Our Marvelous Bodiesoffers a unique perspective on the structure, function, and care of the major systems of the human body. Unlike other texts that use a strictly scientific approach, physiologist Gary F. Merrill relays medical facts alongside personal stories that help students relate to and apply the information.
Readers learn the basics of feedback control systems, homeostasis, and physiological gradients. These principles apply to an understanding of the body’s functioning under optimal, healthy conditions, and they provide insight into states of acute and chronic illness. Separate chapters are devoted to each of the body’s systems in detail: nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and immune. Through a series of real-life examples, the book also shows the importance of maintaining careful medical records for health care professionals, scientists, and patients alike.
Our Marvelous Bodiesoffers a unique perspective on the structure, function, and care of the major systems of the human body. Unlike other texts that use a strictly scientific approach, physiologist Gary F. Merrill relays medical facts alongside personal stories that help students relate to and apply the information.
GARY F. MERRILL is a professor of cell biology and neuroscience in the Division of Life Sciences at Rutgers University.
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
1. The FoundationStructure and Function
Homeostasis, Equilibrium, and the Steady State
Physiological Gradients
Physiological Reflexes
Control Systems Analysis
Feedback and Feedforward
2. Understanding the Mammalian Nervous SystemWhat Are Neurons?
What Is the Nervous System?
Neuron Communication, Electrical and Chemical Transmission
Different Neurotransmitters and Their Locations and Functions
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