Extreme Cold Conditions In Homeostasis

Homeostasis is maintaining a stable internal environment. In the ‘Coast to Coast’ Multisport Event , homeostasis is hugely involved in this event as the participants have to make sure they maintain their internal environment in the weather conditions the event has. In this case study I will be talking about firstly the components in homeostasis. Second the extreme cold conditions and how it can be treated and lastly the extreme hot conditions and how it can treated.

A human maintains a stable internal environment because of the hypothalamus located in the center of the brain. It works in conjunction with the body 's master gland the pituitary, together they form the main control function in homeostasis.The hypothalamus is responsible for detecting

In this condition the participant could enter into Hypothermia. Hypothermia is caused by exposure to low temperatures, the body starts losing heat more quickly than it can produce it resulting in the body temperature going down rapidly. The body can not replace the heat as it 's being lost to the environment, the severity depends on how low the body temperature drops.

If the body drops below 35 degrees Celsius it is mild hypothermia, the body starts to shiver and vasoconstriction starts to reduce blood flow extremely. If the body then drops below 31 degrees Celsius it is Moderate hypothermia. The muscles become difficult to coordinate, body moves slowly and the blood vessels in nose , ears , fingers and toes constrict turning them a blue colour. This can be treated by If the body drops below 28 degrees Celsius this is severe hypothermia. You can not talk , mentally unstable , victim can enter a stupor and victims heart and organs eventually fail resulting in

This extreme hot condition can affect the participants internal environment. The participant could enter into hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when the core body temperature rises above 38.5 degrees Celsius , the body cannot thermoregulate properly and the body produces more heat than needed. Hyperthermia is caused by many things dehydration, hot environment , exercise and to some drugs , the heat regulating system can be overwhelmed , if not treated hyperthermia can be fatal. Hyperthermia is treated by rapidly lowering the body and core temperature. Must take extreme care as you should avoid vasoconstriction and shivering as they produce heat and make hyperthermia worse. Mild hyperthermia is treated by drinking water , removing appropriate clothing and resting in a cool place. In series cases you can sponge the body with cool water or by using ice packs and cooking blankets. You could always use a fan directed at them , this can cause sweating which then provides evaporative cooling. Placing them in a cold bath removes a lot of heat in a short amount of time. Treating a heat stroke requires internal cooling , this involves cold fluids, flushing stomach with cool water and a machine where the blood is cooled before returning to