physiology
noun
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Physiology Has Latin Roots
The Latin root physio- generally means "physical", so human physiology deals with just about everything that keeps us alive and working, and other physiology specialties do the same for other animals and for plants. To do anything serious in the field of health, you've obviously got to know how the body's organs and cells function normally. Physiology used to be considered separately from anatomy, which focuses on the body's structures; however, it's now known that structure and function can't easily be separated in a scientific way, so "anatomy and physiology" are often spoken of in the same breath.
Examples of physiology in a Sentence
Kate Bartlett, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
Every year, six prizes are awarded to individuals or groups for outstanding contributions across fields including physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economic sciences.
—Connor Greene, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to a trio of scientists – two of them American and one Japanese – for unraveling how the immune system protects us from thousands of different microbes trying to invade our bodies.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine honors three scientists – Shimon Sakaguchi, Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell – whose groundbreaking discoveries revealed how your immune system maintains this delicate balance.
—Aimee Pugh Bernard, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for physiology
Cite this Entry
“Physiology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physiology. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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physiology
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