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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Physiological Processes

Physiology

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˌfɪziˈɑːlədʒi/nounCore term

In anatomy & physiology, physiology means: The study of how the body and its parts work, for example how the heart pumps blood, how nerves send signals and how the kidneys make urine.

In Turkish: fizyoloji

How it is used

Anatomy describes structure; physiology explains function. Students talk about cardiac physiology, renal physiology and exercise physiology. The adjective physiological also describes normal body changes that are not caused by disease, as in a physiological response.

Example sentences

  1. Our physiology exam covers the heart, the lungs and the kidneys.

  2. A faster heart rate during exercise is a normal physiological response.

Common collocations

  • human physiology
  • cardiac physiology
  • renal physiology
  • exercise physiology
  • physiological response
  • anatomyThe study of the structure of the body and how its parts are arranged and connected. It also means the structure itself, as in 'the anatomy of the knee'.
  • homeostasisThe body's ability to keep its internal conditions, such as temperature, blood sugar and water balance, fairly stable even when the outside environment changes.
  • metabolismAll the chemical reactions in the body's cells that break down food for energy and build new molecules. It includes catabolism (breaking down) and anabolism (building up).

More terms: Physiological Processes

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.