The first Department of Physiology in the Balkans was founded in 1910 by academician Ivan Đaja within the Physiological Institute (F3) at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade. After World War II, the work of the FZ was renewed within the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (PMF) with the arrival of new staff, among whom was Vojislav M. Petrović. With the definition of the Department of Biological Sciences within the PMF in the 1972/73 academic year, the FZ grew into the Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry with three departments, among which was the Department of Comparative Physiology and Ecophysiology (KUFE), whose first head was Vojislav M. Petrović, then Vukosava Davidović, Gordana Cvijić, Jelena Đorđević and Siniša Đurašević.

In addition to academician Petrović, the first members of KUFE were Leposava Marković-Đaja, Vukosava Davidović and Olga Rajčić, and then Gordana Cvijić, Ratko Radojićić and Slavica Krantić. The department was then expanded by Vedrana Šušulić, Žana Matijašević and Jelena Đorđević, and a little later by Siniša Đurašević, Nataša Petrović and Ivana Đokić. After the abolition of the Higher Pedagogical School, Milan Marković also joined the department. Teachers who went abroad, retired or to other institutions were replaced by Bato Korac, Tamara Vučković, Nebojša Jasnić and Predrag Vujović. KUFE employed researchers Iva Lakić, Tanja Jevđović, Tamara Dakić and Aleksandra Ružičić on its scientific projects. KUFA's technical associates from the beginning were Vanka Petrović and Milena Perišić, who were replaced by Olivera Marin and Ljiljana Stojanović.

The first course developed and implemented by KUFE is Comparative Physiology with the first lecturers Stefan Đeline and V.M. Petrović. Since 2016, KUFE teachers have been teaching the basic academic study subjects Animal Physiology, Endocrinology, Molecular Physiology of Organ Systems and Introduction to Experimental Biology. In master's academic studies, KUFE teachers organize classes in the subjects Experimental Physiology of Animals and Humans, Hematology, Fundamentals of Pathophysiological Processes, Biomedical Ecophysiology and Pharmacodynamics. In doctoral studies, KUFE teachers teach the subjects Molecular Physiology, Laboratory Animal Science, Endocrinology with Fundamentals of Clinical Endocrinology, Neuroendocrine Physiology, Physiological Mechanisms of Stress and Adaptation, Physiology of Thermoregulation, Oxidative Stress and Redox Regulation. KUFE also teaches the subject Physiology in the Biochemistry program for students of the Faculty of Chemistry.

The scientific activities of KUFE today include the study of molecular mechanisms of the body's response to stressors of various nature and duration, with special emphasis on the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. Research in the last ten years has included the study of the impact of starvation on the expression of neuroendocrine regulators of energy homeostasis, with special emphasis on the expression and function of insulin in the hypothalamus. The impact of nutrition on glucose transport in various brain regions has also been studied. In the past four years, through research on an obesity model, cooperation with the German Diaspora has been implemented, during which attention has been focused on the role of reactive oxygen species in the central nervous system. The expression of enzymes involved in the production of reactive oxygen species has also been examined in the heart in a prenatal stress model. In recently established models of sepsis and septic shock, the potential protective effect of drugs not previously indicated for these conditions is being investigated. The results achieved since the establishment of KUFE have been published in over 280 scientific papers in extenso in journals on 521 lists and cited over 500 times.