1. What is physiology?
1. What is physiology?
- Gillian Pocock, Gillian PocockSenior Lecturer in Clinical Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
- Christopher D. RichardsChristopher D. RichardsEmeritus Professor of Experimental Physiology, Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- and David A. RichardsDavid A. RichardsAssociate Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine, USA
Abstract
This chapter emphasizes the importance of having a sound knowledge of the structure and function of the body for anyone concerned with medicine or the health sciences. Such a knowledge provides a foundation on which to build strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. It introduces physiology, which is the study of the functions of living matter and is concerned with how an organism performs its varied activities. The success of physiology in explaining how organisms perform their daily tasks is based on the notion that organisms are intricate and exquisite machines whose operation is governed by the laws of physics and chemistry. The chapter outlines how a full knowledge of human anatomy requires the examination of the human body. This is complemented by modern imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can visualize the internal structures of the body in life.
