What is Physiology?

Dr Gordon McEwan School of Medical Sciences

What is Physiology?
The study of how living organisms work

eg:

feeding movement adaptation to changing environmental factors reproduction

Life processes governed by laws of physics and chemistry Organisms are machines/factories Some processes common to all organismal species (eg DNA replication) but many are highly specific Need to consider bacterial or plant or animal physiology Animal physiology human physiology

What is a Physiologist?

Physiologists are interested in function and integration ie how things work together at various levels of organisation whole organism When studying parts of organisms (even single molecules) a physiologist will seek to establish the relevance of any information derived to the function of the whole body

Fertilised ovum Cell Division Differentiation Tissues Organs

Heart, Lungs, Kidneys, Liver, Brain, Pancreas etc...

Epithelial, Connective, Muscular, Nervous

60,000,000,000,000 cells

200 cell types

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Human Organ Systems

Cardiovascular system Respiratory system Digestive system Renal system

Reproductive system
Musculo-skeletal system Nervous system Endocrine system Immune system

Co-ordination of Organ Systems

Adapted from: Life, Purves et al; Fig 41.1

Claude Bernard (1813-1878)

La fixit du milieu intrieur est la condition de la vie libre.

The fixity of the internal environment is the condition for free life.

Homeostasis
Walter Cannon (1929)

Homeostasis
Process of maintaining the composition of the internal body compartments within fairly strict limits (ion concentrations, pH, osmolarity, temperature etc) Require regulatory mechanisms to defend against changes in external environment and changes due to activity
Cellular homeostasis - intracellular fluid composition Organismal homeostasis - extracellular fluid composition Cardiac muscle cell contraction electrical signals intracellular and extracellular [Na+], [K+] and [Ca2+] If extracellular [K+] too high depolarisation contraction fibrillation (bag of worms) Extracellular [K+] must be kept within narrow range

How is homeostasis achieved?

Desired concentration range for each chemical constituent of body regulatory mechanisms eg Blood [glucose] 4-5 mmol.l-1 if [glucose] >> 5 mmol.l-1 insulin secretion

[glucose]
if [glucose] << 4 mmol.l-1 insulin secretion [glucose] ie [insulin]blood changes to maintain [glucose]blood Regulation termed - NEGATIVE FEEDBACK Control system designed to maintain level of given variable (concentration, temperature, pressure) within defined range following disturbance

Negative feedback loop

Negative feedback loop requires: Sensor specific to variable needing to be controlled if sensor comparator Error Signal restore variable to desired level Error signal Effector

Comparator reference point for sensor to compare against Effector

Disturbance
Controlled variable

Comparator (reference point)

Sensor
Adapted from Pocock & Richards Fig 1.1a

Limitations of negative feedback

Negative feedback control initiated after variable has been disturbed Amount of correction to be applied assessed by magnitude of error signal incomplete correction Overcorrection oscillations in controlled variable Disadvantages overcome by multiple regulatory mechanisms eg regulation of blood [glucose] insulin glucagon [glucose]blood [glucose]blood

Positive feedback
Negative feedback - error signal reduce deviation from reference point Positive feedback - error signal increase deviation from reference point (vicious circle) error signal

disturbance

effector sensor

controlled variable

Chemical composition of body

Major Elements % body wt Oxygen 65% Carbon 18% Hydrogen 10% Nitrogen 3.4% Mineral Elements Sodium 0.17% Potassium 0.28% Chloride 0.16% Calcium 1.5% Magnesium 0.05% Phosphorus 1.2% Sulphur 0.25% Trace Elements Iron 0.007% Zinc 0.002% Principal organic constituents: carbohydrates sugars fats fatty acids proteins amino acids nucleic acids nuclotides Water = 60% adult male = 50% adult female

Body water
Water is main solvent in living cells Hydrophilic molecules dissolve in water Hydrophobic molecules do not dissolve in water Amphiphilic - molecule part hydrophilic/part hydrophobic Body Water

Intracellular fluid (inside cells)

Extracellular fluid (outside cells)

Plasma (inside blood vessels) Interstitial Fluid (outside blood vessels)

Distribution of body water between compartments

27% Intercellular fluid (11.2 litres) 67% Intracellular fluid (28 litres) 7%

Plasma (2.8 litres)

Adapted from Pocock & Richards Fig 2.1