Draw the mechanism
Show what changes, why it changes, and how the system responds. Label what each arrow means instead of copying a pathway you cannot explain.
Human Physiology · Students at any school
Learn the mechanism. Predict what happens next.
Learn the mechanism, then predict what happens when something changes. Practice cause and effect, feedback loops, graphs, and explaining processes from memory.
$50/hour · Online tutoring available · In-person options in the North Bay
Match the task
Study for the way you are tested.
If your exam asks what happens when a variable changes, memorizing a definition isn't enough.
Explain the graph
Start with axes, units, and conditions. Describe the trend, then connect it to a mechanism and the evidence in the data.
Change one variable
State what stays constant. Predict the immediate effect, explain why it follows, and distinguish it from any later regulatory response.
Across introductory physiology
Organize the detail into cause and effect.
These are common areas we can work on. Your syllabus and current instructor materials determine the scope and level of detail.
Homeostasis and feedback
Negative feedback, positive feedback, set points, sensors, control centers, effectors, and regulated variables.
Membranes and transport
Diffusion, osmosis, gradients, membrane potentials, channels, pumps, carriers, and active transport.
Nervous and endocrine control
Neurons, synapses, action potentials, hormones, receptors, second messengers, and coordinated regulation.
Muscle physiology
Excitation-contraction coupling, sliding filaments, skeletal/cardiac/smooth muscle differences, force, and fatigue.
Cardio-respiratory physiology
Cardiac cycle, blood pressure, flow, vascular resistance, ventilation, gas exchange, and oxygen transport.
Renal, digestive, immune, and reproductive systems
Fluid balance, acid-base regulation, absorption, defense, hormones, and reproductive control systems.
Course structure and exam format vary by instructor and semester.
Free study routine
A mechanism from memory
Choose one process from your current lecture topics. Put your notes aside before you explain it. The gaps show you where to focus next.
Start free. Add support when you need it.
Set the starting condition
Name the variable and what has changed. State any conditions your example holds constant.
Trace the causal links
Draw or say each step without notes. Explain why one change causes the next.
Add regulation
If the process includes feedback, explain how the response affects the original change.
Check and retell
Compare with your course materials. Correct the first missing link, then explain the full process again from memory.
Personalized practice
Bring the question you can't reason through.
In tutoring, we can unpack the mechanism, work through predictions, read graphs, and organize a concise essay or short response that explains your reasoning.
We can also triage an upcoming exam or build a realistic weekly plan around work, labs, and other classes.
See an example tutoring session →Free resources to keep practicing
Read the free OpenStax reference, explore Anthony's short study videos, and use the study routines on this page without signing up.
Explore study resources →Working on structures too? Read the Anatomy study guide.
At SRJC? See the PHYZ 1 preparation guide.
Questions
Before you get started
Is this for students at any school?
Yes. These study strategies and physiology tutoring can be adapted to your current course outline, instructor materials, lab manual, and exam schedule. Course structure and exam format vary by instructor and semester.
What makes physiology different from anatomy?
Anatomy focuses on structure: what something is and where it is. Physiology focuses on function: mechanisms, regulated variables, and how body systems maintain homeostasis.
Can tutoring help with lab reports?
Yes. We can interpret data, make graphs readable, connect results to physiology, and organize explanations. You write your own work and follow your course's collaboration rules.
Do you tutor online or in person?
Both. One-on-one tutoring is $50/hour, online or in person in the North Bay. Students at any school are welcome.
Individual support
A session built around what you need next.
Bring your course materials and the questions you keep getting stuck on. We'll choose a starting point together.
One-on-one tutoring · $50/hour
Online or in person in the North Bay.
Group tutoring available — mention it in your request.