What Is the Meaning of Physical Needs?

Physical needs, also known as physiological needs, are essential for life, as humans and animals cannot live without them. According to the psychologist Abraham Maslow, humans have a hierarchy of needs that they move through as they progress into adulthood. Along with the physical needs that form the base of the pyramid, people also have safety needs, a need to belong or fit, the need for self-esteem or self-worth and a perceived need for self-actualization.