Physiologists analyze body-organ function, both separately and as part of an integrated system.
Physicians must know this discipline thoroughly since most disease processes are expressions of abnormal physiology. Well-developed research programs within the Department of Physiology include the physiology and pathophysiology of cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, membrane, neural and cellular systems. A number of different experimental models are used in the laboratory, ranging from the whole animal to subcellular biochemical and molecular events. Sophisticated techniques are used to explore mechanisms underlying the functions of subcellular organelles, isolated cells, tissues, major organ systems and the whole animal. Such studies might require cell culture, radioimmunoassays, isolated perfused single capillaries, artificial membranes, single ion channel electrophysiological recordings, sensitive chromatographic or electrophoretic procedures or direct measurements of ion concentrations within living cells.