Homeostasis GapFill

One of the functions of homeostasis is to maintain enzymes at their optimum pH and temperatures to ensure that the rate of the reactions they catalyse is fast, while avoiding  liquefyingdenaturingdivertingdehydrating them. Mammals are  mutantsectothermssaprobiontsendotherms, and, as such, they have physiological adaptations to maintain a core temperature.

 TriglyceridesPolysaccharidesHormonesPolynucleotides produced in glands and carried in the blood are one of the main control systems of the body. For example, adrenaline binds to liver cells to activate  adenylate hydrogenasecyclokinaseadenosine phosphataseadenylate cyclase which converts ATP to cyclic AMP (cAMP). cAMP is referred to as a  activator substratecascade messengerchannel proteinsecond messenger in this case as it binds to a  monosaccharideglycerol moleculecholesterol moleculeprotein kinase enzyme, changing its shape and activating it. This results in  glycogenolysisgluconeogenesisgluconeogenolysisglyconeogenesis, where glycogen is converted to glucose in times of low blood sugar levels.

Insulin, on the other hand, is produced in cells of the  pancreaslungsmusclesliver called islets of Langerhans, and works to increase glucose uptake. People suffering from  strokesdiabetescancercystic fibrosis struggle to control their blood glucose levels, due to either a lack of this hormone or a lack of responsiveness to it.

Water potential must also be carefully controlled by  thermoregulationmyogenic stimulationactinomyosin bridge formationosmoregulation to prevent cells from shrinking or bursting. The  medullasinoatrial nodenephronhypothalamus is the functional unit of the kidney, which controls the selective reabsorption of water and minerals.  OxideIronSodiumPotassium ions are actively transported out of the proximal convoluted tubule and the loop of Henle in order to create a water potential gradient so that water will follow. The  alpha cellsposterior pituitarycerebellumnephron can also produce more  glucagonFSHADHadrenaline, which increases the volume of water which is retained in the blood. It does this by increasing the number of  aquaporinscollecting channelscarrier proteinshaemochannels which form in the cell-surface membrane of the distal convoluted tubule and the collecting duct, so more water is reabsorbed.