MEYERS, R.; GEOFFRION, L.: Web-HUMAN: A Comprehensive Systems Physiology Teaching Simulation Is Available On the Web.

Prior to web-HUMAN (http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/human) all comprehensive systems physiology computer teaching simulations were hardware and platform dependant. Web-HUMAN makes available to educators the classic HUMAN FORTRAN physiology simulation (author: Tom Coleman) in an updated format via a custom wrapper that allows free web access to the model, interactive user-input for experimental variables and their values and web-formatted experimental outputs. The HUMAN model is comprehensive, encompassing the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, fluid balance, acid-base balance and thermoregulatory systems at its core and adding aspects of the nervous, endocrine and muscle metabolism systems. In each simulated 1 minute iteration 137 user accessible physiological variables are computed and updated. To run a simulation the user can manipulate one or more of 67 alterable physiological, environmental and clinical parameters. In addition to the model itself the web-HUMAN site also contains a section of teaching resources including instructions in how to run experiments, annotated on-line lists of variables and numerous sample simulation labs from courses covering comparative, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and nervous system physiology. As time allows, sample comparative physiology experiments in high altitude ascent (decrease in barometric pressure) and thermoregulation (increased ambient temperature at fixed relative humidity) will be demonstrated.