The Relationship between Homeostasis and Anatomy & Physiology

Anatomy focuses on the structure of the building blocks that make up a living thing, and
it explains how the function of a bodily entity is derived from its structure. Physiology, on the
other hand, is the study of all the different processes that work together to keep an organism alive
and healthy. Homeostasis is defined as an organisms ability to maintain a relatively constant
internal environment in the face of a constantly-changing external environment. This is
accomplished by keeping certain variables such as temperature, chemical content, and volume
at the set point. It is practically impossible to keep all variables at the set point all the time, but
there is a normal range, within which the variables may fluctuate, and not cause any harm to the
organism itself. In this essay, I will demonstrate how three organ systems collaborate and employ
homeostasis to accomplish this task.
The Integumentary System
The integumentary system is made up of the skin, hair, nails, and glands and its purpose
is to protect us from the outside environment. One example of this is when an individual has
been exercising outside in the sun for an extended period of time. This causes the bodys
temperature to rise beyond the set point and normal range. Sudoriferous glands will release sweat
through its ducts, and onto the surface of the skin. Once this hyposmotic fluid evaporates, the
individuals body temperature should return to within the normal range.
The Muscular System
The muscular system is made up of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle; and one of its
main purposes is movement. To follow the aforementioned example with the individual standing
outside in the sun, say the person decided to walk into an air-conditioned building to cool off.
After a while, the individuals body temperature would fall below the normal range. The skeletal

muscle will begin to produce rapid contractions, or shivering, that will increase the body
temperature until it is within the normal range again.
The Respiratory System
The respiratory system is made up of the external nose, the nasal cavity, the pharynx, the
larynx, the trachea, the bronchi, and lungs; and one of its main purposes is to bring oxygen to the
circulatory system. To illustrate how the respiratory system helps to maintain homeostasis in the
body, I will use the example from above one more time. Say, the individual walked out of the
building, and decided to sprint to the next city block; his body would be using anaerobic
respiration. But once this person stopped running, he would be out of breath, due to the oxygen
deficit that he created when he began sprinting. His body would then begin recovery oxygen
consumption in order to recover this lost oxygen.
Conclusion
If one system is diseased, it will negatively affect many if not all of the other pieces;
not unlike a domino puzzle that can be toppled in reverse. A lack of oxygen can cause cyanosis
and an increase in lactic acid in the muscles; if UV light isnt processed into cholecalciferol, it
affects blood calcium levels, and can prevent muscle contraction, even in respiratory muscles in
the diaphragm. This is just a few examples of the myriad ways that organ systems work in
tandem to maintain an organisms homeostasis. The takeaway, here, is that the integumentary,
muscular, and respiratory systems encompass many individual processes; and while each organ
system could be considered a separate entity when compared to all the others, they are in fact
different pieces of a puzzle that must work in harmony with one another in order to keep an
organism alive and healthy.