1.1. General characteristics of normal physiology
Subject and tasks. Normal physiology is the science regarding the functions (mechanisms of vital activity) of an integral healthy body and the regulation of these functions in conditions of adaptation of the body to a changing environment. The main tasks in the study of physiology are: developing the doctrine of health and a healthy lifestyle, studying the mechanisms of life, self-regulation and control of bodily functions, studying physiological constants of the body and the principles of modern clinical and physiological techniques, mastering an analytical and synthetic approach to the study of bodily functions based on the laws and categories of dialectics for the development of a professionally thinking specialist.
Main historical stages of the development of physiology.
Ancient physiology (6th cent. until new era - 15th cent.) - schools of Hippocrates, Galenus, Aristotle.
Modern experimental physiology (17th-21st cent.): experiments on humans, analysis of the system in physiological investigations, studying the social factors that influence physiological functions - physiology of labor, ecophysiology. In the 18th century, the following advances were made: the doctrine of respiration as the basis for oxidation of substances in the body (Lavoisier), the reflex arc (J. Prochazka), the discovery of ?animal electricity? (L. Galvani). In the 19th century the biopotentials of rest and action, the state of refractoriness were discovered, the laws of irritation were described (E. Dubois-Raymond, E. Pfluger, N.E. Vvedensky and others), further investigation of the reflex activity of the nervous system was made (C. Bell, F. Magendie, I.M. Sechenov), the recorded electroencephalogram (V.V. Pravdic-Neminski), research into the physiology of the senses was conducted (D. Helmholtz, E. Weber, M. Flourens), the vasomotor center was discovered in the medulla oblongata (F.V. Ovsyannikov), the laws of the heart were formulated (O. Frank, E. Starling); the enzymatic theory of blood clotting was proposed (A.I. Schmid), and the phagocytic function of WBCs was discovered (I.I. Mechnikov). Large studies were conducted on the physiology of the digestive tract (R. Heidenhain, K. Bernard, K. Ludwig). Outstanding results were obtained by I.P. Pavlov and his team. For these I.P. Pavlov received the Nobel Prize in 1904. In the 20th century, in relation to the development of physiology in Russia, most important contribution was made by Pavlov?s pupils (L.A. Orbeli, P.K. Anokhin, K.M. By-kov, A.D. Speransky, I.P. Razenkov, E.A. Asratyan, G.V. Folbort, D.A. Biryukov, etc.) and Sechenov?s pupils (N.E. Vvedensky, A.A. Ukhtomsky, N.M. Shaternikov, I.R. Tarkhanov, B.F. Verigo, A.F. Samoilov, etc.), each of these scientists founded a prominent physiological school.