Coad – Anatomy & Physiology for Midwives – Chapter 1

Books to Purchase:

• Coad – Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives, 4th edition

Skills to Practice:

Try to find YouTube videos demonstrating how to do each skill. You should aim to practice each skill daily until your preceptor signs off on it.

• Stethoscope (Weaver p. 9)
• Otoscope (Weaver p. 9)
• Ophthalmoscope (Weaver p. 10)
• Vital Signs (Weaver p. 14-16)
• Pulse oximetry (Weaver p. 17-18, 24)
• Blood pressure (Weaver p. 20-21)
• Respirations (Weaver p. 18-19)
• Maternal Skin Assessment (Weaver p. 20)

Optional: Check each of these skills in Johnson & Taylor, Skills for Midwifery Practice.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Physiology

1. Read Coad, Anatomy & Physiology for Midwives, 4th edition, chapter 1, “Introduction to Physiology.”
2. Write out your answers to Coad, Chapter Case Study, page 1.
3. Create a Coad “Chapter 1 Study Sheet.” Include the following:

Learning Goals

1. Describe the structure of a typical cell and the function of each organelle.
2. Explain how cell differentiation produces specialized tissues.
3. Describe how cells receive oxygen and nutrients and eliminate wastes.
4. Explain physiological control mechanisms.
5. Describe the components of homeostasis.
6. Explain examples of homeostasis.
7. Explain how these principles relate to pregnancy.

Essential Vocabulary

• Physiology
• Anatomy
• Cell
• Organelle
• Tissue
• Organ
• Organ system
• Homeostasis
• Receptor
• Control center
• Effector
• Negative feedback
• Positive feedback
• Metabolism

Draw:

Draw a simple cell and label:

• nucleus
• mitochondria
• ribosomes
• rough ER
• smooth ER
• Golgi apparatus
• lysosome
• plasma membrane

Don’t worry about making it artistic. The goal is remembering where everything is.

Processes I Must Understand

Instead of memorizing paragraphs:

• Cell differentiation
• Protein synthesis (high level)
• Diffusion
• Osmosis
• Active transport
• Negative feedback
• Positive feedback

Midwifery Connections

This is the part many anatomy students never write, but I think it is the most valuable.

Things Worth Memorizing

• Definition of physiology.
• Definition of homeostasis.
• Components of a feedback loop.
• Difference between positive and negative feedback.
• Functions of the major organelles.

Questions to Answer Without Looking

1. What is physiology?
2. Why is homeostasis necessary?
3. What are the three parts of a feedback loop?
4. How is labor an example of positive feedback?
5. Why are mitochondria important?
6. How do oxygen and nutrients reach cells?
7. How are wastes removed?
8. What is the difference between a tissue and an organ?

I would also create a “Compendium Page”

The chapter study sheet is for learning.

The compendium is for remembering years from now.

The compendium entry for this chapter might only be one page containing:

• Homeostasis diagram
• Feedback loop diagram
• Cell diagram
• Organelles and one-line functions
• Diffusion vs. osmosis vs. active transport comparison
• Pregnancy examples

Notice how much shorter that is than the chapter itself.

One suggestion that might fit your long-term goals

You’re building a substantial midwifery library in Evernote, binders, flashcards, etc. Because of that, I would distinguish three different types of notes:

1. Chapter Study Sheets (one per textbook chapter)
   • Help you master the material the first time.
2. Midwifery Compendium
   • A lifelong reference organized by topic (e.g., “Shoulder Dystocia,” “Homeostasis,” “Placenta”).
3. Quick Reference Cards
   • One-card summaries for information you want to recall in seconds, whether for exams or clinical practice.

Each serves a different purpose. Keeping them separate prevents your compendium from becoming a second textbook and your quick-reference cards from becoming too detailed to be useful. I think that distinction will save you a lot of work as your collection grows.