Topic > The importance of homeostasis within the human body

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment within an organism or cell to maintain balance, usually using a system of controls feedback to stabilize health and proper functioning. Homeostasis can control constant levels of water, blood sugar level and temperature which are vital for survival as they can be changed depending on the external environment, whether it is in a cold or hot climate, the body it will adapt internally to keep itself running. The human body is equipped with receptors to detect stimuli, processing centers that receive information, a coordinator that receives and controls the information from the receptor and triggers the response that will correct the change, and an effector that carries out the action that will lead to the change. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayFor example, the body temperature must remain at 37 degrees Celsius as this is the temperature at which enzymes can function optimally. Inside the skin there are temperature receptors that detect changes in the external environment and then this information is transmitted to the hypothalamus as it is the processing center of the brain and also has receptors that can detect changes in blood temperature . Whenever the internal or external temperature changes, the hypothalamus triggers a change in the body's effectors (in this case sweat glands and muscles) to maintain the correct temperature. If it finds that the body is too hot, glands within the skin secrete sweat onto its surface to increase evaporative heat loss. If the body is too cold, the muscles in the skin contract, causing the hair on the arms to stand on end and trapping a layer of warm air close to the skin to prevent heat loss. This happens throughout the body in many different ways in order to maintain stability in the body otherwise the body may not function properly. The glucose level in the bloodstream must be maintained in homeostasis, so when this level changes, the body will react to correct it. When you experience an increase in blood glucose levels, for example by eating foods rich in glucose such as fruits and vegetables, the increase in blood glucose level will be detected by the beta cells present in the pancreas. The pancreas then releases insulin into the bloodstream which helps the liver absorb glucose and break it down into glycogen for storage. Insulin increases the rate of respiration within the body's cells, thereby increasing the absorption of glucose which helps in regulating the blood glucose level. This is a negative feedback loop because the change noted was an increase and this needed to be reduced. When there is a decrease in the blood glucose level, for example, by not eating for a whole day, the alpha cells of the pancreas will detect this change and glucagon will be released. Glucagon will facilitate the breakdown of stored glycogen into glucose in the liver and released into the bloodstream, thus increasing the blood glucose level. This is a positive feedback loop as the change detected was a decrease, so an increase was needed to correct it. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Hyperglycemia is when the glucose level is higher than the normal range (980 mg-100 mg/100 ml), this may be the result of type 1 diabetes in which the body cannot produce insulin, or of..