We will continue our study of the structure and function of the human body. To begin with, we will review the concept of homeostasis.
Homeostasis is the maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment.
Disease can be described as a loss of homeostasis in one or more systems of the body. In order to understand how the body works as a whole, we have to examine the functioning of body systems at several levels. We will apply what we learned about chemistry, cells, and tissues to our study of several organ systems. For each body system, we will examine the relationship between the structure of the system and its function. As we study a body system, we will relate it to the systems previously learned.