Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology is conceptually composed of pathology and physiology. Pathology is the study of the pathological changes in the body of a living being and physiology is the study of the functioning of the body of a living being.

The conceptual combination "pathophysiology" means how the body functions differently under the pathological changes and which functional mechanisms lead to the pathological changes (pathogenesis). It is accepted that even a pathological change has a normal function (physiology). This fact is of crucial importance for the diagnosis.