Meaning & use
physiology
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The scientific study of how the bodies of living things work normally.
Grammar: Uncountable when it means the subject of study: She teaches physiology.
Patterns
- study physiology
- a professor of physiology
- human physiology
He studied physiology at university before going to medical school.
Physiology helps us understand how the heart and lungs work together.
She is a professor of physiology at a research institute.
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
The way the body of a particular living thing works.
Grammar: Can be countable when talking about a specific organism: the physiology of a plant.
Patterns
- the physiology of something
- the physiology of the brain
The book explains the physiology of the human brain in simple language.
The physiology of desert animals allows them to survive with very little water.
Understanding the physiology of plants helps farmers grow better crops.
Common combinations
- human physiology
- Human physiology is a core subject in medical training.
- plant physiology
- Plant physiology examines how plants use light and water.
- exercise physiology
- Exercise physiology studies how the body responds to physical activity.
- the physiology of something
- The course covers the physiology of the heart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- biology
- Biology is the broad study of all living things; physiology is the part of biology that deals with how bodies function.
- anatomy
- Anatomy deals with the structure of the body, while physiology deals with how it works.
Opposites
Word family
- physiologist noun
- A scientist who studies physiology.
- physiological adjective
- Relating to the normal working of the body.
- physiologic adjective
- A technical form meaning relating to the body's normal functions.
- physiologically adverb
- In a way that relates to the body's normal functions.
Commonly confused: physiology or psychology? physiology or pathology?
physiology vs psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, while physiology is the study of how the body works.
physiology vs pathology
Pathology studies disease and abnormal processes, while physiology studies normal body functions.
Practice
The study of how the human body normally functions is called ______.
Choose one answer.
Physiology is the study of normal body functions. Psychology is the study of the mind, pathology is the study of disease, and philosophy is the study of ideas and knowledge.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “physiology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.