Video Transcript
Removing waste from the human body
is a crucial part of the process of maintaining a constant internal environment. What scientific term is given to
the maintenance of a constant internal environment?
In order to answer this question,
we need to discuss how a constant internal environment can be maintained by the
excretory system. Metabolism is the sum of all
chemical reactions in the body. These reactions are important for
almost every process ranging from the breakdown of food molecules for energy to the
synthesis of biological macromolecules. These chemical reactions can
produce products that aren’t always useful for the human body or are sometimes
toxic. These are known as waste
products.
Here are some examples of some
waste products produced by the body. Carbon dioxide, as you might
recall, is produced as a byproduct of cellular respiration, which produces energy
from the breakdown of glucose. The process of removing waste from
the body is called excretion. And many organs are involved in
this process. Some of these organs include the
lungs, liver, and kidneys. These organs make up the excretory
system, although they also belong to other organ systems as well.
Removing waste products from the
body maintains a constant internal environment called homeostasis. Homeostasis is absolutely necessary
for body cells to function properly. If the excretory system were to
fail, the buildup of waste products and disruption of homeostasis could cause
serious complications and even death. This is why individuals
experiencing kidney failure need to undergo dialysis to constantly remove waste
products and maintain homeostasis.
Getting back to our question, the
scientific term that describes the maintenance of a constant internal environment is
homeostasis.
