Definition
Pathophysiology (consisting of the Greek origin words “pathos” = suffering; “physis” = nature, origin; and “logos” = “the study of”) refers to the study of abnormal changes in body functions that are the causes, consequences, or concomitants of disease processes. Studies of pathophysiology are concerned with the investigation of biological processes that are directly related to disease processes of physical, mental, or psychophysiological conditions and disorders (e.g., alterations in the endocrine system, in certain neurotransmitters, or inflammatory parameters related to the activity of the immune system). Thus, pathophysiological research aims at identifying biological markers and mechanisms for predicting and explaining disease processes in terms of etiology and pathogenesis. Pathophysiology is formally considered as a subdiscipline within physiology.
Description
The fundamental aim of the domain of pathophysiology is to unravel the altered biological (i.e., physical and...
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Witthöft, M. (2013). Pathophysiology. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_43
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_43
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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