Credit: iStock Water balance is one of the most important functions of the body. The cells in the body require a stable environment to survive and work like they should. As originally put by the 19th century French physiologist Claude BernardMD: “La fixité du milieu intérieur est la condition de la vie libre, independante” (The … Continue reading Stay Hydrated to Keep Your Muscles Happy
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How Your Body Reacts to Being Stressed Out
Credit: iStock Have you ever felt the weight of an upcoming deadline? Are family or relationship issues a constant worry? If this describes you, know that you’re not alone. According to the American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” survey, 67% of adults in the U.S. said their stress level has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. … Continue reading How Your Body Reacts to Being Stressed Out
How Our Bones Adapt in Space
Retired astronaut Scott Kelly grew two inches taller while he was in space due to changes in his bones and other organs. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls During space travel, astronauts are exposed to a lack of gravity. This affects their physiology in different ways, including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning, eye changes and immune dysfunction. Studies … Continue reading How Our Bones Adapt in Space
2022’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts
Credit: iStock This year, as COVID-19 vaccines and boosters protected most of us from severe disease, scientists and educators returned to labs, classrooms and in-person meetings with a lot of new physiology research to share. In 2022, our member-contributors wrote about the physiology of space travel, new techniques to improve organ transplantation and why exercise … Continue reading 2022’s Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts
Antihistamines: Beyond Allergy Relief?
Credit: iStock Allergies are one of the most common chronic conditions in the world—in the U.S., as many as 50 million people have them. Many people regularly take antihistamine medications to relieve allergy symptoms that may include itching, skin rashes, runny nose and wheezing. Antihistamines block the effects of histamine, which is a very strong … Continue reading Antihistamines: Beyond Allergy Relief?
How Technology and Physiology Are Making Sick Livers Transplantable
Credit: iStock Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of liver disease that begins with excess fat accumulation in liver cells. Left unchecked, this can progress to a more advanced disease stage, called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that involves scarring and inflammation of the liver. There aren’t any approved therapies for NASH yet, which means … Continue reading How Technology and Physiology Are Making Sick Livers Transplantable
Space Travel Helps Us Learn about Our Gut
Credit: iStock During space travel, astronauts are exposed to a lack of gravity. This affects their physiology in different ways, including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning, eye changes and immune dysfunction. However, less is known about the effects on the digestive system from spaceflight exposure. It’s important that we understand more about these effects because the … Continue reading Space Travel Helps Us Learn about Our Gut
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
Spotlight On: Autophagy
Credit: iStock Defects in autophagy have been linked to several diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious and immunological diseases. The significance of this process was highlighted in 2016 when Yoshinori Ohsumi, PhD, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his decades-long research on autophagy. You might already be wondering: What is autophagy … Continue reading Spotlight On: Autophagy
Tummy Troubles Up High: How Altitude Affects GI Physiology
Credit: iStock If you’re planning a spring skiing vacation or a summer of hiking in the mountains, you might want to prepare your mind and body for the physiological effects of high altitude. At altitude, the air pressure is lower. The amount of oxygen in the air is the same as sea level (about 21%), … Continue reading Tummy Troubles Up High: How Altitude Affects GI Physiology