Maintaining Water Balance-Osmoregualtion
Osmoregulation is the process of actively regulating the osmotic pressure of bodily fluids and cells. The body has to maintain a constant internal environment, which means it must regulate the loss and gain of fluid. Hormones help to regulate this balance by causing the excretion or retention of fluid. If the body does not have enough fluid, antidiuretic hormone signals the kidneys to retain fluid and decrease urine output. If the body has too much fluid, it suppresses aldosterone and signals the excretion of more urine (9).
Our body controls the water level by maintaining the body fluids at a constant osmolarity therefore, involves regulating the volume of water contained within the body. |
Maintaining Internal Temperature-Theromoregulation
Thermoregulation is the regulation of internal temperature by negative feedback mechanism
One of the most common examples of homeostasis in humans is the regulation of body temperature. Normal body temperature is 37 degrees C or 98.6 degrees F. Temperatures way above or below these normal levels cause serious complications for example temperatures below slows down metabolism which affects the brain and temperatures above, denatures enzymes and blocks metabolic pathways. Muscle failure occurs at a temperature of 28 degrees C or 82.4 degrees F. At 33 degrees C or 91.4 degrees F, loss of consciousness occurs. At a temperature of 42 degrees C or 107.6 degrees F, the central nervous system starts to break down. Death occurs at a temperature of 44 degrees C or 111.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The body controls temperature by producing heat or releasing excess heat (9). Regulating the body temperature is vital in order to provide optimum conditions for enzyme-catalysed reaction to be carried out. |