Biology 91604
3 credits
Purpose and components of the homeostatic control system and definition of homeostasis with relation to human temperature regulation.
Homeostasis is the ‘ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability within its internal environment when dealing with external changes’ - biology online. This means homeostasis, in terms of human body temperature regulation is the body's ability to maintain a constant stable survivable temperature. The normal core body temperature of a healthy adult ranges from 35.6℃ to 37.8℃ with the average (widely accepted) adult core temperature being 37℃. Sometimes external temperatures can change the core temperature of the body. This is where the homeostatic…show more content… The Homeostatic control system controls the organisms reactions to hyperthermic and hypothermic environments through five independent components. These steps are the stimulus, receptor, integrating center, effector and the response.
The importance of the purpose of the homeostatic control system is to maintain the survival and health of an individual. Without homeostatic control system an individual would have no defense to external temperature variations and extreme conditions. This would cause the individual (in the lack of the system) to overheat or cool down which would then lead to hyperthermia or hypothermia which could cause injury, damage or death.
Explanation of the mechanism of the homeostatic control system in relation to human temperature…show more content… Thermoception is the ability of a person or organism to sense changes in temperature through various receptors and sensors in the body. Thermoreceptors are receptors within the body which make up the thermoception of a person or organism. In relation to human thermoception, temperature information is collected from all over the body by various temperature receptors throughout the tissue and skin and then travel up the spinal column along the axons of Lissauer's tract where from there the messages and information about temperature make their way through the brain to the hypothalamus.
Integrating center
The integrating center of the homeostatic control system is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a potion of the brain below the thalamus which controls many functions of the body crucial to life including body temperature control and is responsible for the effector stage of the homeostatic control system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamus Above the diagram depicts the location of the hypothalamus which is approximately the size of an