Teaching with this book
Respiratory Physiology: A Clinical Approach, by Richard M. Schwartzstein, MD, and Michael J. Parker, MD, is a complete textbook that is free online. It has nine chapters and 42 interactive figures, many of which students can adjust with sliders. If you teach respiratory physiology, this page shows how to use it in a course.
Who it's for
The book is written for medical students, and for residents, nurses and other health professions learners who need a clinical understanding of how the respiratory system works. It is organized around the three parts of the system: the controller, the ventilatory pump and the gas exchanger.
What it covers
- Getting Started
- Form and Function
- Statics
- Dynamics
- The Gas Exchanger
- The Controller
- The Controller and Acid-Base Physiology
- The Physiology of Respiratory Sensations
- Exercise Physiology
Each chapter opens with learning objectives and closes with summary points, and chapters 2 to 9 end with review questions. The back matter has a glossary and a glossary concept map.
Free, with no login
Students open any page in a web browser. There is no login, no fee and no advertising, so you can link the book from a syllabus or course site without setting anything up.
Ways to use it in a course
- Assign chapters or sections. Every section has its own page, so you can link exactly the reading you want.
- Link a single interactive figure. All 42 interactive figures are listed on one page: https://respphys.org/10-back-matter/10-bm-03-animated_figures_index. Each entry has a Copy link button that gives a direct link to that figure. Paste it into slides, a learning management system page or a note to students. For example, this link opens interactive figure 5-8A in the oxygenation section: https://respphys.org/05-gas-exchanger/05-ge-05-oxygenation#animated-figure-5-8a
- Use a figure live in class. Open it during a lecture or small group and move the sliders as you explain.
- Add the book to a course page, reading list or library guide, so students can find it after the course ends.
- Point students to the review questions at the end of chapters 2 to 9 for self-study.
What the license allows
The book is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 (https://respphys.org/00-about-pages/00-license). You may share and adapt the material for noncommercial purposes, as long as you credit the authors, link to the license and say if you made changes. You may not use it commercially. We encourage using the book for learning and teaching.
How to cite
Schwartzstein, R. M., & Parker, M. J. (2025). Respiratory physiology: A clinical approach (Interactive web ed.). https://respphys.org
Are you using the book in your teaching?
Please tell us in a short form. Knowing which courses use the book shows us where it helps and what to improve. Your answers go only to the authors, and we will list your school or course on this site only if you say we may.
Questions
Write to us at respphys.book@gmail.com. We're glad to hear how you use the book and what would make it more useful in your course.