Credit: iStock As the body’s “command center,” the brain’s job is to communicate with other organs to make sure all our body systems are in proper working order. But you may not know that people who have brain injuries are also more likely to develop respiratory disorders. This is due to the brain-lung axis—how the … Continue reading Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Brain Physiology
Making Sense of Salt Sensing
Credit: iStock Sodium, or salt, content varies greatly in different foods. Last month in Philadelphia, many Experimental Biology conference attendees may have noticed something unique on restaurant menus: sodium warnings. These warnings caution diners about meals that have more than the recommended daily amount of sodium of 2,300 milligrams (mg). Wonder how the body regulates … Continue reading Making Sense of Salt Sensing
Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
Credit: iStock Does being in the dark ever send a shiver up your spine? Have you ever hurried down a hallway after turning out the light? You may get spooked by suspicious shadows in a dark room only to turn on the light and realize it is just an innocent chair. Then, you might wonder … Continue reading Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep
Credit: iStock This month, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Physiological Society journal Physiological Reviews, we are highlighting recent research published in the journal. Interested in reading more in celebration of Physiological Reviews’ birthday? Read our spotlight on migraine, about bariatric surgery’s effect on hunger and about targeting the immune system to treat cancer. It’s the … Continue reading New Thoughts on Why You Can’t Sleep
Bariatric Surgery Reveals Complexities of Our Hunger Systems
Bariatric surgery affects a variety of physiological processes in the human body, including brain signaling, hormones, blood composition and the microbiome.
Spotlight On: Migraine
Credit: iStock This month, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Physiological Society journal Physiological Reviews, we are highlighting recent research published in the journal. Interested in reading more in celebration of Physiological Reviews' birthday? Read about bariatric surgery's effect on hunger, targeting the immune system to treat cancer and new thoughts on … Continue reading Spotlight On: Migraine
How Smell Brings Back Memories
Credit: iStock Our waiter set down a warm bowl in front of me. The aroma and steam rising from the bowl grabbed me by the nostrils and sent me on a bullet train 40 years back to my grandma’s kitchen in Guam. I closed my eyes as the sweet perfume of coconut cream brought back … Continue reading How Smell Brings Back Memories
2020’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts
Credit: iStock In a year like no other in our lifetimes, many of us found ourselves putting aside our usual pursuits and thirsting for information on the coronavirus pandemic. I Spy Physiology blog contributors quickly switched gears to keep you informed, including a series of posts covering the physiology of COVID-19 and how it affects … Continue reading 2020’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts
Spotlight On: Vision
Credit: iStock If you’re reading this article, you can thank the crafty and tireless work of evolution. While we may take vision for granted as a simple and straightforward process, how we see is not so simple at all. How we see While the evolution of sight—from a primitive eyespot that could only discriminate between … Continue reading Spotlight On: Vision
Spotlight On: Itching
Credit: iStock You probably don’t think much about itching until you have an itchy spot that’s just out of reach. Then, it’s all you can think about until you’re able to get rid of the “not-quite-painful-but-almost” feeling with a satisfying scratch. What exactly is itching? And what purpose does it serve? A review published in … Continue reading Spotlight On: Itching