Pathophysiology combines pathology (study of diseases) and physiology (study of how the body systems and organs function). And according to Walden University, it is the study on how diseases affect the body systems and what consequence will it present on its general and complex functions.

A disease (or an abnormal organ) is studied to determine its deranged functions.An example is the the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (or “heart attack”)