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Physiology is an exciting and dynamic discipline that underpins translational and clinical medicine. It also provides the interface between the physical sciences and the life sciences. Physiologists study every aspect of the way human and other animal bodies work. Some physiologists investigate the behaviour of individual proteins in single cells.
- Women in Physiology
The very first volume of The Journal of Physiology (1878/9)...
- Foundation of The Society
For several of the founders, physiology was one of many...
- Women in Physiology
Dec 7, 2023 · Physiology is the study of how the human body works. It describes the chemistry and physics behind basic body functions, from how molecules behave in cells to how systems of organs work together ...
- Overview
- What is physiology?
- History
- Biological systems
- Branches
- Physiology or anatomy?
Physiology is the study of normal function within living creatures. It is a sub-section of biology, covering a range of topics that include organs, anatomy, and biological compounds, among others.
From ancient theories to molecular laboratory techniques, physiological research has shaped our understanding of the components of our body, how they communicate, and how they keep us alive.
Merrian-Webster defines physiology as:
“[A] branch of biology that deals with the functions and activities of life or of living matter (such as organs, tissues, or cells) and of the physical and chemical phenomena involved.”
•Physiology can be considered a study of the functions and processes that create life.
•The study of physiology can be traced back to at least 420 BC.
The study of physiology is, in a sense, the study of life. It asks questions about the internal workings of organisms and how they interact with the world around them.
Physiology tests how organs and systems within the body work, how they communicate, and how they combine their efforts to make conditions favorable for survival.
Human physiology, specifically, is often separated into subcategories; these topics cover a vast amount of information.
Researchers in the field can focus on anything from microscopic organelles in cell physiology up to more wide-ranging topics, such as ecophysiology, which looks at whole organisms and how they adapt to environments.
The most relevant arm of physiological research to Medical News Today is applied human physiology; this field investigates biological systems at the level of the cell, organ, system, anatomy, organism, and everywhere in between.
In this article, we will visit some of the subsections of physiology, developing a brief overview of this huge subject. Firstly, we will run through a short history of physiology.
The study of physiology traces its roots back to ancient India and Egypt.
As a medical discipline, it goes back at least as far as the time of Hippocrates, the famous “father of medicine” – around 420 BC.
Hippocrates coined the theory of the four humors, stating that the body contains four distinct bodily fluids: black bile, phlegm, blood, and yellow bile. Any disturbance in their ratios, as the theory goes, causes ill health.
Claudius Galenus (c.130-200 AD), also known as Galen, modified Hippocrates’ theory and was the first to use experimentation to derive information about the systems of the body. He is widely referred to as the founder of experimental physiology.
It was Jean Fernel (1497-1558), a French physician, who first introduced the term “physiology,” from Ancient Greek, meaning “study of nature, origins.”
Fernel was also the first to describe the spinal canal (the space in the spine where the spinal cord passes through). He has a crater on the moon named after him for his efforts – it is called Fernelius.
The major systems covered in the study of human physiology are as follows:
•Circulatory system – including the heart, the blood vessels, properties of the blood, and how circulation works in sickness and health.
•Digestive/excretory system – charting the movement of solids from the mouth to the anus; this includes study of the spleen, liver, and pancreas, the conversion of food into fuel and its final exit from the body.
•Endocrine system – the study of endocrine hormones that carry signals throughout the organism, helping it to respond in concert. The principal endocrine glands – the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, parathyroids, and gonads – are a major focus, but nearly all organs release endocrine hormones.
•Immune system – the body’s natural defense system is comprised of white blood cells, the thymus, and lymph systems. A complex array of receptors and molecules combine to protect the host from attacks by pathogens. Molecules such as antibodies and cytokines feature heavily.
•Integumentary system – the skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands (secreting an oily or waxy substance).
There are a great number of disciplines that use the word physiology in their title. Below are some examples:
•Cell physiology – studying the way cells work and interact; cell physiology mostly concentrates on membrane transport and neuron transmission.
•Systems physiology – this focuses on the computational and mathematical modeling of complex biological systems. It tries to describe the way individual cells or components of a system converge to respond as a whole. They often investigate metabolic networks and cell signaling.
•Evolutionary physiology – studying the way systems, or parts of systems, have adapted and changed over multiple generations. Research topics cover a lot of ground including the role of behavior in evolution, sexual selection, and physiological changes in relation to geographic variation.
•Defense physiology – changes that occur as a reaction to a potential threat, such as preparation for the fight-or-flight response.
•Exercise physiology – as the name suggests, this is the study of the physiology of physical exercise. This includes research into bioenergetics, biochemistry, cardiopulmonary function, biomechanics, hematology, skeletal muscle physiology, neuroendocrine function, and nervous system function.
Anatomy is closely related to physiology. Anatomy refers to the study of the structure of body parts, but physiology focuses on how these parts work and relate to each other.
Committee definition of health: Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances. Health is, therefore, a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities. Improving health is a shared responsibility of health care providers, public health officials ...
- Jane S. Durch, Linda A. Bailey, Michael A. Stoto
- 1997
- 1997
Physiology is the study of how biological systems act at the molecular, cellular and organ system level. Because a physiologist also explores normal human body function, research in physiology provides the basis for understanding the abnormal function seen in human disease (pathophysiology) and for developing new methods in treating diseases ...
Physiology is the study of how the human body works both when you’re healthy and when you’re not. When you’re sick or injured, normal physiology is disrupted. Physiologists often work as part of a team with medical care providers, pharmaceutical companies and other related professionals. This integrative physiology approach brings ...
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6 days ago · Physiology in the 20th century was a mature science; during a century of growth, physiology became the parent of a number of related disciplines, of which biochemistry, biophysics, general physiology, and molecular biology are the most vigorous examples. Physiology, however, retains an important position among the functional sciences that are closely related to the field of medicine.
