Human Physiology: Functions, Survival Needs, and Homeostasis

Organization

The structured arrangement of the body, from cells to systems.

Movement

The ability to move body parts externally and internally

Responsiveness

The capacity to detect and react to changes in the environment, both internal and external.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body to maintain life, including breaking down nutrients for energy and building complex molecules.

Development

The process of growth and differentiation from conception to maturity.

Reproduction

The biological process by which new individual organisms are produced.

Growth

An increase in size due to an increase in the number or size of cells.

Excretion

The process of eliminating waste products from the body.

Nutrients

Essential substances obtained from food that provide energy and building blocks for the body.

Oxygen

needed for all chemical reactions inside the body (ATP

water

needed for chemical reaction, temperature regulation, and transport

Temperature

critical for enzyme /protein function and overall physiological processes.

Atmospheric pressure

keeps gas inside the body

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal conditions despite external change

Stimulus

A detectable change in the internal or external environment that prompts a response.

Receptor

A sensor that detects the stimulus and sends information to a control center.

Control center

The component that receives information from the receptor, processes it, and determines the appropriate response.

Effector

The component that carries out the response dictated by the control center, acting to reverse or counteract the original stimulus.

Set point

The ideal or normal value for a particular physiological variable (e.g., normal body temperature is 37°C).