The body of an organism is formed from the single independent cells that come together to form a complex organism with different functioning systems. The cell forms the basic unit of an organism and perform specific functions in the body, such as the blood cells which constitute the red blood cells for transportation of oxygen in the body and white blood cells which . A group of similar cells form a tissue and all perform a similar function such as the blood tissue, nerve tissue and muscle tissue. Various tissues that perform a specific function form an organ. The blood tissue forms the heart. Different organs that perform the same function and have similar tissues form an organ system, such as the circulatory and digestive systems. This is the most complex form of the body of an organism. All systems in combination form the entire organism (Utah Science, N.d.).
The homeostatic system is organized in such a way that there is a receptor of the stimuli, an integrator and an effector. A stimulus is the slight change in the internal environment that the body can detect. This can either be an increase or a decrease in temperature or blood sugar level which is detected by the receptor. The receptor cells sense any change in the internal environment and send a signal to the integrator, which is usually located in the brain and is known as the hypothalamus. The integrator then relays the signal to the effector, which is either an organ such as the skin, or a muscle. The effector then carries out a corrective mechanism that returns the internal conditions back to normal. The tissues involved in homeostasis include the blood tissue, nervous tissue and muscle tissue.
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Homeostasis is the process by which the body of a living organism controls its internal environment to ensure that the body of the organism functions normally, such as regulation of sugar levels, water and body temperature. The regulation of body temperature is required in the event that there is a fluctuation in the body temperature, or an increase in the body temperature. Normal body temperature is estimated to lie between 98 0 F and 100 0 F (Holland, 2016). In the event that the receptor cells in the nervous system detect an increase in temperature, a signal is sent to the hypothalamus which alerts the effector organs to regulate various functions that contribute to increased body temperature in the body (Mekjavic and Eiken, 2006). The effector organs and muscles then respond with several mechanism. Blood vessels in the skin vasodilate to increase the amount of blood flowing to the skin so that heat may be conducted away from the skin. Another mechanism is sweating, which allows the sweat glands to release sweat onto the skin of an organism. The sweat evaporates from the skin, causing cooling. There is reduced metabolic functions within the body. A combination of these mechanisms results in a reduction in the body temperature. This is the negative feedback.
When the internal body temperature is lower than normal, the receptor cells detect this reduction and send a signal to the hypothalamus which sends a signal in the receptor muscles and organs to effect mechanism that will cause an increase in body temperature. These mechanisms include vasoconstriction of the blood vessels to ensure that there is reduced blood flow to the skin, thus ensuring that the heat is maintained in the inner body. The hair on the skin also raises to trap a layer of air on them so that the air insulates the body from heat loss. Thermogenesis also occurs in the liver and muscles to ensure that there is increased metabolic rate in the body, so as to increase heat production within the body. This helps to prevent further reduction of heat loss in the body.
From the discussion, it is evident that homeostasis in regulation of internal boy temperature is a negative mechanism since it prevents further increase or decrease of temperature by effecting corrective mechanisms.
References
Holland, K. (2016). Thermoregulation. Healthline. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/thermoregulation#overview1
Mekjavil. I. B. and Eiken, O. (2006). Contribution of Thermal and Nonthermal Factors to the Regulation of Body Temperatures in Humans. Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol. 100 (2065-2072). Retrieved from https://doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01118.2005
Utah Science. (N.d.). Levels of Organization. Retrieved from http://utahscience.oremjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/scriber00/7th/cells/scriber/levelorg,htm
