A Fascinating Organism - Case Study Example

A Fascinating Organism The human body is a fascinating organism. Many complex processes imperative to our survival occur without our knowledge. These regulatory mechanisms stem from cellular mechanics and work their way up to the physiological responses that can be detected. In the case of injury, the body has many different response patterns that go into effect such as maintaining survival and other processes such as pain reduction. Homeostasis is the process by which the body regulates physiological and biological mechanisms in order to keep physiological systems in the body functioning.

This can range from maintaining a basic pH in the blood stream to temperature. The main part of the brain responsible for maintaining homeostasis is the hypothalamus, which sits under the thalamus and above the pituitary gland. This strategic location allows it to communicate with the thalamus, which processes sensory information, in order to mediate the hormonal response of the pituitary gland. The feeling of cold is registered through special receptors located in the skin. When a certain threshold is reached based on temperature, sensory information is routed through a variety of different pathways.

Some of these pathways lead to the spinal cord, which necessitates the fast reflex, whereas some reaches the somatosensory cortex and the thalamus where it is processed. The act of maintaining internal body temperature in the cold causes certain physiological responses. Blood vessels become constricted through movement of tissues surrounding in order to keep the blood concentrated around those organs imperative to survival. In addition, brown fat plays an important part in insulating the body and providing warmth.

The outer extremities of the body such as fingers, toes, genitalia, etc. are the most susceptible to frost bite because they lack sufficient blood flow to these areas that would normally be kept warm through the flow of blood. When making a diagnosis in the case of an osteopathic injury, there are many different types of medical and physical tests that a doctor will run in order to find the location of injury. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. Surgeons use this scan in order to look at the anatomy of the body.

In the case of osteopathic injuries, it will show tears in ligaments, muscles, and any other abnormalities/damage that might have occurred in the area. Aging is simply put as the degradation of biological processes. As humans age, the ability to regenerate and heal becomes harder. This is due to the fact that the longer a person lives, the more wear and tear that occurs on the systems of the body. Therefore, recoveries can be longer and often require the assistance of medication, physical therapy, and other medical applications.

In terms of osteopathic injuries, there is a connection between what is going on in terms of the muscles and the bone structure. In addition, neural activity is dictated by the brain, which coordinates with the other organ systems of the body in order to promote processes such as homeostasis and regeneration. In the cases of some injuries, surgical techniques and medical technologies are required in order to facilitate the healing process.