LIU Chuan Yong

刘传勇
Institute of Physiology
Medical School of SDU
Tel 88381175 (lab)
88382098 (office)
Email: liucy@sdu.edu.cn
Website: www.physiology.sdu.edu.cn 1
 Chapter 1

Introduction to Ph
ysiology
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 Section I What is Physiology?
• Physiology: biological sciences
• dealing with the normal life phenomena ex
hibited by all living organisms.
• Human physiology: basic sciences
• dealing with normal life phenomena of the
human body.
• Goal of physiology:
• explain the physical and chemical factors th
at are responsible for the origin, developme
nt and progression of life. 3
 Human Physiology
• Physiology: (Greek) The study of nature, t
he involvement of Physics and Chemistry.
• The basis for
– Pathophysiology
– Pharmacology
– Immunology
– Biochemistry
– Microbiology
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 Why do we study Physiology?

Understand the physical and chemica

l principle underlie normal function in
order to cure the impairments.

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 Different Level of Physiological Research

Organization of the human body

Organisms
Organ
(Human body)
Organs systems
Tissues
Cells
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The integration between systems of the body

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Section II Internal Environment and Homeostasis

Total body water = 60 % BW

Extracellular fluid
Blood Plasma 1/5
1/3 Interstitial fluid 4/5

Intracellular fluid
2/3
= 40 % BW

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 Internal environment
Intracellular
fluid

Plasma

Interstitial fluid

Extracellular fluid directly baths body cells

Internal environment = Extracellular fluid
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 Extracellular fluids
Intracellular
fluid
2. Plasma

1. Interstitial fluid
3. Fluid of special compartments: pericardial fluid, pleural fluid, cerebrospi
nal fluid
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 Homeostasis
• Maintenance of Relatively Constant Chemical/Physical
Conditions of the internal environment.
 Claude Bernard__(1813-1878) France

...The internal environment remains relatively constant th

ough there are changes in the external environment

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 Homeostasis
– Walter Bradford Cannon, (1871– 1945),
– The concept of Homeostasis

• stable =/= rigidity, can vary within narrow lim

it (normal physiological range)
• The golden goal of every organ :
– to maintain homeostasis
• (concept of REGULATION)

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 Normal Physiological ranges
In fasting blood

Arterial pH 7.35-7.45
Bicarbonate 24-28 mEq/L
O2 content17.2-22.0 ml/100 ml
Total lipid 400-800 mg/100 ml
Glucose 75-110 mg/100 ml
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Homeostasis & Controls

•Successful compensati
on
•Homeostasis reestab
lished
•Failure to compensate
•Pathophysiology
•Illness
•Death
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 Section 3 Regulation of the Body
Functions
• Regulation- the ability of an organism to main
tain a stable internal conditions in a constantl
y changing environment
– Three types:
• 1. Chemical (hormonal) Regulation
• 2. Nervous Regulation
• 3. Autoregulation

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 Chemical (hormonal) Regulation
• a regulatory process performed by ho
rmone or active chemical substanc
e in blood or tissue.
– response slowly
– acts extensively
– lasts for a long time.

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 Nervous Regulation
• a process in which body functions are
controlled by nerve system
• Pathway: nerve reflex
• Types: unconditioned reflex and conditioned
reflex
• Example: baroreceptor reflex of arterial bloo
d pressure
– Characteristics:
• response fast
• acts exactly or locally
• last for a short time
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 Autoregulation
• a tissue or an organ can directly respond t
o environmental changes
– independent of nervous and hormonal control
– Characteristics ：
• Amplitude of the regulation is smaller than other t
wo types.
• Extension of the effects is smaller than other two t
ypes.

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 Regulation of the Body Functions

• The three regulations have coordinated

and acts as one system, “feedback control
system”.

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 Section 4 Control System in the
Human Body

• Feedback Control
• Feed-forward control

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 Section 4 Control System in the
Human Body
• Feedback Control
– Feedback: Output (feedback signal) from
controlled organ returns to affect or modify
the action of the control system.
– Feedback control mechanism consists of
two forms:
• Negative feedback control.
• Positive feedback control

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 Negative feedback

• The feedback signals from controlled

system produces effect opposite to the
action of the control system.
• The opposite effect is mainly “inhibitory
action”.

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Negative Feedback: Inhibitory.
Stimulus triggers response to counteract further change in the
same direction.
Negative-feedback mechanisms prevent small changes from
becoming too large.

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Importance:

Maintenance of the homeostasis

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 Positive feedback
 The feedback signal or output from the
controlled system increases the action of the
control system
 Examples:
 Blood clotting
 Micturition ( 排尿）
 Defecation （排便）
 Na+ inflow in genesis of nerve signals
 Contraction of the uterus during childbirth
(parturition) （分娩） 28
Positive Feedback: Stimulatory.
Stimulus trigger mechanisms that amplify the
response and reinforces the stimulus.

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 Importance:
• Enhance the action of original stimulu
s or amplify or reinforce change
– promote an activity to finish
• Vicious circle - can lead to instability o
r even death

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 Feed-forward control
• Concept: Direct effect of stimulus on the c
ontrol system before the action of feedbac
k signal occurs.
– Disturb signal or interfere signal.
• Example: Shivering before diving into the c
old water

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 Feed-forward control
• Significance of Feedback-forward :
– adaptive feedback control.
– makes the human body to foresee and
adapt the environment promptly and
exactly
• (prepare the body for the change).

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