Fundamental Concepts in Physiology: An Illustrative Study

Fundamental Concepts in Physiology: An Illustrative Study is designed for undergraduates interested in the functions of the human body as preparation for medical school, or for graduate programs in health-related disciplines. The book covers the basics of physiology while avoiding excessive overlap with introductory biology or neuroscience.

Students will learn fundamental concepts of physiology, cell membrane transport, and signaling, membrane potentials, synapses, and the autonomic nervous system before exploring the physiology of specific organ systems in the body.

Organ systems covered in the text include the physiology of muscles, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory and renal systems, and the gastrointestinal system. Students will also learn about regulation of the substrate metabolism and reproductive physiology.

The highly illustrative text covers basic principles without overloading the reader with excessive detail suitable for more advanced study. Fundamental Concepts in Physiology is ideal for introductory courses in the discipline, as well as courses on human biology.

Chi-Ming Hai joined the faculty of Brown University as a professor of medical science after completion of his Ph.D. in physiology at the School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Hai's research efforts focus on airway and vascular smooth muscle, asthma, nicotine, and cytoskeleton remodeling. He is the recipient of grants from the National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Hai's written work has been published in American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, Circulation Research, European Journal of Cell Biology, and Journal of Applied Physiology. He is a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, the Biophysical Society, and the Invadosome Consortium.