Homeostasis

A condition in which the internal

environment of the body remains
relatively constant despite changes in
the external environment. Examples
would be the maintenance of body
temperature and levels of glucose in
the blood

Homeostatic mechanisms are designed to reestablish

homeostasis when there is an imbalance.
The Home Heating System
1. When the temperature of a room decreases below a set point, the
thermostat electrically starts the furnace.
2. As the temperature of the room rises to the set point, the thermostat
shuts down the furnace.
3. As the room cools, step one is repeated.

There are three components to this system:

1. The Sensor which detects the stress.
2. The Control Center which receives information from the sensor and
sends a message to the Effector.
3. The Effector which receives the message from the control center
and produces the response which reestablishes homeostasis.

There are three components to a homeostatic system:

1. The Sensor which detects the stress.
2. The Control Center which receives information from the sensor
and sends a message to adjust the stress.
3. The Effector which receives the message from the control
center and produces the response which reestablishes
homeostasis

It should be noticed that

1. the heat produced by the furnace shuts the furnace down
through the thermostat.
2. the original stress is reduced, i.e., the room warms up.

Homeostatic mechanisms that show these two

characteristics are operating by negative feedback

Homeostatic Regulation of Body Temperature through

Negative Feedback
Hyperthermia
Stress

Heat receptors
in the skin

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism
Perspiration
evaporates
cooling the skin
Effect

Hypothalamus
Control Center

Sensors

Increased
activity of
sweat glands
Increased blood
flow to the skin
Effectors

Homeostasis Using a Neural

Pathway

Control center

Many homeostatic
mechanisms use a
nerve pathway in which
to produce their effects.
These pathways
involve an afferent path
which brings sensory
messages into the
brain and an efferent
path which carries
outgoing nerve
messages to effectors.

Homeostatic Regulation of Blood Sugar through

Negative Feedback
Hyperglycemia
Stress

Pancreas-beta cells
Sensor and Control center

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism

Blood glucose
is reduced

Liver and Muscle cells

take up glucose from
the blood
Effectors

Insulin is released
into blood

Negative Feedback Via a Hormonal Pathway

Regulation of Blood Sugar
Hormones play an important role in many homeostatic pathways.
Hormones are produced by endocrine glands. They enter the
blood after being produced and travel throughout the body.
However, hormones have their effect on specific target tissues.

Positive Feedback Mechanisms

Homeostatic systems utilizing positive feedback exhibit two primary
characteristics:
1. Time limitation Processes in the body that must be completed within a
constrained time frame are usually modified by positive feedback.
2. Intensification of stress During a positive feedback process, the initial
imbalance or stress is intensified rather than reduced as it is in negative
feedback.

Typical Positive Feedback Process

Stress

Intensifies

Sensor

Control Center

Effector

Homeostatic Regulation of Child Birth through

Positive Feedback
Pressure of Fetus on
the Uterine Wall

Nerve endings in the uterine

wall carry afferent messages
to the Hypothalamus

Intensifies

Increasing strength of
uterine contractions

Production and Release

of Oxytocin into the
Blood

The birth of the child will bring this process to a close. Other
examples of positive feedback regulation occur during milk
letdown and blood clotting.

Feedback in Coagulation

Positive feedback mini-loops are built into pathway to speed up

production of chemicals needed to form the clot. Entire sequence of
clotting is a negative feedback pathway:

Harmful Effects of Positive Feedback

Positive feedback can be harmful. Two specific
examples of these harmful outcomes would be:
1. Fever can cause a positive feedback within
homeostasis that pushes the body temperature
continually higher. If the temperature reaches 45
degrees centigrade (113 degrees Fahrenheit) cellular
proteins denature bringing metabolism to a stop
and death.
2. Chronic hypertension can favor the process of
atherosclerosis which causes the openings of blood
vessels to narrow. This, in turn, will intensify the
hypertension bring on more damage to the walls of
blood vessels.

1. What is homeostasis? Why is it called a dynamic equilibrium?

2. Describe these components of a homeostasis loop: stress, receptor,
control center, effector, response. Using an example, put them in order.
3. What are the benefits of a negative feedback response? In what
direction does a variable change as a result of a negative feedback
response to a stress?
4. What are the benefits of a positive feedback response? In what
direction does a variable change as a result of a positive feedback
response to a stress?
5. What are the risks associated with positive feedback responses?
6. Draw 2 graphs to show negative & positive feedback responses.
7. Explain how positive feedback events can be built into a negative
feedback loop.
8. What is homeostasis failure? What has happened with this occurs?