Physiology
• Defn: the study of the
normal functioning of
a living organism and
its component parts,
including all its
chemical and physical
processes
–“Knowledge of
nature”
http://www.greekmedicine.net/whos_who/Aristotle.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html
Physiology is an integrative science
Emergent properties: properties of a complex
system that cannot be explained by a knowledge
of a systems individual components
-result from complex, nonlinear interactions
of the systems different components
Examples:
-emotion or intelligence in humans cannot be predicted
from knowing the individual properties of nerve cells
-the human genome project
Physiology is an integrative science
-closely tied to anatomy: the structure of a cell, tissue,
or organ must provide a physical base for its function
Levels of organization
Vanders Human Physiology13th ed.
Cells: smallest unit of
structure capable of carrying
out life processes
Tissue: collection of cells
carrying out related functions
Organ: formation of tissues
into a structural and
functional unit
Organ system: integrated
groups of organs
It is common to
study each organ
system individually
but there is much
integration
between many of
the organ systems
Physiologists often distinguish between function and
mechanism
• Function or “why” is considered a teleological
approach
– Example: why do red blood cells transport oxygen?
• Because cells need oxygen and RBC’s bring it to them
• Mechanism or “how” is considered a mechanistic
approach
– Example: how do red blood cells transport oxygen?
• Oxygen binds to hemoglobin molecules in the red blood cells
• Physiology often focus’ on a mechanistic approach