Physiology is the science of living systems.
Physiologists are scientists who study life processes in humans, animals and plants, and how our organ systems work together to keep us healthy.
The American Physiological Society (APS) was founded in 1887 to foster research into how the organs and systems of the body function. It is the nation's oldest scientific society dedicated to medical research. In 1998, the Society numbered more than 8,500 scientists studying how the bodies of humans and animals work when they are healthy and what goes wrong when they are sick.
The Society sponsors scientific meetings and publishes 14 peer-reviewed scientific journals. "Peer-reviewed" means that before an article can be published in an APS journal, it must be reviewed by other scientists in the field who decide whether the study was well-designed and the results mean what the author says they do.
Many physiologists use animals in their research, and the Society has long promoted the highest standards of care for research animals.