NAME:MARGIE APOSTOL FERNANDO

COURSE:MAED TEACHING SCIENCE

DATE: AUGUST 27, 2020
TOPIC: THERMOREGULATION AND OSMOREGULATION

Thermoregulation is the control of our internal body temperature.

Our body has to maintain homeostasis which means body temperature
should be kept at constant because when it goes higher or lower, the enzymes
and other cells in our body might not be able to function very well. The normal
body temperature is at 37 degree Celsius.
A part of our brain is called a thermoregulatory center (somewhere in our
hypothalamus) where the control of heat in our body is being managed through
the signals sent by the receptors found all over our skin and blood vessels.
Our body has the warm up and cool down mechanism. To warm up, we
conserve heat and generate more. The vasoconstriction of blood vessels and
contracting erector muscles traps layer of heat in our skin. Also when we shiver,
we also produce heat as cells undergo cellular respiration which releases heat as
wastes energy. To cool down, the blood vessels vasodilate and the erector
muscles relax thereby releasing heat into the environment. Also, sweat releases
heat into the environment.
How heat is produced in our body is due to the metabolic activities
happening inside our body also. These metabolic activities release heat as by-
product into the internal environment.
There are four physical processes to exchange heat with the environment.
These are conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. Conduction is the
direct transfer of thermal motion into the surrounding environment. Convection
is the movement of air over the surface of the body. Radiation is the lost of heat
in the form of infrared heat rays. Evaporation is the heat lost through sweating.
Diseases related to thermoregulation are also crucial such as the
hypothermia, heat stroke, hyperthermia and others. The heat stroke is a common
medical condition and maybe caused by excessive heat in the environment.
However, this can be prevented through constant hydration. Thus, it is necessary
for us to be hydrated all the time and not expose ourselves to too much heat.
Meanwhile, osmoregulation is the process where cells maintain fluid and
electrolyte balance with the surroundings. Electrolytes are minerals that are
needed in our body and carries electrical charges. Thus, doctors typically
recommend drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day. This amount is
necessary for the proper balance of electrolytes in the human body. A cell
immersed in plain water tends to swell as water diffuses in from the hypotonic
solution. In contrast, a cell shrivels when placed in a solution of high salt
concentration, thus it is called hypertonic. Isotonic cells have an equal
concentration of solutes inside and outside the cell; this equalizes the osmotic
pressure on either side of the semi-permeable membrane.
Moreover, if our body do not have enough electrolytes we tend to have
muscle problems, frequent thirstiness, salt craving, bowel movement problems,
swelling and breathing problems. Thus, our water intake is very crucial to our
body’s health.