What does physiology study? The science of the functioning of living organisms

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What does physiology study? The science of the functioning of living organisms
What does physiology study? The science of the functioning of living organisms
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What does physiology study? This science deals with the study of living organisms, animals or plants, as well as their constituent tissues or cells. Since the middle of the 19th century, this term has meant the use of experimental methods, as well as the techniques and concepts of the physical sciences, the study of the causes and mechanisms of the activity of all living things. Discoveries of the unity of structure and functions common to the creatures living on our planet led to the development of the concept of physiology, which is looking for common principles and concepts.

What is physiology?

Physiology - is the study of how organisms function. "Fizi" - part of the word comes from a Greek root and in a broad sense means "natural origin". When we think about physics today, we think about how matter and energy work, but another way to think about physics is the study of wildlife.

In this sense, physiology is also the study of how nature functions, in this case in a living organism. This science can be dividedinto many topics including plants, animals, bacteria and more, but most of the early physiological records focused on how human systems work.

topics in physiology
topics in physiology

Organization levels

What does physiology study? There are different levels of organization, all of which can be studied by physiologists. Numerous organ systems operate in the body, such as the digestive and respiratory systems, which usually consist of several organs and glands. An organ is the ideal starting point of a structure that has a specific function within the body. For example, the stomach is part of the digestive system. There food is mechanically and chemically broken down to facilitate nutrient absorption.

Organs are made up of one or more tissue types, which are a collection of cells that have similar structures and functions. Smooth muscle is a type of tissue that makes up most of the stomach. At the smallest level of organization is the cell, such as a single muscle fiber within a muscle. Some physiologists study how parts work inside a cell, or how different proteins or chemicals interact inside a cell.

subject of physiology
subject of physiology

History of physiology

Physiology has long been studied along with anatomy and medicine. In the ancient civilizations of Greece, Egypt, India and China, records were made describing human physiology and the treatment of various diseases. The study of topics in physiology in Europe rose to a new level in the eraRenaissance from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The influence of classical Greek works of natural philosophers such as Hippocrates, Aristotle and Galen was strongly manifested.

The history of physiology also goes back to ancient India and Egypt. This medical discipline was carefully studied by the so-called father of medicine, Hippocrates, around 420 BC. This brilliant man once put forward the theory of 4 elements, according to which the human body contains 4 fluids: black bile, sputum, blood and yellow bile. The theory says that any violation of their ratio leads to disease.

The main modifier of Hippocratic theory was the founder of experimental physiology, Claudius Galen, who conducted experiments to obtain information about body systems. Others followed. French physicist Jean Fernel (1497-1558) introduced the term "physiology" itself, which in ancient Greek means "study of nature, origin".

physiology studies
physiology studies

What does physiology study?

Have you ever wondered why your heart rate increases when you're scared, or why your stomach growls when you're hungry? If you have the answers and know the reasons, you can thank physiology for this knowledge. General physiology is the study of life in all its guises. It is the science of the functions of living organisms and their parts. This means that physiology is a very broad scientific discipline that underlies many related subjects.

Subjects of physiology cover the molecular and cellular level down to the level of organs,tissues and the entire system. A bridge is provided between scientific discoveries and their application in medical science. For example, much has been announced about the genetic revolution of recent years, which included the sequencing of the human genome. Physiological understanding is behind every major medical breakthrough. for example, the survival of babies born after 24 weeks is made possible by understanding the physiology of the fetus.

general physiology
general physiology

Studying life

What does physiology study? It is the study of life, specifically how cells, tissues, and organisms function. Physiologists are constantly trying to answer key questions in fields ranging from the functions of individual cells to the interactions between human populations and our environment here on Earth, the Moon, and beyond. To answer these questions, physiologists work in laboratories, in libraries, in space.

For example, a physiologist might study how a particular enzyme contributes to the function of a particular cell or subcellular organelle. He can use simple neural networks found in marine snails to answer questions about the fundamental mechanisms of learning and memory. A physiologist can examine an animal's circulatory system to answer questions about heart attacks and other human conditions.

The study of physiological processes can span a wide range of other disciplines such as neurophysiology, pharmacology, cell biology, and biochemistry, to name but a few. Physiology is important because it is the foundation upon which we build ourknowledge about what life is like, how to treat diseases and how to cope with the stresses that affect our body in different environments.

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