Physiology of visceral systems: Respiration. Digestion & Nutrition. Energy metabolism & Thermoregulation. Excretion : manual for individual work of second-year students (English-medium) : workbook

Abstract

This Workbook combines information about physiology of following functional systems which are crucial to control homeostatic parameters of our organism: 1) respiration, 2) digestion and nutrition, 3) energy metabolism, 4) thermoregulation, 5) excretion. The life is impossible without making up for the nutrients in the organism which are continuously consumed by the cells in the metabolism process. The most of the nutrients enter into the food composition but they are in the condition that is not ready for assimilation. Utilization of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates for satisfaction of energetic and plastic organism necessities becomes possible just only after their physical and chemical processing in the gastro-intestinal tract. As a result these substances are transformed into the rather simple water-soluble chemical compounds – nutrients which don’t have the species specificity, but they keep the energetic and plastic value. Metabolism and energy exchange is a complex of biochemical reactions and connected with them energetic processes that supply the vital functions of living beings. The energy released during metabolic reactions then is used to exert various processes in an organism such as maintenance of body temperature, blood circulation, respiration, muscles contraction, etc. Excretion is also significant feature of living beings as nutrition and respiration and its impairment inevitably leads to disbalance of homeostatic parameters, violation of metabolism and vital functions.