Preface

Human physiology provides the scientific foundation for the field of medicine and all other professions related to human health and physical performance. The scope of topics included in a human physiology course is therefore wide-ranging, yet each topic must be covered in sufficient detail to provide a firm basis for future expansion and application. The rigor of the course, however, need not diminish the student’s initial fascination with how the body works. On the contrary, a basic understanding of physiological mechanisms can instill a deeper appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the human body and motivate the student to continue learning more.

Human Physiology, tenth edition, is designed to serve the needs of students in an undergraduate physiology course. The beginning chapters introduce basic chemical and biological concepts to provide these students—many of whom do not have extensive science backgrounds—with the framework they need to comprehend physiological principles. In the chapters that follow, the material is presented in a way that promotes conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization of facts. Every effort has been made to help students integrate related concepts and understand the relationships between anatomical structures and their functions.

Abundant summary flowcharts and tables serve as aids for review. Beautifully rendered figures, with a functional use of color, are designed to enhance learning. Health applications are often discussed to heighten interest, deepen understanding of physiological concepts, and help students relate the material they have learned to their individual career goals. In addition, various other pedagogical devices are used extensively (but not intrusively) to add to the value of the text as a comprehensive learning tool.

I wrote the first edition to provide my students with a readable textbook to support the lecture material and help them understand physiology concepts they would need later in their health curricula and professions. This approach turned out to have very wide appeal, which afforded me the opportunity to refine and update the text with each new edition. Scientific and technological advances significantly changed both the subject of human physiology and the mechanics of writing the editions. I’ve progressed from a typewriter through a metal Kaypro computer to PC and Mac computers, and from doing research using only hard-copy journal articles to mostly performing wireless Internet searches and downloads. Writing new editions has been demanding, but it is a terrific educational experience. I am fortunate indeed to be in the ever-exciting field of physiology education. Although changes have occurred in the scientific understanding and application of physiological concepts, the needs of students using this tenth edition are the same as those who used the first, and so my writing goals have remained the same. I feel very privileged, and grateful, to have served students from the first edition to this new tenth edition of Human Physiology.