Homeostatic Control: How does the human body keep itself in balance?
• List some of the main physiological variables under homeostatic control
• Employ appropriate vocabulary to discuss the processes and concepts of homeostasis
• Explain the steps in a homeostatic pathway from stimulus to response
• Compare different types of feedback loops
• Identify signs of homeostatic disruption and determine the underlying mechanism
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Homeostatic Control: Maintaining Balance in the Human Body
Introduction: Homeostasis is a crucial process by which the human body maintains a stable internal environment despite external changes. This essay will explore how the body achieves homeostatic control, including the physiological variables under regulation, the vocabulary associated with homeostasis, the steps in a homeostatic pathway, different types of feedback loops, and signs of homeostatic disruption.
I. Physiological Variables under Homeostatic Control:
Body temperature
Blood glucose levels
pH balance
Blood pressure
Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
Fluid balance and osmolarity
Electrolyte concentrations
II. Vocabulary and Concepts of Homeostasis:
Set point: The desired or target value for a physiological variable.
Receptors: Specialized cells or structures that detect changes in the variable and send signals to control centers.
Control centers: Areas in the body, often in the brain or endocrine glands, that receive and process information from receptors and initiate appropriate responses.
Effectors: Organs, tissues, or cells that carry out the response to restore balance.
Negative feedback: A mechanism that counteracts changes and brings a variable back to its set point.
Positive feedback: A mechanism that amplifies changes and moves a variable further away from its set point.
III. Steps in a Homeostatic Pathway:
Stimulus: A change in the internal or external environment that disrupts the balance of a physiological variable.
Receptor detection: Receptors detect the stimulus and send signals to control centers.
Control center processing: The control center evaluates the information received from receptors and determines an appropriate response.
Effector response: The control center sends signals to effectors, which produce a response to counteract or amplify the initial stimulus.
Return to homeostasis: The effector’s response brings the variable back to its set point, restoring balance.
IV. Types of Feedback Loops:
Negative feedback loop:
Most common type of homeostatic control mechanism.
The effector response opposes the initial stimulus, bringing the variable back to its set point.
Examples include regulation of body temperature, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure.
Positive feedback loop:
Less common in homeostasis but plays a role in specific physiological processes.
The effector response amplifies the initial stimulus, moving the variable further away from its set point.
Examples include blood clotting and childbirth.
V. Signs of Homeostatic Disruption and Underlying Mechanisms:
Elevated body temperature (fever): Caused by an immune response to infection or inflammation disrupting the normal temperature set point.
Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia: Imbalance in blood glucose levels due to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance.
Acidosis or alkalosis: Imbalance in pH levels caused by respiratory or metabolic disturbances affecting acid-base balance.
Hypertension or hypotension: Abnormal blood pressure levels resulting from dysregulation in cardiovascular function.
Conclusion: Homeostatic control is vital for maintaining a stable internal environment in the human body. By regulating various physiological variables through negative and positive feedback loops, the body ensures balance and optimal functioning. Understanding the vocabulary, steps in homeostatic pathways, different feedback loop types, and signs of disruption allows us to appreciate the complexity of this intricate process. Continual monitoring of homeostasis and prompt recognition of signs of disruption are crucial for early intervention and maintaining overall health and well-being.
