BIOSCIENCE 2: Report on Homeostasis and Temperature Regulation

This report delves into the intricate processes of homeostasis and temperature regulation within the human body, specifically in the context of BIOSCIENCE 2. It explains how the body maintains a stable internal environment despite external fluctuations, focusing on thermoregulation. The report highlights the significance of maintaining a constant body temperature for optimal enzyme function, crucial for biochemical reactions. It further explores the body's responses to decreased internal temperatures, detailing the role of the hypothalamus in activating thermogenic responses. These include shivering, the production of heat by various organs, vasoconstriction, and hormonal thermogenesis involving the thyroid gland. These mechanisms collectively work to elevate body temperature, ensuring the continuation of essential physiological processes. The report references key scientific literature to support its findings.

Running head: BIOSCIENCE 1
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BIOSCIENCE 2
Homeostasis is the process by which the body maintains as a steady-state in the internal
environment despite the environmental changes in the outside world and this is arrived at by
regulation of conditions of both chemical and physical by the body living systems. The form of
homeostasis performed by the body towards temperature regulation is called thermoregulation.
There is a need to maintain constant body temperature to a point almost equal to the optimum
temperature with reasons being to enhance effective actions of important enzymes in the body.
These enzymes carry out essential biochemical reactions that help in keeping a constant flow of
metabolites produced including biomolecules required for the synthesis of macromolecules.
Many enzymes carry out their reactions at specified optimum temperatures, for example, the
enzymes which are necessary for glucose metabolism during glycolysis require a specific
temperature. When the temperatures are so high above the optimum one, the enzymes become
denatured and hence lose their appropriate functions. If the body temperature goes too much
below the optimum and becomes too cold, the enzymes are inactivated and become ineffective to
perform the intended functions lead to very slow reactions hence interferes with the normal
biochemical processes (Marieb, Hoehn & Katja, 2019).
A decreased external temperature causes a decrease in the body’s internal temperature.
When this occurs, a series of responses are activated leading to inversion of the reduced body
temperature which helps elevate the body temperature hence maintaining a constant temperature.
This is largely done by the hypothalamus through the induction of the thermogenic response via
the posterior hypothalamus. During the cold temperatures when the internal body temperature
goes way down, the posterior hypothalamus is stimulated to activate the thermogenic response
which sends signals to the muscles which encourage the shivering process which helps in
producing heat due to the vigorous muscle activity. It also sends signals to various organs

BIOSCIENCE 3
including the brain which then produces heat in several ways to encounter the reduced
temperatures. It also sends signals to the cutaneous tissues of the skin which then
vasoconstriction thereby reducing blood flow to the skin hence minimizing heat loss by
radiation. Activation of the posterior hypothalamus also generates hormonal thermogenesis
where the thyroid gland is activated to release hormones like the thyroid hormone which
collectively through their actions leads to an increase of body energy creation and the extent of
heat production is also enhanced (Zhao et al., 2017). These processes are geared towards the
increase of body temperature following the reduced internal body temperature through
thermoregulation.

BIOSCIENCE 4
References
Marieb, E., Hoehn & Katja, author. (2019). Human anatomy & physiology (Eleventh edition,
Global ed.).
Zhao, Z., Yang, W. Z., Gao, C., Fu, X., Zhang, W., Zhou, Q., Chen, W., Ni, X., Lin, J., Yang, J.,
Xu, X., & Shen, W. L. (2017). A hypothalamic circuit that controls body
temperature. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(8), 2042-2047.