The four Starling Forces determine the balance of hydrostatic and oncotic pressures governing fluid exchange across capillary walls. While this principle is fundamental to understanding physiology and pathophysiology, no comprehensive comparative reference exists across organ systems. This gap limits learners’ ability to appreciate how different and important these forces in maintaining the normal functions in these major organs and clinical outcomes if abnormal. This project aims to fill this gap by creating a consolidated, educational resource that compares these forces in six major organs (skeletal muscle, myocardium, lungs, liver sinusoids, kidney glomeruli, and the blood–brain barrier), highlights key differences, and enhance comprehension for physiology education. A comprehensive comparison of the Starling Forces across organs is feasible by searching the organ-specific data from medical physiology textbooks and literature. ChatGPT-4o was consulted to gather the values of the four Starling Forces of the six organs. This data was carefully verified and refined by a structured literature review of physiology textbooks and PubMed-indexed publications. When ranges were reported, average values were calculated. Clinical correlations were synthesized from consensus findings in the literature. Finalized data were organized in a table that compares the Starling Forces across organs numerically; and a figure was created to visualize and compare these forces intuitively by a medical illustrator based on the table. The dual comparison of these forces is a deliberate pedagogical approach to reinforce learning. The final table presents the distinct hydrostatic and oncotic forces across the six organs, paired with physiological and clinical implications. For example, the glomerulus demonstrates a high plasma hydrostatic pressure (PC) that drives filtration all the way into Bowman’s capsule; myocardial tissue exhibits large oscillations in interstitial hydrostatic pressure (Pi) between systole (~120 mmHg) and diastole (~15 mmHg), which protect against edema; and the lung parenchyma maintains a low PC and negative Pi to prevent pulmonary edema. In the liver sinusoids, the low pressures and discontinuous epithelium promote solute transport and are sensitive to rises in PC during portal hypertension or heart failure, contributing to ascites. The blood–brain barrier maintains a low filtration coefficient, with tight junctions and astrocytic feet restricting filtration and protecting against cerebral edema. Graphical representations of these findings allow for immediate visual comparison, illustrating how organ-specific adaptations of Starling Forces drive fluid dynamics. This integrative framework highlights both normal physiology and mechanisms underlying several common fluid-balance disorders. This project addresses a gap in physiology education: by understanding how Starling Forces differ among organs it deepens insight into both organ function and disease mechanisms, supporting more effective teaching of microcirculation and fluid balance. The table and figure representations are not redundant, but mutually supplemental and reinforcing. The outcome can serve as an integrated framework advancing physiology education. No financial support or conflicts of interest are declared. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.
Pistotti et al. (2026) studied this question.