Department of Physiology

At present the role of The Department of Physiology has to do with the teaching and research activities related to the discipline human physiology at the Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. The subject of human physiology is the study of the function of the human body. It describes the biomolecules, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems carry out physical and chemical functions in the human body. The human physiology also explains how the human being adapts to the changes in both the internal and external environments.

Central to physiological functioning are biophysical, biochemical and homeostatic control mechanisms and communication between cells. The physiological state is the condition of normal function of the human body while the pathological state refers to abnormal conditions including human diseases. Thus a thorough understanding of physiology is required for a medical students to gain knowledge in the para-clinical and clinical subjects – pathology, pharmacology, immunology, medicine, surgery, paediatrics etc. The Physiology teaching program includes lectures, tutorials and practical classes. Practical classes included both laboratory classes and learning of basic clinical skills,

At the end of the human physiology component of the preclinical course the students will become critical thinkers and be able to draw independent rational conclusions regarding the observations in day to day life and normal functions of the human body. It creates the foundation to understand deranged functions of the human body in the further study of medicine with an inquiring mind.