concerning Molecular Biology, discussion of open questions
Tuesday 24.02.2026 14.15 a.m.	Biskup	Additional seminar (Remaining topics) Review of the remaining topics of this semester, discussion of open questions
27.02.2026 10.00 a.m.	Biskup	Exam Time: 10.00 a.m - 12.00 am. Location: see the information given at the top of the website. Exam results can be looked up here.
04.03.2026 10.15 a.m.	Biskup	Discussion of the exam results & "round table" discussion Discussion of the exam results Discussion of the course feedback, "round table" discussion Hints / tips for learning for the retake, agreement on a date for the retake
17.04.2026 10.00 a.m.	Biskup	Re-Exam Location: see the information given at the top of the website. Re-Exam results can be looked up here.