Defining Physiology: Principles, Themes, Concepts

This book will provide the reader with an overview of the essential meanings of key words in the physiology of various organ systems. This book is linked to a Question and Answer book on these organ systems that was published previously by Springer and will focus on cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal physiology. Each physiology system will be organized in to five different sections, covering the main areas of interest and each section will contain at least ten clear definitions of the main topics in this area. This book will present an easy reference guide for those just starting out in the area of physiology and for those who are interested in clear and succinct definitions of key terms.

Cardiovascular System 

A.    Heart as an Electrical Organ
1.    pacemaker potential,  2, ionic fluxes of action potential, 3. atrio-ventricular node,  4. prolonged  depolarization,  5. myocardial  calcium fluxes,  6.electrocardiogram,  7. P-R interval, 8.  S-T segment, 9. cardiac vagal tone, 10. Hyperkalemic effects.

B.    Heart as a Rhythmic Pump
1.    stroke volume, 2. contractility, 3. cardiac output, 4. Starling’s cardiac mechanism, 5. Ejection fraction, 6. systole, 7.  diastole, 8.cardiac cycle,  9. heart sounds, 10. iso-volumetric phase.

C.    Heart as a Pressure Producer
1.    arteriole, 2. venous capacitance, 3. venoconstriction, 4. aortic pressure, 5. arterial recoil, 6. Korotkoff sounds, 7. total peripheral resistance, 8. afterload, 9. preload, 10. central venous pressure.

D.   Pathways from the Heart
1.    capillary dynamics, 2. plasma oncotic pressure, 3. lymphatic drainage, 4. venous return, 5. mean systemic filling pressure, 6. pulmonary circulation, 7. Hemodynamics of flow, 8. Flow rate/velocity, 9. cardio-renal mechanisms, 10. Vascular congestion

E.    Physiological Adaptations of the Cardiovascular system
1.    effective circulatory volume, 2. trans-capillary shift, 3. venous pooling, , 4. baroreflex, 5. Bainbridge reflex, 6.autoregulation of blood flow, 7. hyperemia, 8. Arterial-venous O2 , 9. sympathetic vasoconstriction, 10. coronary circulation.

Respiratory Physiology

A.    Mechanics of Respiration
1.    Tidal volume, 2. intra-pleural pressure, 3. trans-mural pressure, 4. anatomical dead space, 5.alveolar ventilation 6. airway resistance,  7.functional residual capacity, 8. vital capacity, 9. alveolar surface tension, 10. lung elastic recoil

B.    Alveolar-Capillary Exchange
1.    Partial pressure, 2. pulmonary transit time, 3. perfusion -limited, 4.diffusion distance, 5. diffusion capacity of oxygen,  6.ventilation/perfusion matching, 7. hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, 8. Physiologic/alveolar shunt, 9. pulmonary vascular  recruitment and distention, 10. respiratory ‘pump’.

C.    Oxygen Transport
1.    Blood O2 content  2.hemoglobin-O2 saturation 3. hemoglobin-O2 affinity, 4. Bohr’s effect,  5.tissue O2 extraction, 6. oxygen delivery rate (ml/min),  7. stagnant hypoxia,  8. anemic hypoxia, 9. hyperventilation and PO2  10. secondary polycythemia.

D.   Carbon Dioxide Transport
1.    Blood CO2 content 2.Henry’s gas laws 3.plasma bicarbonate 4. carbonic anhydrase,  5.alveolar ventilation equation, 6. Alveolar/expired PCO2, 7. Haldane’s effect, 8.Hyperventilation and CO2, 9. CO2 physiologic functions, 10. CO2 and cerebral circulation.

E.    Control of Respiration
1.    chemoreceptors, 2. respiratory centers, 3. hypoxic drive, 4.hypoventilation, 5. hypercapnia, 6. exercise hyperpnea,  7.respiratory alkalosis  8.pH  regulation, 9. cardio-respiratory functions, 10. high altitude acclimatization.

Renal Physiology

A. Glomerular Filtration and Renal Blood Flow
1.    Renal arterioles, 2. glomerular Starling’s forces, 3. filtration coefficient, 4. Renal clearance, 5. freely filtered, 6. Filtered load,  7. Filtration fraction, 8. Creatinine clearance, 9. Tubulo-glomerular feedback, 10.renal autoregulation ‘masked’

B. Tubular Function
1.    Iso-osmotic water reabsorption, 2. Renal plasma threshold, 3. Tubular transport maximum, 4. Glomerulo-tubular balance, 5. Tubular secretion, 6. Polyspecific organic transporters, 7. Peritubular capillary dynamics, 8. proximal urea transport,  9. Na/K/2Cl symporter,  10.Macula densa.

C. Sodium and Potassium Balance
1.    Juxta-glomerular cells,  2. sodium/volume sensers,  3. natriuresis,   4.excreted sodium load, 5. renal perfusion pressure, 6.renin-angiotensin system, 7. renal sympathetic nerve, 8.aldosterone escape, 9. proximal potassium reabsorption, 10.transtubular potassium secretion.

D. Water Balance
1.    Juxtamedullary  nephrons  2. Counter current flow, 3. hyperosmotic interstitium, 4. differential permeability of Henle’s loop, 5. diluting segment, 6. Vasa recta,  7.urea recycling, 8. water diuresis, 9.osmotic diuresis, 10. Sodium concentration and osmoreceptors

E. Acid-base Balance
1.    non-volatile acid, 2.bicarbonate proximal reabsorption,  3. luminal carbonic anhydrase, 4.tubular bicarbonate synthesis 5.urinary buffer, 6.net acid excretion, 7. Reno-respi pH regulation, 8. urinary ammonium, 9. ECF potassium effects, 10. pH and ECF calcium.