Incorporating the functions of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems i
ID: 179113 • Letter: I
Question
Incorporating the functions of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems into the following scenario:
You are hiking in the mountains on a warm summer day. As you are walking up a steep incline, your leg muscles are working pretty hard. They need to produce a lot more ATP than usual in order to propel you upward. Your breathing becomes deeper and more rapid as you work to bring in more air. You also notice that you are getting warm and starting to sweat. You have water with you and decide to stop for a water and snack break. Your snack consists of a power bar that contains a nice mix of carbs, proteins, and lipids. Just what your body needs! As you sit and replenish your energy and water, you marvel at the beauty of your surrounds and feel a sense of appreciation that your body is healthy and able to adjust its activities to meet your ongoing needs.
1. Oxygen is needed for ATP production by your muscles. Describe how the lungs are working to increase the inflow of fresh air, so that more oxygen can be delivered to your muscles. Describe a regulatory mechanism that would explain why your breathing became deeper and more rapid while you were hiking.
2. Prior to taking a break, your body was losing water thru sweat. Describe how the kidneys would adjust their activities to reduce the loss of water thru urination, and reduce the potential for dehydration. Describe a regulatory mechanism that would explain how this adjustment would be made.
3. The nutrients in the power bar and the water are taken in thru the digestive tract to help meet your body's energy needs and help to keep you hydrated. Describe where in the digestive tract each of the nutrients is broken down into an absorbable form and where the nutrients and water are absorbed. Describe a hormonal regulatory mechanism that would help to make the digestion of these nutrients possible.
Make sure to include detail about the anatomical structures involved to provide a thorough picture of the processes taking place and complete pathways for the regulatory mechanisms (i.e. the trigger for the pathway, the control center, the efferent pathway, and the effector/effector response).
Explanation / Answer
1)
Hyperventilation is the deep and rapid breathing that can occur when the person is experiencing more anxiety and fear. The oxygen concentration above sea level is nearly 21percent. As the altitude increases, the concentration remains although the number of oxygen molecules used per one breath is lowered. At the altitude of 12000 feet, nearly 40 percent of oxygen molecules are seen reduced per breath. To compensate the change, the body will tend to breathe more and increases the breathing rate. Hyperventilation enhances oxygen levels in the blood although the concentration of oxygen at the sea level remains the same. The oxygen necessary for the activities in the body is also usual, the body starts to adjust itself to less amount of oxygen conditions.
It is not understood properly that at high altitudes, fluid leaks from the capillaries allowing the buildup of fluid in the brain and the lungs. Body acclimatizes to the altitude and reduction in oxygen molecules. But, it takes some time to do that. The changes that occur in the body to acclimatize involve increase in deep respiration, increase of pressure in the pulmonary arteries, oxygen release form hemoglobin to the tissues, and production of more RBCs to carry oxygen.
2)
In high altitudes, kidneys are found to be playing an important role in the regulation of body fluids and in the electrolyte and acid-base balance. At high altitudes, the circulating concentrations of antidiuretic hormone, aldosterone and renin reduce and increase in fluid losses occur. As the altitude increases, extravascular fluid accumulation occurs resulting in high-altitude illness.
3)
Nausea and vomiting commonly occur in high altitudes. Anorexia occurs normally due to effect of hormones like leptin and cholecystokinin and hypoxia. Diarrhea, peptic ulcers and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage are usually seen at high altitudes. To maintain lean muscle mass, eating to equal exertion levels is essential. The body weight has to be maintained by eating and the loss has to be minimized. Experts say that 4000 calories per individual per day having the ratio of 65% carbohydrates to 25% fats to 15% of protein is necessary for hiking as the energy expenditure can go as high as 6000 calories/day. But, due to the altitude illness, the intake would decrease by 10 to 50% as the person goes to high altitudes. Most of the people at high altitude choose to eat gummy bears, lemon drops, licorice, gu, and carb drinks.