Animal Physiology takes the reader on a microscopic analysis of the underlying cellular, molecular, and genetics factors controlling how a whole animal responds to and interacts with its environment in an adaptive manner. The book is divided into six units, beginning with the basics of physiology, moving through the different systems of the body and ending with modes of survival during times of ecological and environmental struggle. Each unit is systematically arranged as to integrate seemingly distinct disciplines of physiology into a cohesive subunit of the field as a whole. For example, Part III, Integrating Systems, ranges from the meticulous examination of neurons and synapses to the systems controlling reproduction and ends with a chapter integrating all of the topics together to give an explanation of animal navigation. Each unit is fashioned in a similar manner and embellished with instructive and educational figures, tables, and even phylogentic reconstructions. Another key feature of Animal Physiology is the addition of new information boxes written by experts on a topic briefly covered in the chapter and expanded for the interested and eager reader. When compared to previous editions, the third edition contains a newly added chapter on the newfangled area of study referred to as epigenetics as well as considerable refashioning of many chapters to account for the latest scientific literature.
The textbook is a collaboration between three independent authors within the scientific community who share a common passion for teaching physiology to undergraduate students. Therefore, Animal Physiology is an exceptional text for the instruction of budding scientists who intend to study within the realm of biology. With years of research and teaching under their belts, Hill, Wyse, and Anderson have collaborated to construct a textbook that facilitates the basic instruction of animal physiology in an efficient and receptive manner. Although not meant for the seasoned scholar, Animal Physiology is a distinguished text for instruction in the undergraduate classroom.