Knowra Acclimatization Acclimatization Acclimatization is the reversible physiological adjustment of an organism to environmental conditions. In humans, it can improve function under stresses such as low oxygen, heat, or cold.
Hypoxic ventilatory response : The increase in breathing triggered by low oxygen, mediated chiefly by oxygen-sensitive cells in the carotid bodies. Faster, deeper breathing is an early response to the low oxygen pressure encountered at altitude.
Altitude sickness : Illness caused by exposure to high altitude, ranging from headache and nausea to life-threatening brain or lung swelling. Incomplete or overly rapid altitude adjustment can lead to acute mountain sickness and more severe syndromes.
Genetic adaptation : A heritable change in a population’s genetic composition across generations that affects traits related to survival or reproduction. Acclimatization occurs within an individual’s lifetime; genetic adaptation accumulates across generations.
High-altitude pulmonary hypertension : Elevated pressure in the lung circulation associated with sustained or severe low-oxygen exposure. Hypoxia-driven narrowing of pulmonary vessels can aid blood-flow matching but also raise pulmonary pressure.
Renal compensation : Kidney adjustments that help restore blood pH after a sustained disturbance in acid–base balance. The kidneys excrete bicarbonate to partly offset the alkalosis caused by altitude-induced hyperventilation.
Heat acclimation : The set of physiological changes that improve tolerance to repeated exercise or work in hot conditions. Repeated heat exposure is a distinct form of acclimatization, often improving sweating and cardiovascular stability.
Acclimation : Physiological adjustment to a controlled environmental change, typically under laboratory or experimental conditions. Acclimation is often distinguished from acclimatization by the controlled setting in which the adjustment occurs.
Chronic mountain sickness : A syndrome in some long-term high-altitude residents marked by excessive red blood cell concentration and related symptoms. It illustrates how an oxygen-boosting response can become maladaptive during prolonged exposure.
Erythropoietin : A hormone, produced mainly by the kidneys, that stimulates red blood cell production in bone marrow. Low oxygen increases erythropoietin signaling, supporting a later rise in red blood cell production.
Cold acclimatization : Physiological adjustment to repeated cold exposure that can alter heat production, heat loss, or cold sensation. Cold exposure elicits a different suite of adjustments from the hypoxia responses associated with altitude.
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