Ashrafian Hutan
The Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, 10th Floor Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Building, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London, W2 1NY, UK, Phone: +44(0) 203 3127651, Fax: +44(0) 203 3126309.
J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2018 Jun 27;29(3):237-240. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2017-0143.
What is an organ and what is an organ system? According to the 'standard' hierarchical model of physiology, each living organism comprises of organ systems including those that offer sensory and control functions (nervous system), energy accumulation (gastrointestinal system), internal dissipation (circulatory system) and mobility (musculoskeletal system). Each organ system in turn is comprised of individual organs. This taxonomy has conceptual flaws as not every organ has a single organ system function but may participate in a myriad of physiological functions. To answer this philosophical question, several principles are applied. At one level, the assessment of physiological function and organ system can be considered to have some relation to the broader issue of the species problem in the philosophy of biology. Additionally, however, there is a relationship to the more fundamental issue of the biochemistry of each organ that can be considered through the philosophy of chemistry. The philosophy of physiology can therefore be considered to occupy a position somewhere between these two strata of thought on the path of science reductionism. A distinctive philosophy of physiology and pathophysiology may ultimately offer a myriad of new pathways through which to better explore the metaphysical elements of medicine and science.
什么是器官，什么是器官系统？根据生理学的“标准”层次模型，每个生物体都由器官系统组成，包括提供感觉和控制功能的系统（神经系统）、能量积累系统（胃肠系统）、体内能量消散系统（循环系统）和运动系统（肌肉骨骼系统）。反过来，每个器官系统又由单个器官组成。这种分类法存在概念上的缺陷，因为并非每个器官都只具有单一的器官系统功能，而是可能参与无数的生理功能。为了回答这个哲学问题，我们应用了几个原则。在一个层面上，对生理功能和器官系统的评估可以被认为与生物学哲学中物种问题这个更广泛的问题有某种关联。然而，除此之外，还与每个器官的生物化学这个更基本的问题存在关联，这可以通过化学哲学来思考。因此，生理学哲学可以被认为在科学还原论的这条思想路径上处于这两个思想层面之间的某个位置。一种独特的生理学和病理生理学哲学最终可能提供无数新的途径，通过这些途径可以更好地探索医学和科学的形而上学元素。
