Computer Simulation HUMAN A Comprehensive Physiological Model

As important as the concept of homeostasis is to understanding physiology, the term may not convey the complexity of interactions which are actually involved in the many facets of regulation. Adolph (1) has recently reflected upon the integrative nature of the discipline by giving specific examples of the coordination involved in many body functions. Most of us acquire the integrative perspective from years of experience, but the concept is so central to physiology that it deserves special emphasis for students. This is particularly important during this era of exciting advances at the subcellular level. Mammaliam animal experiments have been the traditional way for students to observe the organism as a whole. Tidball (10) has affirmed the need for conventional physiology laboratory exercises in spite of economic and other constraints. Experience with living material is an essential component in biomedical education, but there are practical limitations that detract from the desired integrated view. Much of the laboratory attention must be directed to techniques at the expense of global concepts. Even in the hands of skilled technicians there are limits to the number of variables that can be measured on-line. Some experiments of a chronic nature may take days of observation before the physiological actions are manifested. Furthermore, undergraduate courses in physiology may not be instrumented for dynamic mearsurements of more than the simplest of variables.