This is an introductory course to students on the basics of human body and how internal and external factors may affect our health and cause diseases.

Cell, a basic unit of organisms, eventually complicated systems and organisms including human are formed. Different physiological and metabolic activities are well organized, regulated and maintained in balanced status called homeostasis. Whereas, this healthy state could be intervened by numerous factors such as nutrient uptake, environmental toxicants poisoning, infectious agents attack, etc.; and result to different extent of health problems. In this course, basic concepts of human body organization and physiological systems will be overviewed. The concept of health and ways to maintain our body in a healthy state will be introduced. Moreover, some well recognized health problems such as different leading causes of death (e.g. cancers and cardiovascular diseases), drug abuse-related health and social problems (e.g. addiction, mental illness) and infectious diseases (e.g. seasonal influenza, AIDS) will be selected; in which, biological backgrounds, pathogenesis, treatments methods and social impacts would be discussed. In addition, we expect students to develop a sense of responsibility towards one’s own and that of public health.