The Influence Of Homeostasis

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Homostasis is an organism's process of maintaining a stable equalibrium of various internal systems, and can be influenced by the body's internal and external environments. In most homeostasic processes, this equalibrium is achieved through the use of negative feedback systems, which ensure that blood glucose concentration is maintained within a very narrow range around an optimal value (known as the 'set point'). This means that whenever a change in the environment is detected, corrective mechanisms are activated which act to reverse the change and so bring the system back to the set point; at which point the corrective mechanism is switched off to prevent any further change. Any homeostatic process that changes the direction of the stimulus …show more content…

Very low concentration of blood glucose (hypoglycemia) can result in seizures, loss of consciousness, and eventually death; and a long-lasting high concentration of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) over a long period of time can result in nerve damage, heart disease, eye damage, and kidney failure. Therefore, the concentration of glucose in the blood must be maintained within a narrow range around the set point. In the human body this is generally 5.0mM of glucose in the blood. The process of keeping blood glucose within this set point is known as 'glucose homeostasis.' Glucose homostasis relies on the balance and interactions of two antagonistic hormones - insulin and glucagon. These are responsible for controlling the concentration of glucose in the …show more content…

These include endocrine cells called the islets of langerhans; and in the islets of langerhans are the alpha and beta cells. The liver is also an essential componant in this homeostatic system because it acts as a storehouse for glucose in the form of glycogen (the storage form of glucose, made up of many connected glucose molecules). Glycogen is also stored in muscles. Glucose can also be converted to fat and stored in the fat cells. During periods of hypoglycemia, the alpha cells sense that blood glucose concentration is too low below the set point of 5.0mM (as a result of heavy exercise or a lack of food) and then increases blood glucose levels by secreting glucagon, which is a hormone that helps raise the concentration of glucose in the blood. Glucagon stimulates the release of glucose from glycogen; it does this by breaking down the glycogen stored in liver and muscle cells and fat stored in fat cells into individual glucose molecules. Glucagon also stimulates the breakdown of amino acids into glucose. In this way glucagon raises blood glucose concentration back to the set point. Beta cells sense when blood glucose concentration rises too high above the set point of 5.0mM (for example after digesting a meal) and then decreases blood glucose levels by secreting insulin,

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