Homeostatic mechanism - Essay Example

Homeostatic mechanism Homeostatic mechanism permits the body to maintain its internal and external mechanism even during extreme weathers. Achieving a body balance in the midst of extreme temperature like in winter seasons triggers the feedback mechanism to work. For instance, as the person feels cold, the drop in his temperature may act as a stimulus to cause the sensors skin and blood vessels to identify a threat to the temperature. The presence of veins and arteries in these places make it easy for them to do so.

These receptors may then relay such signal to hypothalamus in the brain which serves as the integrator via the nerve fibers. If the hypothalamus may sense that the temperature is below the set point of is 37 degrees centigrade, it may in turn send message to the effectors acted by the skeletal muscle tissues to shiver as a response to produce heat. In the event that the temperature is back to set point as a result of feedback, the hypothalamus will stop stimulating the skeletal muscle to shiver (Thibodeau & Patton, 2003).

Homeostatic mechanism does not apply in the regulation of body temperature alone but it also applies in regulating osmolarity or solute concentration of blood. The regulation process is through the kidneys known to regulate water and electrolytes in the blood. Eating a meal high in salt triggers a hypertonic condition which serves as stimulus to cause the osmoreceptors of the hypothalamus to shrink. This may in turn initiate thirst. As a result, the hypothalamus and neurosecretory cells in the posterior pituitary gland release anti diuretic hormone ADH).

When this ADH reaches the cells, it activates a signal for the cells to be permeable to water. The water moves out of the capilliaries and goes back to the blood. As soon as the hypertonic status is corrected, the receptor cells stops to send thirst message and the anti diuretic hormone is reduced which signals the kidneys to start excreting water until osmolarity is back to normal again.Sources CitedThibodeau, G., & Patton, K., ( 2003). Anatomy and Physiology. Mosby. Singapore.