The missing chapter of physiology: the importance of teaching the physiology of dying

Abstract

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Physiology education rarely addresses the biological processes that occur at the end of life. This article proposes that teaching the physiology of dying provides a powerful integrative framework for reinforcing core physiological con cepts such as homeostasis, energy use, and systems integration. Using interactive teaching and pattern recognition-based learn ing in an undergraduate physiology course, we demonstrate how the physiology of dying can help students consolidate conceptual understanding while completing the physiological narrative of the human lifespan.