ABSTRACT

The discipline of integrative biology explores the structure and function of biological systems at multiple levels of organization. Within this eld, physiologists investigate how living organisms function by studying processes at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Data collected through controlled laboratory experiments and carefully designed eld studies contribute to our understanding of physiological responses to variable and challenging environmental conditions, and provide insight into the limits of physiological performance. Modern, integrative studies of animal physiology have roots in the eld of physiological ecology, a discipline that incorporates a comparative approach to investigate physiological and biochemical mechanisms and their adaptive signicance.