Essay --

Homeostasis in Zostera marina (Eelgrass) Homeostasis, what is it? Homeostasis is the balance between systems to keep living organisms alive and healthy. For an organism to maintain homeostasis its body systems must react and respond to changes in both its internal and external environments. Majority of body systems in organisms, like a respiratory or circulatory system in animals, are part of their internal environment. One body system that is very important for maintaining homeostasis and is common among many organisms is a respiratory system. The respiratory system is responsible for disposing of carbon dioxide and in taking oxygen (vice versa for plants). Some parts that make up a respiratory system are the lungs, windpipe, and cilia in animals. Another body system important to homeostasis and common among animals is a circulatory system, used for bringing nutrients like glucose and oxygen to body cells. Some parts that make up a circulatory system are a heart, blood, and tubes for the blood to travel through (veins, art eries, and capillaries) in animals. There are many more body systems important to homeostasis, but if one is disrupted it’s vital for it to be restored to normal. It is very important for organisms to maintain homeostasis because when it’s disrupted that could cause other systems to go out of balance, which may result in damage in the organism. Homeostasis can be disrupted in many ways like when a human is sick. When a human is sick it starts in the immune system and depending on the intensity of the sickness it can cause other things like water balance and body temperature to go awry which would affect other systems. Another scenario when homeostasis is disrupted is when a plants water level is low and it wilts... ...hroughout the Eelgrass. Excess water in the form of vapor is disposed of through stomata on the leaves. The gas exchange, root, and shoot systems are used in this exchange because the stomata release the excess water in the form of water vapor, which was first absorbed by the roots in the root system, then transported through the xylem in the shoot system throughout the eelgrass. Another exchange that goes on in Eelgrass is nutrients to plant cells. Again the gas exchange, root, and shoot systems are used. Nutrients are absorbed by the roots and made through photosynthesis; stomata take in carbon dioxide which is used along with light, water, and other nutrients previously stored to make more. Nutrients are carried throughout the plant to plant cells by the phloem. Homeostasis is the balance of systems in organisms and it’s very important to keep them in balance.