What is Physiology: Definition and 57 Discussions

Physiology (; from Ancient Greek φύσις (physis) 'nature, origin', and -λογία (-logia) 'study of') is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical and physical functions in a living system. According to the classes of organisms, the field can be divided into medical physiology, animal physiology, plant physiology, cell physiology, and comparative physiology.Central to physiological functioning are biophysical and biochemical processes, homeostatic control mechanisms, and communication between cells. Physiological state is the condition of normal function, while pathological state refers to abnormal conditions, including human diseases.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for exceptional scientific achievements in physiology related to the field of medicine.

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  1. B

    Why Does Decreasing Arteriolar Resistance Lead to Oedema?

    can someone help me understand why decreasing arteriolar resistance will (increase filtration and..) result in oedema? I thought that decreasing resistance decreases pressure so filtration decreases but, all I've got in my notes is that constricting arterioles increases the resistance...
  2. P

    Medical Uncovering the Physiology of Intelligence: Exploring IQ's Molecular Correlates

    I realize that IQ has been discussed on this forum to the nth but I also noticed that most everyone in those threads simply dismissed IQ as some triviality. But neuroscience (Not to be confused with Cognitive science, which is Behavioural Psychology of the mind) and other fields for that matter...
  3. K

    How Large Can the Surface Area of Pulmonary Capillaries Get?

    The pulmonary capilaries between the alveoli sacs handles the gas exchange right. So I was wondering how large can their surface area get. Oh yeah can someone name all the proteins that regular oncatic and hydrostatic pressures, and how they do it.
  4. Monique

    Medical Nobel prize in Physiology and Medicine

    Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren for their discovery of "the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease" http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/2005/press.html
  5. Pengwuino

    Teen Pregnancy: Is Physiology Key?

    Ok so here's the situation, some 13 year old gets pregnant and wants to have an abortion. Someone shoots this statement at me " Are you also aware that at 13, her body is VERY likely not physically equipped to be able to bring up the baby, and it will be very difficult for it, and her, to...
  6. W

    What causes the illusion of continuous motion in movies?

    evil physiology problem here's a really evil physiology problem: Why is it when people watch a movie, they see a continuously running picture, when really a movie is composed of a set of still frames? What physiological process is involved in this? I really am stuck on this one, and I...
  7. Monique

    Medical The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003

    http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/2003/index.html "for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging" Paul C. Lauterbur - University of Illinois Sir Peter Mansfield - University of Nottingham
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