Final answer:
Physiology is the study of how an organism's physical parts function, essential for understanding life's processes such as homeostasis and protection against diseases. It is closely related to anatomy, which is the study of an organism's structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study of the way a living organism's physical parts function is known as physiology. Physiology involves understanding how the body's structures work individually and together to maintain life, through the mechanisms of chemistry and physics. An important concept in physiology is homeostasis, which is the maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism. The study of both anatomy and physiology is crucial, as they are closely related; anatomy deals with the structure of living organisms, while physiology explores the physical and chemical functions of tissues and organs that enable this structure to work.
Knowledge in physiology is essential to explain the mechanisms inside organisms that protect them from disease and infection, as well as understanding the form and structure of living organisms. Advances in physiology rely on laboratory experiments and observations, including the use of imaging and microscopes, to uncover how the countless structures and compounds in the human body function.