Physiology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the mechanisms governing life. Human physiology is particularly important for engineers who interact with medical professionals. A foundational course in both medical training and biomedical engineering is human anatomy and physiology. In this course, students learn about the structures that make up the human body (anatomy) and how each of these structures function (physiology).
Physiology is researched at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ level. At the molecular level, physiologists are researching how DNA is replicated with applications to genetic engineering. Cellular level physiology includes understanding the mechanisms by which cells are kept healthy and the effect of pollutants and other toxins on the cellular machinery. An example of tissue level physiology is understanding how epithelial cells that line blood vessels are interconnected, allowing some materials to pass while blocking others. Organ level physiology includes understanding the function of the heart and how it adjusts blood flow to accommodate varying needs.
Physiology is mechanism-oriented much like engineering. These similarities provide excellent potential to use engineering principles to model, predict, and better understand complex physiological systems.
