What really happens to food after we eat it?

We trace its journey from mechanical and chemical digestion to nutrient absorption and cellular use. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats move from components of a meal to sources of energy, stored reserves, and materials the body needs for maintenance, growth, and repair.

Sources and further reading:

1. Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

After examining individual structures, we widen the lens to see the human body as a whole.

We review the major organ systems, where they are located, what they do, and how they depend on one another. This panoramic anatomical overview connects structures, physiological functions, and the relationships that allow the body to operate as an integrated organism.

Sources and further reading:

1. Vasković J, McLaren N. Human body systems: overview, anatomy, functions [Internet]. Kenhub; 2023 [cited 2026 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/human-body-systems
2. Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Appendicitis may begin as difficult-to-localize abdominal pain and evolve within hours into a problem requiring urgent medical attention.

We follow the obstruction and inflammation of the appendix, explain why pain can shift toward the lower right abdomen, and explore the roles of clinical history, examination, and imaging in diagnosis. We also discuss perforation, treatment options, and why timing matters.

Sources and further reading:

1. Breeding E, Conran RM. Educational case: acute appendicitis. Acad Pathol. 2020;7:2374289520926640. doi:10.1177/2374289520926640.
2. Lotfollahzadeh S, Lopez RA, Deppen JG. Appendicitis. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Sensation, thought, memory, and movement depend on an immense network of neurons and neural circuits.

We investigate how the nervous system receives information, generates electrical signals, uses neurotransmitters, and organizes responses. Rather than memorizing isolated terms, we focus on the physiological logic that allows the brain, spinal cord, and nerves to coordinate the body.

Sources and further reading:

1. Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Movement, posture, heat production, and even the beating of the heart depend on muscle tissue.

We explore skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle, moving from the microscopic organization of muscle fibers to the work performed by whole muscles. This is a tour of a system that transforms electrical signals and cellular energy into coordinated movement.

Sources and further reading:

1. Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

A woman who works baking bread develops coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Gradually, a pattern emerges: her symptoms are linked to her work.

Using this case, we explain asthma, what happens inside inflamed airways, how spirometry and peak expiratory flow measurements can support the evaluation, and why the workplace environment may matter for both diagnosis and management.

Sources and further reading:

1. Uppal N, Tarlo SM. A case of asthma in a baker [Internet]. New York: American Thoracic Society; [cited 2026 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/asthma-center/case-of-asthma-in-a-baker.php
2. Sinyor B, Concepcion Perez L. Pathophysiology of asthma. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

The heart and lungs are often studied separately, yet they operate as parts of a single functional system.

We follow oxygen from the surrounding air to the tissues and carbon dioxide on its journey back to the lungs. Pulmonary and systemic circulation, gas exchange, hemoglobin, ventilation, and perfusion reveal how breathing and circulation form one continuous physiological conversation.

Sources and further reading:

1. Chaudhry R, Miao JH, Rehman A. Physiology, cardiovascular. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.
2. Powers KA, Dhamoon AS. Physiology, pulmonary ventilation and perfusion. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

The skeleton does much more than hold us upright.

We explore bones, cartilage, joints, growth, repair, and bone remodeling. Along the way, we see how the skeletal system protects organs, stores minerals, supports blood cell production, and provides the framework on which muscles generate movement.

Sources and further reading:

1. Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.
2. Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

A 66-year-old man arrives at the hospital after hours of severe chest pain. What follows allows us to trace the physiology of a myocardial infarction step by step.

We examine atherosclerosis, coronary artery obstruction, electrocardiographic changes, myocardial injury, cardiogenic shock, and mechanical complications. This clinical case illustrates why time can profoundly influence the outcome of a heart attack.

Sources and further reading:

1. Ribeiro WN, Yamada AT, Benvenuti LA. Case 4/2014: a 66-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction and death in asystole after primary coronary angioplasty. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2014;103(3):e31-e36. doi:10.5935/abc.20140129.
2. Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al. Fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (2018). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;72(18):2231-2264. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1038.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

How does the body remain stable while everything around us changes?

We explore homeostasis and the sensors, control centers, and effectors that regulate variables such as temperature, blood glucose, and blood pressure. We also explain negative feedback and amplifying feedback mechanisms, showing how the body constantly responds, corrects, and adapts.

Sources and further reading:

1. Kiesewetter A, Schmiemann P. Understanding homeostatic regulation: the role of relationships and conditions in feedback loop reasoning. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022;21(3):ar56. doi:10.1187/cbe.21-04-0092.
2. Hall JE, Hall ME. Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

From a single cell to a complete organism, the human body is organized into interconnected levels that depend on one another.

In this opening episode of Flesh&Bones, we explore cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems, building a foundation for understanding how anatomy and physiology fit together. An introduction for medical students and anyone curious about how the human body is structured.

Sources and further reading:

1. Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, et al. Anatomy & Physiology. Houston (TX): OpenStax, Rice University; 2013.
2. Moore KL, Dalley AF II, Agur AMR. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8th ed. Baltimore: Wolters Kluwer; 2017.

Educational content only. Not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.