By Olugbuyiro Success
Physiology is a word you might never have heard until you are in the university, one that offers the course and you offer the course or know someone that offers the course. Well, I knew Physiology right from secondary school as one of the three main courses needed by a medical student in the preclinical, others were Anatomy and Biochemistry, that was all. Little did I know that it was a course on it own…until I was offered the course by my university (one of those things we say when we don’t get what we want…I mean, who is ever offered MBBS or Law?)
Admission into the university is usually celebrated but not without the question…what course are you studying? what department are you? What is the duration of your course? What is your course about? For a physiology student, it is more complicated…you are in pains for how you narrowly missed MBBS …except you selected the course yourself …which is mostly out of frustration from your selected course of choice, or the pressure to be a proud undergraduate especially after multiple trials of Jamb and her other sisters.
First, you mention Physiology but Philosophy is being repeated after you and some think Psychology while some others try to remember Physiotherapy. I have to keep repeating myself over, and over and over again being mindful not to transfer second-degree aggression (a word I coined to describe the anger you lash out at what is not necessarily the cause of your anger). Then I am asked what is my course about? Well, it is the study of the normal functioning of the human body and…..with a wrap of affected curiosity some of my listeners interrupt, is that all? To save my energy for the next curious person who might care to ask, yes, that’s all.
Next question especially from older minds is what job opportunities lie in Physiology? Hmm! The most dreaded question of all times especially in Nigeria as the bulk of physiologists we can behold our lecturers. Not like the green in Nigeria’s flag is not green enough but some have ported to the greener side of life, while some others are involved in groundbreaking researches in other walks of life.
What then is this Physio-gist?
Physiology (from the Greek physis which means nature; logos which means study) is the study of the biological function of how the body works from molecular mechanisms within cells to the actions of tissues, organs, and systems and how the organism as a whole accomplishes particular tasks essential for life, according to Stuart Fox.
Well, an indigenous author David O. Oyebola having gone through many Physiology textbooks simply defined Physiology as the study of normal function. That means if you’re not functioning normally in your finance, for example, your financial physiology needs to be questioned.
An immense field of Physiology can be divided into Viral Physiology, Bacteria Physiology, Cellular Physiology, Human Physiology, Plant Physiology, Soil Physiology, Veterinary Physiology and many more. Physiology as a course especially at the undergraduate level of a department in Nigeria is Human Physiology other fields are not studied in isolation.
When it comes to Human Physiology, an attempt to explain the specific network mesh of the human body that makes it more like an automaton is studied. These mechanisms are taken as:
Cardiovascular Physiology (cardi=heart Vascular =blood vessels)
The study of functions of the heart and blood vessels.
Endocrinology (endo=within crin=secretion)
The study of hormones, other secretions and how they control body functions
Environmental Physiology
The study of the environment’s influence on function, performance and bodily adaptation.
MTN: 5434 2805 4901 79815.
Muscular Physiology
The study of changes in cell and organ functions due to muscular activity and skeletal system.
Gastrointestinal Physiology
The study of the function of the gastrointestinal tract to process ingested food by mechanical and chemical means, extract nutrients and excrete waste products.
Immunology (immun=not subsceptible)
The study of the body’s defences against disease-causing agents.
Neurophysiology
The study of functional properties of nerve cells.
Respiratory Physiology
The study of functions of air passageways and lungs.
Renal Physiology (ren=kidney)
The study of functions of the kidneys and the urinary system.
Pathophysiology
The study of functional changes associated with disease and ageing.
AIRTEL: 5720-7226-5487-2819
Reproductive Physiology
The study of organs concerned with the normal processes of organismal reproduction.
Techno-Physiology
This is a new field in which body system is studied in sync with available technology to produce more innovative technologies needed to solve bodily functions.
Career path as: Aerospace Physiologist, Animal Physiologist, Clinical Physiologist, Ecological Physiologist, Exercise Physiologist, Lecturer, Researcher, Specialist, Techno Physiologist, Viral Physiologist, Writer, and many more.
I trust you have enjoyed my physio-gist and you are now better knowledgeable about what Physiology is about. There is more to Physiology than my physio-gist is fizzing. Do you want to know more, experience what it is to be a physiologist, solve a problem in Nigeria? Read and reread my physio-gist, think critically about where you can come in and make a landmark physiologically.
N.B. I want you to always remember FCMB as the Physiology of life without which life can be miserable. Oh! What if FCMB you ask?
Food Clothing Money Boo or Bae.
Comtinue writing sucess!!!