Dr. Arthur C. Guyton is the Mississippian responsible for writing The Textbook of Medical Physiology and revolutionizing the medical community around the world with his research and inventions. Dr. John Hall, the current Chair of the Physiology Department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), remembers Dr. Guyton as a brilliant scientist, master teacher, and excellent role model.
Brilliant Scientist
Dr. Guyton’s research and discoveries in physiology laid the foundation for medical workers today. His research helped doctors learn more about cardiovascular physiology and blood pressure control; his inventions helped people with mobility problems; and his textbook, revised only by Dr. John Hall and Dr. Michael Hall, remains the standard around the world.
Discussion
K-3rd Grade
- Have you ever been to the doctor?
- Do you know of any inventions that help people move their bodies?
4th-6th Grade
- Dr. Guyton had polio, which made moving his body difficult. His inventions helped him to move around. What could you invent to solve a difficult problem in your life?
Vocabulary
K-3rd Grade
- Doctor (noun): a person who uses medicine to keep people healthy and heal the sick
- Blood (noun): red fluid used to transport nutrients and oxygen around the body
4th-6th Grade
- Physiology (noun): the study of the function of living organisms
- Cardiovascular (adjective): having to do with the way blood is distributed in the body
Master Teacher
Dr. John Hall was often impressed with how Dr. Guyton could teach complicated things in simple ways. Dr. Guyton would teach his students about the main ideas from his textbook and then train them to build their own machines for school! Dr. Guyton taught and trained over 150 scientists, with 6 of those students becoming presidents of the American Physiological Society, just like their teacher.
Discussion
K-3rd Grade
- Who is your favorite teacher that you have ever had? Why were they your favorite?
4th-6th Grade
- Do you learn better by listening, practicing, seeing, or talking?
- What have your favorite teachers done that made them special?
Vocabulary
K-3rd Grade
- Train (verb): teach someone how to do something by helping them practice
- Machine (noun): something which is made up of more than one part, all working together
4th-6th Grade
- Impress (verb): causing others to respect or admire
- Society (noun): a group of people organized for a specific purpose
Discussion
K-3rd Grade
- Who is someone you look up to?
- What is something else we can do when we feel like complaining?
4th-6th Grade
- Dr. Guyton’s paralysis was something that made moving difficult, but he used it as an opportunity to teach and make life better for many people with mobility challenges. What is something difficult in your life, and how can you use it as an opportunity to help the world?
Vocabulary
K-3rd Grade
- Role Model (noun): someone who others want to be like
- Paralyzed (adjective): being unable to move the whole body or certain parts of the body
4th-6th Grade
- Polio (noun): a viral infection that causes paralysis, mostly through the spinal cord, and has been largely eradicated around the world due to vaccines
- Accomplished (adjective): describing someone who is highly skilled at something, an expert
