To promote the advancement of physiology Physiology is the science of the functioning of living systems. It is a subcategory of biology. In physiology, the scientific method is applied to determine how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells and biomolecules carry out the chemical or physical function that they have in a living system. The word physiology is from Ancient Greek: φύσις, and as a result of the 1875 Royal Commission on Vivisection and the subsequent 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act,[1] The Physiological Society was founded in 1876 as a dining society ‘for mutual benefit and protection’ by a group of 19 physiologists, led by John Burdon Sanderson and Michael Foster, meeting at Sanderson’s London home. Charles Darwin and William Sharpey were elected as The Society’s first two Honorary Members. Michael Foster was also founder of The Journal of Physiology in 1878 and was appointed to the first Chair of Physiology at the University of Cambridge in 1883. The First Rules of The Society offered membership to no more than 40, all of whom should be male ‘working’ physiologists (women were first admitted as Members in 1915).
The Physiological Society Today
The Society consists of approximately 2900, including 14 Nobel Laureates and over 700 Affiliates (younger scientists) drawn from over 50 countries. The majority of Members are engaged in research, in universities or industry, into how the body works in health and disease and in teaching physiology in schools and universities. The Society also facilitates communication between scientists and with other interested groups.
The Physiological Society is responsible for publishing two journals: The Journal of Physiology and Experimental Physiology.
External links
References
- ^ The History of The National Anti-Vivisection Society (The National Anti-Vivisection Society)
Categories: Biology organizations
