Lesson 15 — Activity 2: What Affects Homoeostasis?
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Lesson 15 — Activity 2: What Affects Homeostasis
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Your body's job is to break up the food you eat and absorb the nutrients. In previous lessons, you learned that this is done through the digestive system. (You also learned that nutrients are carried throughout your body by the circulatory system.)
The digestive and circulatory systems work together to maintain blood sugar levels, water balance, enzyme levels, and waste product levels. But many things can interfere with the balance (homeostasis) of these body systems. You will learn about these things in this activity.
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Some of the things that affect this balance are related to diet and lifestyle choices you make. Below are some examples.
If your diet is high in fats and cholesterol:
- Fats are harder to digest than other nutrients, so high fat diets make the digestive system work harder.
- Fats may clog blood vessels.
- Deposits in the arteries make the heart work harder.
- Cholesterol may crystallize and form gallstones.
If you are obese (someone who is 10 percent over the ideal body weight for their height and bone structure):
- Being overweight causes a strain on your heart, which may lead to heart disease.
- Eating large portions of food may lead to heartburn, which is a burning sensation caused by stomach acids escaping into the esophagus.
If you smoke:
- During smoking, the body secretes a hormone that temporarily increases blood pressure, which makes the heart work harder.
- It decreases the amount of oxygen available to the heart.
- It doubles the risk of heart attacks.
- It is linked to respiratory problems and lung cancer.
If you don't exercise:
- Digested food stays in the large intestine a long time, resulting in poor absorption of nutrients.
- Inactivity increases your risk of heart disease.
- Lack of exercise puts you at risk of becoming overweight.
- There is also increased risk of joint disorders when you are inactive.
Self-Check
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Try the questions below on your own first and then click on the tab to check your answers!
1. Name two things that the digestive system and the circulatory system do together.
2. Name two things that affect the balance of these body systems that are related to diet and lifestyle choices.
3. Being overweight causes a __________ on your heart, which may lead to __________ __________.
4. Smoking __________ the amount of oxygen available to the heart and __________ the risk of heart attack.