biology

Pyotr Anokhin

Pyotr Anokhin is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pyotr Anokhin rather than just read about it. In short: Pyotr Kuzmich Anokhin (Russian: Пётр Кузьми́ч Ано́хин; January 26, 1898 – March 5, 1974) was a Soviet and Russian biologist and physiologist, known for his theory of functional systems and the concept of systemogenesis. He made important contributions to cybernetics and psychophysiology.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Pyotr Kuzmich Anokhin (Russian: Пётр Кузьми́ч Ано́хин; January 26, 1898 – March 5, 1974) was a Soviet and Russian biologist and physiologist, known for his theory of functional systems and the concept of systemogenesis. He made important contributions to cybernetics and psychophysiology. His pioneering concept on feedback was published in 1935.

Overview Anokhin was born in Tsaritsyn, Russian Empire in 1898. He studied neurophysiology and received a doctorate of medicine. He was an academician of Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR and the Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He was one of the founders of the Institute of Psychology of the USSR and the laboratory of neuro-physiology of training. In the 1920s he started his academic career under the guidance of Ivan Pavlov, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine in 1904. He developed the concept of feedback, published in 1935. Furthermore, he "elaborated the theory of functional systems (FS) which tied together subtle neuro-physiological mechanisms and integral activity of an individual. FS theory was considered as the “methodological bridge” between psychology and physiology". In the autumn of 1950, at a famous scientific session devoted to the problems of Pavlov's physiological teachings, new scientific trends were criticized and the theory of functional systems provoked serious rejection. Anokhin was suspended from work at the Institute of Physiology and sent to Ryazan. Currently, his work is highly regarded in Russian and international psychophysiology. One of Moscow prospects and a Research Institute in Moscow was named after Anokhin. Several laboratories carry the names associated with his theory (such as the laboratory of functional systems in the Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences. He died in Moscow.

Publications The main works of Anokhin, P.K.:

1935, The problem of the center and periphery in the physiology of nervous activity, Gorky, 9-70. 1937, The functional system as the basis for the integration of nervous process during embryogenesis. All- Union Conference of Physiologists, Biochemists and Pharmacologists, Tbilisi (p. 148-156) 1940, The problem of localization from the point of view of systematic notions concerning nervous functions. J.Neoropath.exp.Neorol.,9, 31-44. 1945, Dreams and Science (Сновидения и наука), Moscow, Moscow Bolshevik, 40 p., (in Russian) 1949, The reflex and functional system as factor of physiological integration. Fiziol.Zh.(Moscow), 35, 491-503. 1958, International Inhibition as a Problem of Physiology, Moscow, Medgiz. 1961, A new conception of the physiological architecture by conditioned reflex. Brain Mechanisms and Learning, Oxford, Blackwell (pp. 189–229) 1963a, A methodological analysis of key problems in the conditioned reflex, Philosophical Problems of the Physiology of Higher Nervous Activity and of Psychology, Moscow, Academy of Sciences of USSR (p. 156-214) 1963b, Systemogenesis as a general regulator of brain development, Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 9, The Developing Brain, Amsterdam, Elsevier (pp. 54–86). 1968, The biology and neuro-physiology of conditioned reflex 1973, Biology and neurophysiology of the conditioned reflex and its role in adaptive behavior, Elsevier, 592 p. 1974, Biology and Neurophysiology of the Conditioned Reflex and Its Role in Adaptive Behavior. Oxford: Pergamon,1974 1975, The essays on physiology of functional systems 1977, P.K. Anokhin, Kira V. Shuleikina, System organization of alimentary behavior in the newborn and the developing cat, Developmental Psychology, 10(5)385-419(1977) 1978, Philosophical aspects of the theory of functional systems. 1998, Cybernetics of functional systems: Selected works (Кибернетика функциональных систем), Moscow, Medicine, 400 p., (in Russian)

See also Biological cybernetics Systems biology Victor Glushkov Nikolai Bernstein Norbert Wiener List of neuroscientists

References

External links Who is who in Russian psychology Pyotr Anokhin Scholarly articles for Biology and Neurophysiology of the Conditioned Reflex and Its Role

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pyotr Anokhin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pyotr Anokhin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pyotr Anokhin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pyotr Anokhin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pyotr Anokhin

In research: Pyotr Anokhin appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pyotr Anokhin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pyotr Anokhin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1898 births, 1974 deaths, 20th-century Russian biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pyotr Anokhin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pyotr Anokhin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pyotr Anokhin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Pyotr Anokhin in simple terms?

Why does Pyotr Anokhin matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pyotr Anokhin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pyotr Anokhin.