This interactive tutorial focuses on the cellular transport processes involved in the production of secretions by different organs of the body. It is designed to complement a medical or health science course. The five independent sections may be completed separately or worked through in sequence.

The first section is an introduction to secretion and covers the basic process of 2-stage secretion and the effect of flow rate on secretory fluid composition.

The section on sweat includes an interactive exercise building a cell model and control mechanisms, and covers the generation of a transepithelial current loop.

The section on saliva includes an interactive exercise on flow rates and fluid composition, and animated demonstrations of cell transport processes and control mechanisms.

Pancreatic secretions are covered in a section which includes introductory functional anatomy and animated demonstrations of cell transport processes and control mechanisms.

The final section describes cystic fibrosis as an example of a genetic mutation which produces different changes in secretions at different sites in the body. It includes introductory information on cystic fibrosis mutations, and animated demonstrations of cell transport processes in airway epithelia, both with and without cystic fibrosis. (Cystic fibrosis is used as a recurrent example of impaired secretion throughout all modules.)

All chapters include questions designed to revise and extend the material covered in the tutorial.

Authors: Debbi A. Weaver, Robert E. Kemm, David Cook, Peter J. Harris, Tom Petrovic