physiology
- 01 C1 Advanced
the scientific study of how the parts of a living body work together.
the branch of biology dealing with the functions and activities of living matter, such as organs and cells, and the physical and chemical phenomena involved.
Simple“In our biology class, we studied the physiology of the human heart.”
In context“Advanced research into human physiology has revealed how the body adapts to extreme conditions like high altitudes or deep-sea diving.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the field of study.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the way a specific person's or animal's body functions.
the internal biological and chemical processes of a specific organism or species.
Simple“The physiology of a camel allows it to survive for a long time without water.”
In context“The athlete's unique physiology enabled her to recover from intense training sessions much faster than her competitors.”
UsageCan be used as a countable noun when comparing different types of bodies.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
an old word for the general study of nature and natural objects.
the study and description of natural objects; a historical synonym for natural science.
Simple“In the 1700s, scholars used the term physiology to describe all of nature.”
In context“The ancient manuscript contained a section on physiology that discussed everything from minerals to the stars.”
UsageThis sense is no longer used in modern scientific contexts.
Synonymsnatural science
“New research suggests that physiology alone can’t explain this missing miniature end of the dinosaur spectrum—and that early mammals may have been partly responsible.”
“A specialist in human and applied physiology, he says a fan should be directed more broadly at your body and, crucially, placed far enough away so it "provides air movement over the [whole] body".”
From French physiologie, from Latin physiologia, from Ancient Greek φυσιολογία (phusiología, “natural philosophy”), from φύσις (phúsis, “nature”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”). Equivalent to physio- + -logy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.