State function question as it applies to Biology/Physiology

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The discussion centers on the concept of state functions in the context of a new course in Nurse Anesthesia, specifically questioning whether blood pressure and body temperature qualify as state functions. Participants agree that a state function is defined by its dependence on the current state of a system rather than its history. However, they highlight that blood pressure and body temperature are influenced by various real-time factors, complicating their classification as state functions. For instance, localized temperature changes due to swelling differ from overall body temperature, and variations in blood pressure can arise from different physiological conditions, such as ventricular tachycardia versus normal sinus rhythm. The conversation emphasizes the need for further research to clarify these concepts.
taimcampos92
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Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing great. I'm currently starting a new course mixed with Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics-related to Nurse anesthesia. While reading about State function a question arrived on my team. We all agreed that a State Function "is a property or characteristic of a system that depends only on its current state and not on how it reached that state"; however, can a person's Blood pressure or body temperature can be considered state functions?
 
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Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you give a reference to your source of information on State Functions? Is it referring to biological and physiological systems mainly, or is it a general systems reference?

The issue with BP and body temperature is that they are affected by many things in real time. And it seems like elevated local temperature due to local swelling is different from uniform body temperature. Similarly, low BP due to being in V-tach is different from low BP with a NSR...
 
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berkeman said:
Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you give a reference to your source of information on State Functions? Is it referring to biological and physiological systems mainly, or is it a general systems reference?

The issue with BP and body temperature is that they are affected by many things in real time. And it seems like elevated local temperature due to local swelling is different from uniform body temperature. Similarly, low BP due to being in V-tach is different from low BP with a NSR...
I see, thanks for the quick reply,

Still becomes somehow confusing to me to actually understand and fully recognize it. I'll do a little more research, thank you
 
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