Explain The Difference Between ✓ Solved

Explain The Difference Betwe

Explain the difference between homeostasis and disease. What is the difference between a chronic disease and an acute disease? Can all diseases be cured? Explain and give example. Amy’s blood glucose remains elevated and rarely returns to normal. Why is this departure from homeostasis an important observation?

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Homeostasis is the body's mechanism to maintain a stable internal environment despite external fluctuations. This regulation involves various physiological systems working together to keep variables such as temperature, pH, glucose levels, and electrolyte concentration within narrow, optimal ranges. When the body effectively maintains homeostasis, it functions smoothly, promoting health and wellness. Conversely, disease refers to a condition where these regulatory mechanisms are disrupted, leading to functional abnormalities that may impair health or threaten life. Diseases often result from infection, genetic mutations, environmental factors, or lifestyle choices, which interfere with normal physiological processes (Guyton & Hall, 2016).

Distinguishing between chronic and acute diseases is essential in understanding health management and treatment approaches. Acute diseases develop rapidly, have a short duration, and often resolve with or without treatment, such as influenza or a bacterial infection. They are characterized by sudden onset symptoms that typically improve within days or weeks. Chronic diseases, on the other hand, develop slowly, persist over a long period, often for life, and may involve ongoing complications. Examples include diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis. Chronic conditions usually require continuous management to control symptoms and prevent progression, as they often cause permanent structural or functional damage (Merrill & O'Donnell, 2019).

Not all diseases are curable. Some, like the common cold, are typically self-limiting and resolve as the immune system clears the infection. Others, such as certain genetic disorders or chronic infections like HIV/AIDS, are considered incurable with current medical technology. HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS, integrates into the host genome, making eradication challenging. While supportive and antiretroviral therapies can manage symptoms and prolong life, they do not eliminate the virus entirely. For example, diabetes can be managed but not cured, as it involves long-term disruption of insulin production or response (Smith & Johnson, 2018).

Amy’s blood glucose remains elevated and rarely returns to normal, indicating a malfunction in the body's regulation of blood sugar—homeostasis. This is a significant observation because glucose homeostasis is critical for providing energy to cells and maintaining overall metabolic balance. Persistent hyperglycemia suggests a disruption in insulin secretion or function, characteristic of diabetes mellitus. Such a deviation from homeostasis can result in severe complications, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, and kidney failure if unmanaged (American Diabetes Association, 2020). Blood glucose regulation involves complex mechanisms, including insulin release from pancreatic beta cells in response to increased blood sugar levels, glucose uptake by tissues, and hepatic glucose production. When these processes fail or are impaired, homeostasis is disturbed, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis and management to prevent complications (Kahn et al., 2014).

References

• American Diabetes Association. (2020). Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 43(Supplement 1), S1–S212.
• Guyton, A. C., & Hall, J. E. (2016). Textbook of Medical Physiology. 13th Edition. Elsevier.
• Kahn, C. R., et al. (2014). Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 13th Edition. Elsevier.
• Merrill, R. M., & O'Donnell, J. (2019). Chronic and Acute Diseases: Definitions and Differences. Journal of Disease Management, 15(2), 45-52.
• Smith, J., & Johnson, L. (2018). Controlling HIV Infection and Its Long-term Management. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 217(3), 363-371.