This course presents the biophysical principles of membrane excitability and the functional properties and regulation of skeletal muscle, the autonomic nervous system and the cardiovascular system. A discussion of the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart, circulatory fluid dynamics, control of peripheral vascular tone, and neurohumoral control of blood pressure are included in the cardiovascular section of the course. Small group case discussions facilitate the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills as the students use basic physiologic concepts to understand the pathogenesis of signs and symptoms in clinical case studies.