Physiology is one of the oldest disciplines of the basic biomedical sciences. The goal of physiological research is to understand the integrative function of living organisms from the level of molecules through to the whole organism. While research often involves the use of animals, there's a whole new body of research that also involves molecular biology, biochemistry, cell and organ culture, biophysical techniques, pharmacology, and physiological genomics. Through the use of this range of techniques, physiologists seek to understand the integration of mechanisms to achieve homeostasis from the molecular level to the whole organism, be it human or animal.