Physiology
/ˌfɪz.iˈɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of biology that studies how living organisms and their parts function.
Did you know?Physiology ultimately comes from Greek physis, meaning “nature” or “growth,” so the word began as a study of how living things unfold according to their built-in force.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phýsis (φύσις)
“nature, growth, the process of coming into being”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logía (-λογία)
“study, discourse”
Late Greek
Greek
physiología (φυσιολογία)
“study of nature”
16th Century
Latin
physiologia
“the study of natural things or natural philosophy”
16th–17th Century
English
physiology
“the study of the functions of living organisms”