The first edition of the Textbook of Medical Physiology was 
written by Arthur C. Guyton almost 65 years ago. Unlike 
most major medical textbooks, which often have 20 or 
more authors, the first eight editions of the Textbook of 
Medical Physiology were written entirely by Dr. Guyton. 
He had a gift for communicating complex ideas in a clear 
and interesting manner that made studying physiology 
fun. He wrote the book to help students learn physiology, 
not to impress his professional colleagues.
Dr. John Hall worked closely with Dr. Guyton for 
almost 30 years and had the privilege of writing parts of 
the 9th and 10th editions and of assuming sole responsibility for completing the subsequent editions.
Dr. Michael Hall has joined in the preparation of the 
14th edition of the Textbook of Medical Physiology. He is 
a physician trained in internal medicine, cardiology, and 
physiology and has brought new insights that have helped 
greatly to achieve the same goal as for previous editions—
to explain, in language easily understood by students, how 
the different cells, tissues, and organs of the human body 
work together to maintain life.
This task has been challenging and fun because 
researchers continue to unravel new mysteries of body 
functions. Advances in molecular and cellular physiology 
have made it possible to explain some physiology principles in the terminology of molecular and physical sciences 
rather than in merely a series of separate and unexplained 
biological phenomena. However, the molecular events 
that underpin the functions of the body’s cells provide 
only a partial explanation of human physiology. The total 
function of the human body requires complex control 
systems that communicate with each other and coordinate the molecular functions of the body’s cells, tissues, 
and organs in health and disease.
The Textbook of Medical Physiology is not a reference 
book that attempts to provide a compendium of the most 
recent advances in physiology. It is a book that continues the tradition of being written for students. It focuses 
on the basic principles of physiology needed to begin a 
career in the health care professions, such as medicine, 
dentistry, and nursing, as well as graduate studies in the 
biological and health sciences.