MBBS subject guide
Physiology
Physiology explains how the healthy body works, and it is the reasoning layer under every clinical subject that follows.
- chapter previews
- 11
- curriculum phase
- Phase 1, Pre-Clinical
Study Physiology
Physiology explains how the healthy body works, and it is the reasoning layer under every clinical subject that follows. The NMC framework organises it into eleven competency areas, from general and cellular physiology through the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine systems to neurophysiology, then assigns each teachable point a code such as PY5.3 or PY7.4. MedNext maps all 11 physiology chapters to those codes, so you can see which competencies are covered and which still need work. Cardiovascular, respiratory and renal physiology carry the heaviest exam weight and feed directly into medicine and pathology later in the course. Neurophysiology is dense, but it reliably separates the higher marks. Applied physiology runs through the subject rather than sitting beside it: the cardiac cycle behind a murmur, renal clearance behind an eGFR, and the buffer systems behind an arterial blood gas are all tagged to their codes. Each chapter pairs a detailed reading with practice questions and a one-page cheat sheet, all sharing the same NMC tags, so learning a competency, testing it and revising it happen in one place. Understand the mechanisms once, properly, and later revision becomes a checklist instead of a re-read.
Browse Physiology chapters
PY1: General Physiology
General physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: cell membrane structure, membrane transport, body fluid compartments, resting...
Read morePY2: Haematology
Haematology for MBBS and NEET-PG: blood composition, erythropoiesis, haemoglobin, white cells, blood groups and...
Read morePY3: Nerve and Muscle Physiology
Nerve and muscle physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: action potential, nerve conduction, neuromuscular junction and the...
Read morePY4: Gastrointestinal Physiology
Gastrointestinal physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: gastric and pancreatic secretion, bile, gut hormones, digestion and...
Read morePY5: Cardiovascular Physiology
Cardiovascular physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: cardiac output, Frank-Starling law, cardiac cycle, heart sounds, JVP...
Read morePY6: Respiratory Physiology
Respiratory physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: lung volumes, compliance and surfactant, oxygen and carbon dioxide...
Read morePY7: Renal Physiology
Renal physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: nephron function, glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, countercurrent...
Read morePY8: Endocrine Physiology
Endocrine physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: hypothalamic-pituitary axis, thyroid, adrenal, insulin and glucagon and...
Read morePY9: Reproductive Physiology
Reproductive physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: the reproductive axis, spermatogenesis, menstrual cycle and ovulation,...
Read morePY10: Neurophysiology
Neurophysiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: synaptic transmission, sensory and motor tracts, cerebellum and basal ganglia,...
Read morePY11: Integrated Physiology
Integrated physiology for MBBS and NEET-PG: responses to exercise, haemorrhage, altitude and temperature, plus fluid,...
Read morePhysiology questions
How many physiology chapters does MedNext cover?
The physiology subject hub covers 11 chapters, spanning general physiology, the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine systems, and neurophysiology. Each chapter is mapped to its NMC competency codes, so coverage is visible rather than assumed.
Is physiology content mapped to the NMC competency framework?
Yes. Every physiology chapter, practice question and cheat sheet is tagged to an official NMC competency code, for example PY5.3 for the events of the cardiac cycle. This is the same framework that MBBS university exams, NEET PG and NExT draw from.
Which physiology topics carry the most exam weight?
Cardiovascular, respiratory and renal physiology supply the bulk of viva and written questions and feed straight into medicine later. Neurophysiology is smaller in volume but often decides the top scores, so it repays study out of proportion to its chapter count.
Does MedNext include physiology MCQs and revision material?
Each physiology chapter is paired with practice questions and a one-page cheat sheet, all tagged to the same NMC codes as the reading. That lets you move from learning a competency to testing and revising it without leaving the topic.
Can I preview physiology before paying?
Yes. You can preview the platform and read a free sample chapter after registering, then view plans when you are ready to decide.
Build a complete Physiology study plan
Explore clinician-written learning resources, structured revision and practice across the MedNext platform.
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