The Manga Guide to Physiology

by Etsuro Tanaka, Keiko Koyama, Becom Co. Ltd.

Overview

Student nurse Kumiko has just flunked her physiology exam and has one last shot at passing her makeup test. Lucky for her, newbie health science professor Kaisei needs a guinea pig for his physiology lectures.

Join Kumiko in The Manga Guide to Physiology as she examines the inner workings of the body while training hard for the campus marathon. You’ll learn all about:
–How the digestive system and the Citric Acid Cycle break food down into nutrients and energy
–How the body regulates temperature and vital fluids
–The body’s powerful cell defense system, led by helper T cells and enforced by macrophages
–The architecture of the central nervous system
–The kidneys’ many talents: blood filtration, homeostasis, and energy production

You’ll also gain insight into medical procedures like electrocardiograms, blood pressure tests, spirograms, and more.

Whether you’re cramming for a test like Kumiko or just want a refresher, The Manga Guide to Physiology is your fun, cartoon guide to the human body.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593274405
Publisher:	No Starch Press
Publication date:	11/01/2015
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	123,453
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Etsuro Tanaka is a doctor of medicine who specializes in physiology and nutritional science. A professor in the Tokyo University of Agriculture Faculty of Applied Bio-Science, he has also written several popular physiology textbooks for nursing students.

Table of Contents

Prologue
Chapter 1: The Circulatory System
Chapter 2: The Respiratory System
Chapter 3: The Digestive System
Chapter 4: The Kidneys and the Renal System
Chapter 5: Body Fluids and Blood
Chapter 6: The Brain and the Nervous System
Chapter 7: The Sensory Nervous System
Chapter 8: The Musculo-Skeletal System
Chapter 9: Cells, Genes, and Reproduction
Chapter 10: The Endocrine System
Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

A great supplemental text for science classes or anyone who wants to learn or review the subject.”
—Booklist

“The illustrated format [allows] for easy introduction of various diagrams and visual metaphors.”
—Comics Worth Reading

“Manga, the hugely popular Japanese genre of graphic novels, turns out to be surprisingly well suited to teaching human physiology . . . An entertaining supplement to standard physiology textbooks.”
—American Scientist

“These manga guides not only entertain, they teach and inform at the same time. Personally, I wish I had these in school.”
—Parade

“A wonderfully crafted, entertaining, and enriching learning experience. This manga is most useful and educational for the budding student of science at the high school or collegiate level.”
—In-Training, Albany Medical College

“An amazing marriage of description, explanation, everyday interactions and visual analysis...Highly recommended!”
—Scientific Computing

“Capturing the charm of its predecessors, this 240ish page book delivers not only delivers a decent storyline, but true to its title, serves as a great introductory guide to the various facets of the human body.”
—The Otaku's Study

"A thoroughly accessible and user-friendly guide to physiology . . . an excellent text for classroom use or self-study, and especially ideal for students with a keen interest in careers related to health care! Highly recommended especially for high school, college, and public library science collections."
—Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

06/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Conversations between a student and a professor, in manga format, offer the lighthearted lead-in to a detailed exploration of human physiology. Kumiko is a nursing student who has just failed physiology; Kaisei is the young and dreamy assistant professor who tutors her during the summer. His lectures to Kumiko are full of information, couched in back-and-forth dialogue that also reveals a bit about the student's personality, including an unreciprocated crush on Kaisei. These scenes are rendered in black-and-white paneled illustrations with simple but useful diagrams. The second half of each chapter contains "even more" material, relying on smaller print, fewer illustrations, and diagrams that are more detailed but still accessible. Some concepts introduced earlier are explored more fully in the second half. Other ideas are dealt with exclusively within the second section. Kaisei uses effective analogies, relying on anything from earthworms to rice paddies to help Kumiko (and readers) make sense of complex ideas, and relates physiology concepts to Kumiko's own experiences, such as marathon training and touching a cup that's too hot. The lack of a glossary is unfortunate, but a thorough index and occasional footnotes are useful. The mixed levels of depth, layered presentation of information, and conversational style work well with a topic as complicated as physiology, while the fun interpersonal dynamics provide a bit of breathing space for readers who might be overwhelmed by the parade of facts. VERDICT Innovative and accessible presentation of a complex subject; a strong addition for those learning about physiology.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR

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