Human Biology

Human biology explores the structure, function, and adaptation of the human body across the full complexity of its systems and across the human lifespan. It draws on anatomy, physiology, genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to build an integrated understanding of how the body works in health, how it responds to environmental challenges and disease, and how biological and lifestyle factors interact to shape health outcomes. Physiology sits at the heart of the discipline, asking how mechanisms at the cellular and molecular level give rise to the integrated behaviour of whole organs and systems under varying conditions.

At Glasgow this four-year full-time programme offers a broad and rigorous curriculum that brings together human biology and physiology as genuinely interconnected fields. You will develop your understanding of the body at every level, from ionic and molecular processes in individual cells through to the integrated function of organ systems and the influence of the external environment on physiological regulation. Hands-on laboratory experience is woven throughout the degree, giving you the practical skills to design and conduct experiments and to use contemporary research methods alongside the theoretical knowledge that informs them.

A year abroad is embedded in the programme, giving you the opportunity to study human biology in an international research environment.

The programme is designed both as an excellent preparation for healthcare and biomedical careers and as a genuinely intellectually rewarding scientific education for students who want to understand the biology of the human body in depth.

Graduates move into careers in biomedical research, healthcare science, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, public health, science communication, and health policy. Many go on to postgraduate study in physiology, biomedical science, or clinical science, and others use the degree as a foundation for graduate-entry medicine, dentistry, or other health professions.