The Institute of Physiology was officially founded on January 1, 1954. It was created from a part of the Biological Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and consisted of three laboratories. Two outstanding personalities were decisive for the formation and further development of the Institute of Physiology: Prof. Zdenek Servit and Prof. Arnost Gutmann. Their teams were joined by a group interested in ontogenetic development headed by Prof. Jiri Krecek, and somewhat later by the fourth group led by Prof. Otakar Poupa who studied adaptation of the organism to its environment. These scientists founded the four basic departments of the Institute with Prof. Servit being the first director (1954-1969). He was dismissed in 1969 and for a short time replaced by Prof. Krecek (1970). Dr. Ladislav Vyklicky was nominated to the directorship and served for ten years (1970-1980). In 1980 Dr. Zdenek Drahota became director and the structure of the Institute was radically altered. Instead of the four departments two sectors (Neuroscience and Developmental Physiology) were formed, a little later supplemented by the third sector (Molecular and Cell Physiology). After the political changes in November 1989 the first election of a director took place in May 1990; all scientists working in the Institute elected a new Scientific Council of the Institute and this Council elected the director. Prof. Bohuslav Ostadal became the director and at the end of the four-year term he was reelected. He served till 1995 when he resigned because of health problems. Under his directorship the structure of the Institute was changed into its present shape. The Sectors were canceled and the Laboratories (Departments) became directly subordinated to the director.