Physiology (/ˌfɪziˈɒlədʒi/; from Ancient Greek φύσις (physis), meaning "nature, origin", and -λογία (-logia), meaning "study of") is the scientific study of function in living systems.
A sub-discipline of biology, its focus is in how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system.
A silhouette of a human body showing various internal systems. image: wikimedia
Given the size of the field it is divided into among others:
- human physiology,
- animal physiology,
- plant physiology,
- cellular physiology,
- microbial physiology (see microbial metabolism),
- bacterial physiology,
- viral physiology.
The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded since 1901 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Source: derived from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Physiology&oldid=604974627
Commentary
The term for a medical doctor, physician, comes from this terminology. Although the individual who studies basic forces, i.e. physics of nature is called physicist.