Plan
► Physiology as a science. Stages of development.
► Concept of function. Classification of functions, methods of studying functions.
► Physiology and medicine. Physiology and other sciences.
Physiology as Science
Physiology, together with anatomy, histology, and biochemistry is one of the most important medical and biological sciences that provide the basis for further medical education.
The word physiology is of Greek origin and consists of two words: "physis" meaning nature and "logos" meaning science, so in the broad sense physiology is a science about nature. In the narrow sense, physiology is a science about functions of a human and animal organism. The term "function" is derived from the Greek word "functio" meaning activity. A function is a manifestation of vital activity of the whole organism and of its systems, organs and tissues that provides adaptation of an organism to changing environmental conditions, or changes the environment to the requirements of an organism with the aim of maximal adaptation.
So, the subject of physiology is a function. The object studied by physiology is a healthy animal and human organism.
History of Physiology
There are two periods in development of physiology:
► prescientific period (until 1628);
► scientific period (after 1628).
Prescientific Period of Physiology
This period is represented by famous ancient scientists: Hippocrates, Avi-cenna, Galen, Paracelsus and many others. Hippocrates and Galen developed a concept of types of human behavior (choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine and melancholic types). Avicenna developed some original concepts of health and of ways of its strengthening.
Scientific Period
This period begins with publication of the book of famous English doctor and physiologist William Harvey (1578-1657) entitled "Anatomic Study of Movement of Heart and Blood in Animals" (1628), where the concepts of blood flowing in animals through the systemic circulation were first formulated. All data were obtained experimentally using the novel for the time method of vivisection.