The Human Body: A Balancing Act
This is the basic unit of life, the lowest level in the hierarchy of organization.
What is a cell?
This tissue type is composed of long fibers and is responsible for movement, including the involuntary beating of the heart.
What is muscular tissue?
The skin, hair, and nails make up this organ system, which serves as the body's first line of defense.
What is the Integumentary System?
Groups of similar cells working together, like muscle tissue or nervous tissue, are called this.
What are tissues?
In addition to forming a physical barrier, the skin prevents water loss, thereby protecting against this specific condition.
What is dehydration?
The body's ability to maintain a stable, constant internal environment is known as this "just right" state.
What is homeostasis?
Found in the brain and spinal cord, this tissue sends electrical signals and coordinates the body's responses.
What is nervous tissue?
This is the body's largest organ, composed of water, protein, minerals, and fats.
What is the skin?
A structure made of two or more tissue types working together for a specific job is defined as this.
What is an organ?
This is the specific homeostatic process by which the skin and blood vessels regulate body temperature.
What is thermoregulation (or temperature regulation)?
The digestive system, along with the urinary system, is an example of this level of organization.
What is an organ system?
Bone, blood, and fat (adipose) are all examples of this tissue, which provides support, structure, and transport.
What is connective tissue?
This outer layer of the skin is the protective barrier that guards against germs and provides skin color.
What is the epidermis?
In a cold environment, the blood vessels constrict (narrow) and the body shivers to conserve and generate heat through this type of feedback.
What is negative feedback?
When the body is too hot, blood vessels near the skin perform this action to release heat through the skin.
What is dilate (or widen)?
This type of feedback loop, exemplified by blood clotting, amplifies a change and moves the body away from the set point.
What is positive feedback?
This tissue type forms sheets of tightly packed cells, acting as a protective barrier on the skin and lining organs.
What is epithelial tissue?
The dermis is the layer where functions like hair growth, sensory reception, and the production of oil and this substance occur.
What is sweat?
A failure of homeostasis, such as the body's inability to regulate blood glucose, is the definition of this state.
What is imbalance (or disease)?
The integumentary system is the first line of defense against these two external threats.
What are pathogens and injury?
When your blood sugar rises after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin in this vital feedback loop to bring levels back down.
What is a negative feedback loop?
The stomach is an organ that uses epithelial tissue to secrete acid and this type of tissue to churn food.
What is muscle tissue?
This innermost layer, also called the subcutaneous layer, is composed of fat for insulation, cushioning, and managing body temperature.
What is the hypodermis?
When running a race, the muscular system needs oxygen, which the circulatory system pumps to the muscles, and this system coordinates it all.
What is the nervous system?
The skin contains sensory receptors that allow us to sense not just touch, but also these two other stimuli.
What are pain and temperature?