The word ‘pharmacology’ comes from the ancient Greek words
pharmakon (meaning ‘drug’) and logia (meaning ’knowledge of’).
Pharmacology is a branch of science that deals with the study of drugs
and their actions on living systems mainly understanding action of body
on drug (Pharmacokinetics) and action of drug on body (Pharmacodynamics)
Pharmacologists around the world are currently:
Pharmacology also includes
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Human Anatomy (ana- = “up”, tome = “to cut”) is often defined as the
study of structures in the human body. Anatomy focuses on the
description of form, or how body structures at different levels look.
Gross anatomy studies macroscopic structures (for example, the body,
organs, and organ systems), and histology studies microscopic structures
(for example, tissues, cells, and organelles).
Human Physiology (physio = “nature”; -logy = “study”) studies
the “nature” of the human body, nature in the sense of how structures at
different levels work. Physiology focuses on function, or how
structures at different levels work.
Anatomy and physiology are intimately related. A hand is able to
grab things (function) because the length, shape, and mobility of the
fingers (form) determine what things a hand can grab (function). A
muscle contracts and brings bones together (function) due to the
arrangement of muscles and bones, and the arrangement of organelles
inside of muscle cells (form) determines how much and for how long a
muscle can contract (function).
Body structure functions depend on their form. The way
structures work depends on the way they are organized. So, understanding
Physiology requires an understanding of Anatomy, and vice versa.