First published in 2001, the Textbook of Practical Physiology has been considered the most reliable book on the subject for over two decades, for medical students in India and abroad. This fifth edition has been revised to incorporate the latest developments in the fields of applied and clinical physiology and to provide medical students with the requisite knowledge and skills in these areas. The various sections of this book including those on hematology, human experiments and clinical physiology have been thoroughly revised in light of the new competency-based integrated curriculum prescribed by the Medical Council of India in 2019. The book is specially designed for step-by-step learning through practicals and experiments, which are vital to medical students seeking to develop expertise in clinical medicine. The learning objectives in each chapter have beendivided into ‘Must Know’ and ‘Desirable to Know’ categories. The information on clinical examination has been groupedseparately under one section to emphasise the growing need for clinical physiology in medicine. This fifth edition features numerous illustrations that have been meticulously revised, redrawn and re-represented to facilitate the easy assimilation of techniques. Several new colour photographs have been added across the book to demonstrate the methodology of conducting the practical tests. More than 200 of such photographs and figures have been included in this edition. The new, contemporary four-colour design of this edition will appeal to students and aid in reading and retention.

Dr G K Pal is Professor (Senior Scale), Department of Physiology, JIPMER, Pondicherry.Formerly, Dean, JIPMER (K), Dr Pal is now Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Pondicherry University. Dr Pal did his MBBS from VSS Medical College, Burla, and MD from JIPMER,Pondicherry. Dr Pal has been teaching physiology for more than thirty-two years. He was awarded a gold medal in Medicine for securing the highest mark in the subject in his finalMBBS examination, and also received the Shyamabati Dubey Award. Dr Pal has beenactively involved in research in neurophysiology HRV, BRS, CV risks and yoga. For his significant contributions, Dr Pal has been conferred numerous awards and prizes—the Dr N Padmanabhan Memorial Award (1991) of IABMS for best research in physiology;the ICMR Scientist Award for Biomedical Research (1998) for outstanding contributionsin neurophysiology; the A V Tilak Parvathy Devi Prize (1999 and 2007) of APPI for the bestresearch work in neuroendocrinology; the Dr D S Munagekar Award (2002) of IMA for the best research publication; theSIRI Research Award (2003) of IAMBS for his research work on stress; the Dr Sushila Thakur Prakriti Mandir Prize (2004) from APPI for the best research work in yoga; Prof. R N Sen Memorial Oration Award (2005) from APO, for research contribution in neurophysiology; Prof. A Namasivayam Award (2007) from IABMS for research contribution in neurophysiology; the Prof. R C Shukla Oration Award (2008) from APPI for research in cardiovascular physiology; the Prof. J N Maitra Memorial Oration Award (2009) from PSI; the Dr M L Gupta Prize (2010) from APPI for best contribution in medical education; Dr B K Anand Research Prize (2011) from APPI for best research in physiology; the Bharat Jyoti Award (2015) constituted by IIFS; the Prof. K P Puthuraya Best Teacher Award (2017) from APPI and Prof. S Subramanian Oration Award (2018) from IABMS for best contribution in the field of biomedicine. Most recently, Dr Pal was awarded the most prestigious JIPMER Scientific Society Faculty Oration Award (2020) for his notable contributions in clinical research. Many of his PG and UG students have received research awards.For his outstanding performance at his UPSC interview for the post of Assistant Professor at JIPMER in 1996, Dr Pal was awarded five advance increments in salary, which is a unique achievement in the history of UPSC. Dr Pal is currently the national president of IABMS, general secretary of ASSOPI, and vice-president of FIPS. Dr Pal is member of many expert committees at national level. As Program Director Dr Pal was instrumental in establishing the Advance Center for Yoga at JIPMER and as the first Dean the second campus of JIPMER at Karaikal. For his contributions in researchand academics, the New York Academy of Sciences has nominated him as an honorary member of the Academy. Dr Pal has published more than 210 research papers in peer-reviewed journals. To his credit, he has a Research Gate score 38.03,.h-index 26, citations 2070, Google Scholar h-index 25, i-10 index 48 and citations 4280, an exceptional recognition few academician–physiologists have earned at the global level. Dr Pal served as Editor-in-Chief of Biomedicine (2006–09) and Editor of IJPP (2009–14); currently, he is Editor-in-Chief, IJCEP. Dr Pal contributed to the 11 edition of Guyton’s physiology book, and has earned great renown in India and abroad as an author of textbooks on medical physiology. A yoga enthusiast, Dr Pal decided to settle in Pondicherry to practice integral yoga of Sri Aurobindo.

Dr Pravati Pal is Professor and Head of Physiology, JIPMER, Pondicherry. She obtained her MBBS degree from VSS Medical College, Orissa, and MD in Physiology from JIPMER, Pondicherry. She has expertise in cardiovascular physiology, endocrinology, yoga and neurophysiology. Dr Pal has had an outstanding academic and research career. For her exceptional performance at the MD examination, she was awarded Distinction and Vaithilingam Venkatasubba Reddiar Medal by Pondicherry University. For her research in physiology, she received the Dr N Padmanabhan Memorial Award from IABMS in 1998. Dr Pal also received the coveted Prof. K P Puthuraya Award from APPI for ‘Best Teacher, Physiology’ in 2012 and the A V Tilak Parvathy Devi Prize from APPI for best research paper in endocrinology in 2016. She has 122 research publications, h-index 24, i10-index 41 and 1517 citations.