Credit: iStock/courtneyk Like many dads, I love a little reading time with my 3-year-old before bed. Because of my work, my son and I talk about “heart beeps,” as he calls them. One night, he asked if I wanted to hear his heart beep. I said yes and laid my head on his chest. Doing … Continue reading How a Swallow Slows the Heart
Cardiovascular System
How Ocean Tides May Influence Heart Rhythms
Credit: iStock/baona Just as ocean tides rise and fall under the pull of the moon and sun, scientists are discovering that gravitational changes can affect our hearts in subtle ways. We caught up with Guadalupe Rodríguez Ferrante, PhD, who presented her work at the 2026 American Physiology Summit, to learn more about this intriguing topic. … Continue reading How Ocean Tides May Influence Heart Rhythms
Not Just a Pump: How Your Heart Talks to the Rest of Your Body
Credit: iStock/pepifoto When we learn about the heart in school, it’s usually described as a pump: strong, steady and rhythmic. That’s true. But what fascinates me most, as a physiologist, is that the heart is also a communicator, constantly exchanging messages with your brain, kidneys, muscles and blood vessels to keep your body balanced, safe … Continue reading Not Just a Pump: How Your Heart Talks to the Rest of Your Body
Beyond the Bugs: Could Chemicals from Microbes Help Lower Blood Pressure?
Credit: iStock/Elena Istomina Did you know that the trillions of bacteria residing in your gut actively influence one of the most critical numbers in your life: your blood pressure? For a long time, scientists mainly looked at genetics, diet and lifestyle as the key reasons behind high blood pressure. While these factors are important, there’s … Continue reading Beyond the Bugs: Could Chemicals from Microbes Help Lower Blood Pressure?
Alcohol and Health: Why It’s Not as Simple as One Drink a Day
Credit: iStock The mulled wine and apple cider at your local holiday market weren’t the only things brewing this holiday season. A heated debate is on about whether you should avoid alcohol completely or if you should drink small amounts for a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of … Continue reading Alcohol and Health: Why It’s Not as Simple as One Drink a Day
Gone Fishing for Signals in the Gut-brain Connection
Credit: iStock Zebrafish is a small tropical freshwater fish, named for their zebra-like stripes. Though tiny, this little fish plays a big role in biomedical research. It might surprise you that humans share about 70% of their genes with zebrafish. This makes the fish a powerful model for studying health and disease. Meet the zebrafish … Continue reading Gone Fishing for Signals in the Gut-brain Connection
The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2025
Credit: iStock This year marked the 10th anniversary of the I Spy Physiology blog! In a year of great challenge to science funding, talking about the value of science has never been more important, and our contributors understood the assignment. They’ve shared their stories about becoming a science advocate and transitioning from mentee to a … Continue reading The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2025
Good Morning, Fall! How ‘Falling Back’ to Standard Time Affects Our Body Clock
Credit: iStock/simonapilolla Fall is here—a time for sweaters and scarves, warm beverages and changing leaves. Nights grow longer as the sun sets earlier, and in many parts of the U.S., we “fall back” from daylight saving to standard time to accommodate this shift. We may celebrate the feeling of getting to sleep in, or we … Continue reading Good Morning, Fall! How ‘Falling Back’ to Standard Time Affects Our Body Clock
From Cortisol to Calm: The Physiology of Calm Breathing
Credit: Amin Mohajeri “Take a deep breath.” You’ve probably heard that advice—before a big exam, a tough conversation or when you’re feeling overwhelmed. And if you’ve ever noticed that it actually helps, you’re not imagining it. Your body has a built-in system for finding calm, and breathing is the key that unlocks it. When stress … Continue reading From Cortisol to Calm: The Physiology of Calm Breathing
Lower Body Negative Pressure: How Scientists Can Study Blood Loss with Everyday Household Items
Credit: iStock/Devonyu Have you ever wondered how scientists study the human body’s responses to extreme conditions such as severe blood loss? Science experiments don’t always involve expensive equipment, glass beakers and dangerous chemicals. In fact, one of the coolest experimental techniques in physiology requires just two common household items: a vacuum cleaner and a box … Continue reading Lower Body Negative Pressure: How Scientists Can Study Blood Loss with Everyday Household Items