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Physiology is the science of life. It is the branch of biology that aims to understand the mechanisms of living things, from the basis of cell function at the ionic and molecular level to the integrated behaviour of the whole body and the influence of the external environment.
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physiology, study of the functioning of living organisms, animal or plant, and of the functioning of their constituent tissues or cells.
The word physiology was first used by the Greeks around 600 bce to describe a philosophical inquiry into the nature of things. The use of the term with specific reference to vital activities of healthy humans, which began in the 16th century, also is applicable to many current aspects of physiology. In the 19th century, curiosity, medical necessity, and economic interest stimulated research concerning the physiology of all living organisms. Discoveries of unity of structure and functions common to all living things resulted in the development of the concept of general physiology, in which general principles and concepts applicable to all living things are sought. Since the mid-19th century, therefore, the word physiology has implied the utilization of experimental methods, as well as techniques and concepts of the physical sciences, to investigate causes and mechanisms of the activities of all living things.
The philosophical natural history that comprised the physiology of the Greeks has little in common with modern physiology. Many ideas important in the development of physiology, however, were formulated in the books of the Hippocratic school of medicine (before 350 bce), especially the humoral theory of disease—presented by a philosopher, Nemesius, in the treatise De natura hominis (4th century ce; On the Nature of Man). Other contributions were made by Aristotle and Galen of Pergamum. Significant in the history of physiology was the teleology of Aristotle, who assumed that every part of the body is formed for a purpose and that function, therefore, can be deduced from structure. The work of Aristotle was the basis for Galen’s De usu partium corporis humani (On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body) and a source for many early misconceptions in physiology. The tidal concept of blood flow, the humoral theory of disease, and Aristotle’s teleology, for example, led Galen into a basic misunderstanding of the movements of blood that was not corrected until English physician William Harvey’s work on blood circulation in the 17th century.
The publication in 1628 of Harvey’s Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus (An Anatomical Dissertation upon the Movement of the Heart and Blood in Animals) usually is identified as the beginning of modern experimental physiology. Harvey’s study was based only on anatomical experiments; despite increased knowledge in physics and chemistry during the 17th century, physiology remained closely tied to anatomy and medicine. In 1747 in Berne, Switzerland, Albrecht von Haller, eminent as anatomist, physiologist, and botanist, published the first manual for physiology. Between 1757 and 1766 he published eight volumes entitled Elementa Physiologiae Corporis Humani (Elements of Human Physiology); all were in Latin and characterized his definition of physiology as anatomy in motion. At the end of the 18th century, Antoine Lavoisier wrote about the physiological problems of respiration and the production of heat by animals in a series of memoirs that still serve as a foundation for understanding these subjects.
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Physiology as a distinct discipline utilizing chemical, physical, and anatomical methods began to develop in the 19th century. Claude Bernard in France; Johannes Müller, Justus von Liebig, and Carl Ludwig in Germany; and Sir Michael Foster in England may be numbered among the founders of physiology as it now is known. At the beginning of the 19th century, German physiology was under the influence of the romantic school of Naturphilosophie. In France, on the other hand, romantic elements were opposed by rational and skeptical viewpoints. Bernard’s teacher, François Magendie, the pioneer of experimental physiology, was one of the first men to perform experiments on living animals. Both Müller and Bernard, however, recognized that the results of observations and experiments must be incorporated into a body of scientific knowledge, and that the theories of natural philosophers must be tested by experimentation. Many important ideas in physiology were investigated experimentally by Bernard, who also wrote books on the subject. He recognized cells as functional units of life and developed the concept of blood and body fluids as the internal environment (milieu intérieur) in which cells carry out their activities. This concept of physiological regulation of the internal environment occupies an important position in physiology and medicine; Bernard’s work had a profound influence on succeeding generations of physiologists in France, Russia, Italy, England, and the United States.
Müller’s interests were anatomical and zoological, whereas Bernard’s were chemical and medical, but both men sought a broad biological viewpoint in physiology rather than one limited to human functions. Although Müller did not perform many experiments, his textbook Handbuch der Physiologie des Menschen für Vorlesungen (1837) and his personal influence determined the course of animal biology in Germany during the 19th century.
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...
Oct 13, 2017 · 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...
Human physiology is the study of how the human body's systems and functions work together to maintain a stable internal environment. It includes the study of the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems, as well as cellular and exercise physiology.
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.
Jul 25, 2024 · The study of physiology primarily revolves around the body's tendency to maintain homeostasis, the ability to maintain the state of a stable internal environment and ensure survival. In this article, we will provide an overview of the physiology of different organ systems and lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of the human body.
