Health Facts

 Concept of Homeostasis Homeostasis regulates an organism's internal environment and maintains a stable, constant condition of properties like temperature and pH. Homeostasis can be influenced by either internal or external conditions and is maintained by many different mechanisms. All homeostatic control mechanisms have at least three interdependent components for the variable being regulated:  1. A sensor or receptor detects changes in the internal or external environment. An example is peripheral chemoreceptors, which detect changes in blood pH. 2. The integrating center or control center receives information from the sensors and initiates the response to maintain homeostasis. The most important example is the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that controls everything from body temperature to heart rate, blood pressure, satiety (fullness), and circadian rhythms (sleep and wake cycles). 3. An effector is any organ or tissue that receives information from the integrating ce...

 Human physiology is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical processes that support the body's function. The study of physiology occurs at many levels, including organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and biomolecules. Physiology investigates the processes and mechanisms that allow a living thing to survive, grow, and develop. Homeostasis is the maintenance of the overall stability of physiological processes of the body. It is monitored by the brain and nervous system and regulated by the physiology and activity of individual organs. While anatomy deals with the structure of the parts of an organism, physiology studies the way that the parts function together. Terminologies  physiology : A branch of biology that deals with the functions and activities of living matter and the physical and chemical processes and mechanisms involved. Living Systems : Open, self-organizing living things that interact with their environments. These systems are maintained by flows ...

 Human anatomy is the study of the structure of the human body. Gross anatomy is subdivided into surface anatomy (the external body), regional anatomy (specific regions of the body), and systemic anatomy (specific organ systems). Microscopic anatomy is subdivided into cytology (the study of cells) and histology (the study of tissues). Anatomy is closely related to physiology (study of function), biochemistry (chemical processes of living things), comparative anatomy (similarities and differences between species), and embryology (development of embryos). Knowledge of anatomy is needed to understand human biology and medicine. Key Terms surface Anatomy The study of anatomical landmarks that can be identified by observing the surface of the body. Sometimes called superficial anatomy. anatomy The study of the body structure of animals. dissection The process of disassembling an organism to determine its internal structure and understand the functions and relationships of its components...