The maintenance of homeostasis is of major importance to all organ systems in th
ID: 78334 • Letter: T
Question
The maintenance of homeostasis is of major importance to all organ systems in the body and the overall survival of the individual. Explain how homeostasis is the maintenance of a dynamic range of environmental qualities rather than holding the internal environment at a set point. What would be wrong with a set point (say for body temperature) rather than a working range of temperatures?
The endocrine system is closely tied to homeostasis functioning. Give two examples of hormones (including their glands of origin and action) that play major roles in homeostatic processes in the body. What happens if these hormones are disrupted in their actions?
Also, look at how we adapt to survival in the outside world. Discuss how maintaining homeostasis gives us greater freedom of activity from dependence upon changes in the external environment. What happens during extremes that force our bodies out of homeostatic bounds? Give specific examples.
Why is the maintenance of homeostasis especially important during development of new humans within the bodies of their mothers? What can go wrong if specific homeostatic functions are disrupted?
Explanation / Answer
Homostasis refers to maintainance of stable internal environmental conditions in response to the changes in external or internal environment of the body of an organism. By this process our body maintains normal internal physiological conditions to compensate the changes that occur in body internal or external environment. For example when their is cold outside, our body maintains a proper temperature by producing extra heat by burning more of the carbohydrates and by shivering effect which causes contraction of muscles to liberate extra amount of heat. In the same way when level of calcium rises above normal in our blood, our body responds to this change by stimulating an endocrine gland thyroid. This gland secretes hormone calcitonin, which lowers blood calcium level by decreasing release of calcium from bones. If however level of calcium falls in blood, body responds by stimulating gland parathyroid. These glands release hormone called parathormone which raise calcium level in blood by drawing more calcium from bones and by increasing calcium absorption in the digestive tract.
Setpoint in our hypothamus functions as thermoregulator and maintains a proper temepature of our body. During infections, endogenous pyrogens are released by immune cells. These endogenous pyrogens enter the bloodstream and reaches hypothamus where they raise the setpoint of thermostat above the normal set point. Rise in the setpoint of thermostat provides command to the body to raise its temepature according to the setpoint. Therefore body temepature rises which results in fever.
Two important hormones that maintain homeostasis in our body are;
1. Calcitonin: This hormone is produced by C cells in thyroid. This hormone maintains normal blood calcium level by dexreasing release of calcium from bones. This hormone secreted in response to rise in blood calcium level. Deficiency of this hormone causes osteoporosis.
2.Insulin: This hormone is produced by beta cells of Islets of Langerhans in pancreas. This hormone is produced in response to rise in blood glucose levels. It maintains normal blood glucose level by causing storage of extra glucose as glycogen in liver. Deficiency of this hormone causes disease diabetes .
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