Kinds of Homeostasis, Maintaining Fluid Balance, and the Renin-Angiotensin Mechanism

Anatomy and Physiology
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Anatomy and Physiology
Maintaining the normal volume and composition of extracellular and intracellular fluids is vital to life. List and briefly describe the kinds of homeostasis involved.
Several types of homeostasis are important for maintaining the normal volume and composition of extracellular and intracellular fluids:
* Fluid balance: This refers to the maintenance of the proper balance of fluids in the body. Pörtner (2011) states that it includes regulating the amount of water and electrolytes in the body and the balance of fluids between the intracellular and extracellular spaces.
* Acid-base balance: The body needs to maintain a proper pH balance in the blood and other fluids. Besides, this is important for the appropriate functioning of enzymes and other proteins.
* Temperature regulation: To function properly, the body must maintain a normal temperature. Besides, this is achieved through mechanisms such as sweating, shivering, and vasoconstriction (Osilla & Sharma, 2019).
* Oxygen and carbon dioxide regulation: The body must keep the correct levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood because they help support cellular respiration and other metabolic processes.
* Nutrient balance: The body needs to maintain proper levels of various nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids, to support cellular function.
* Hormone regulation: Hormones play a key role in maintaining homeostasis in the body by regulating various physiological processes.
Why does maintaining fluid balance in older people require a higher water intake than in a normal, healthy adult under age 40?
Maintaining proper fluid balance is important for the health and well-being of all individuals. Besides, it may be especially important for older people to pay attention to their hydration status because older people may require a higher water intake than normal, healthy adults under age 40 due to several factors (El-Sharkawy et al., 2014). First, older people may become less sensitive to thirst, so they may not feel as thirsty even when dehydrated. Notably, this can lead to inadequate water intake. Second, older people may have decreased kidney function, which can impair their ability to regulate fluid balance in the body and increase the risk of dehydration. Some medications, such as diuretics and laxatives, can also increase the risk of dehydration in older people (El-Sharkawy et al., 2014). Finally, changes in body composition, such as a loss of muscle mass and an increase in fat, can alter an older person’s body’s water content and make it more difficult to maintain proper fluid balance. Therefore, older people need to pay attention to their hydration status and ensure they get enough fluids to maintain a good fluid balance.
Why does potassium concentration rise in patients with acidosis? What is this called? What effects does it have?
In patients with acidosis, potassium in the blood may rise. Besides this, when the body is in an acidotic state, the kidneys excrete more hydrogen ions to restore the blood’s normal pH balance. As a result of this hydrogen ion excretion, the kidneys also tend to retain m...