Physiology 1021 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Extracellular Fluid, Fluid Compartments, Hyponatremia
Document Summary
Physiology: study of the normal functioning of a living organism and its component parts. Cells (cell in the stomach lining) -- tissues (layers of tissue in the stomach wall) -- Organ (stomach) -- organ system (digestive system) -- organism (human) Mechanistic approach: views body as a machine, actions explained by physical/chemical processes. Problem faced by all cells is how to surround themselves with barriers that allow desired substances to pass in and out while maintaining own internal environments. Cells in a multicellular organism play a critical role in the homeostasis of the organism as a whole. External environment: continuous with outside world (important to maintain homeostasis: respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive. Homeostasis: ability of the body to maintain a relatively constant internal environment, dynamic, self-regulatory process involving all organs, tissues and cells of the body. Body has control systems (local control) that keep monitoring certain markers, specialized cells detect and respond when changes occur (localized/restricted response)