Book excerpt: Fundamentals of Medical Physiology provides a concise, in-depth introduction by organ system to the principles of body function and uses emphasis on general models and clinical cases to foster mastery of these principles.Special features include: An emphasis on general models that underlie a number of recurring physiologic mechanisms -- for example, flow of substances and the factors that affect flow or energy formation and transformation -- to strengthen understanding Use of clinical cases -- developed, refined, and tested in the classroom over the past decade -- to test mastery of physiologic concepts Section-opening Patient Cases conclude with Some Things to Think About to help direct your study of the physiologic mechanisms of that organ system Chapter Questions ask you to apply what you have learned in that chapter to building an understanding of the case Answers to chapter questions allow you to check your understanding and direct further review A comprehensive Case Analysis with cause-and-effect diagrams reviews in detail the physiology behind the case Access via scratch-off code to all the cases in your book -- plus additional clinical cases -- with questions and answers and case analysis to enable convenient online review and testing Specifically, designed for the first- and second-year medical student, this innovative text -- ideal as a study aid for the USMLE -- provides the tools needed to learn and apply physiology to medical practice.