essay on homeostasis

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What Is Homeostasis in Biology? Definition and Examples

Homeostasis is a fundamental concept in biology that refers to the self-regulating process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to changing conditions. This stability, or equilibrium, is essential for organisms to function effectively and efficiently.

Simple Definition of Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions. This process involves various biological mechanisms that detect changes, trigger responses, and restore balance. Examples of things that homeostasis controls include body temperature, chemical energy, pH levels, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Origin and History of Discovery

The word “homeostasis” originates from the Greek words ‘homeo,’ meaning similar, and ‘stasis,’ meaning standing still. Walter Cannon, an American physiologist, coined the term in the early 20th century. He built upon the work of Claude Bernard, a French physiologist who first recognized the concept of an internal milieu in the mid-19th century.

Components of Homeostasis

Homeostasis involves three primary components:

• Receptors : These are structures that detect changes in the environment (internal or external) and send this information to the control center.
• Control Center : Usually the brain or endocrine system, it processes the information and determines the appropriate response.
• Effectors : These are organs or cells that enact the response determined by the control center, thereby restoring balance.

A classic example of homeostasis involving receptors, control center, and effectors is the regulation of blood glucose levels in the human body. This process maintains the energy supply to cells and is tightly controlled.

1. Receptors: Detecting Blood Glucose Levels

In this context, receptors are specialized cells in the pancreas that monitor glucose levels in the blood. These cells are known as pancreatic beta cells. When blood glucose levels rise (such as after eating), these cells detect the increased glucose.

2. Control Center: Pancreas as the Decision-Maker

Upon detecting high glucose levels, the beta cells of the pancreas serve as the control center. They assess the information from the receptors and determine the necessary response to restore glucose levels to a normal range. The pancreas then synthesizes and releases the hormone insulin into the bloodstream.

3. Effectors: Actions to Lower Blood Glucose

The effectors in this process are primarily the liver and muscle cells, which respond to the insulin released by the pancreas. Insulin signals these cells to increase the uptake of glucose from the blood. Muscle cells use glucose for energy, especially during physical activity. The liver converts excess glucose into glycogen for storage, effectively lowering the blood glucose level and restoring equilibrium.

Positive and Negative Feedback in Homeostasis

Feedback mechanisms maintain the stability in the body’s internal environment. There are two types of regulatory mechanisms: negative feedback and positive feedback.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback is the most common feedback mechanism in homeostasis. It counteracts or negates a change, bringing the system back to its set point or equilibrium. When a deviation from a set point is detected, negative feedback mechanisms initiate responses that reverse the change and restore balance. Key characteristics include:

• Self-limiting : Once the desired level is reached, the response diminishes or stops.
• Examples : Body temperature regulation (sweating to cool down when hot, shivering to warm up when cold), blood glucose regulation (insulin and glucagon balancing glucose levels).

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback is less common in homeostasis. This type of feedback amplifies a change or deviation, pushing the system further away from its set point. This mechanism is useful in situations where a rapid, decisive change is beneficial. Characteristics of positive feedback include:

• Self-amplifying : The response enhances the change, leading to an even greater response.
• Controlled and Temporary : Usually, positive feedback is part of a larger negative feedback system and is short-lived.
• Examples : Blood clotting (where each step in the clotting process triggers the next), the release of oxytocin during childbirth to intensify labor contractions.

Both negative and positive feedback mechanisms are crucial for maintaining homeostasis, though they operate differently. Negative feedback maintains stability and balance, while positive feedback aids specific, often critical, functions that require a rapid or substantial change.

More Examples of Homeostasis

Examples in humans.

• Water Balance : The body regulates water balance through mechanisms like thirst, urine production, and sweating to prevent dehydration or overhydration.
• Temperature Regulation : The body maintains an internal temperature around 37°C. When body temperature rises, mechanisms like sweating and increased blood flow to the skin help cool the body.
• Blood pH Regulation : The body maintains the pH of blood (around 7.35-7.45) through the respiratory system (by altering breathing rates) and kidneys (by excreting H + ions).
• Calcium Levels : Regulation of calcium levels in the blood is controlled by hormones like parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, affecting bone, kidney, and intestinal activities.
• Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Levels : The respiratory system maintains a balance in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood through changes in breathing rate and depth.
• Electrolyte Balance : Sodium, potassium, and chloride ions are regulated to maintain nerve and muscle function, fluid balance, and acid-base balance.

Examples in Other Organisms

• Thermoregulation in Birds and Mammals : Many birds and mammals maintain a constant body temperature through mechanisms like shivering, sweating, panting, and adjusting their metabolic rate.
• Osmoregulation in Fish : Fish maintain the balance of water and salts in their bodies, despite the salt concentration in their environment. Freshwater fish actively excrete water and retain salts, while marine fish do the opposite.
• Stomatal Regulation in Plants : Plants open and close stomata to balance CO 2 intake for photosynthesis with water loss through transpiration.
• pH Regulation in Marine Life : Marine organisms like corals and mollusks regulate the pH within their cells and bodily fluids to counteract the acidification of ocean water.
• Hibernation in Bears and Other Animals : Hibernation is a form of long-term homeostasis where animals slow their metabolism, reduce body temperature, and conserve energy during scarce food availability in winter.

Microbial Homeostasis

Even microorganisms like bacteria exhibit homeostasis. For instance, they regulate their internal pH, ion concentrations, and respond to osmotic stress by synthesizing or importing compatible solutes.

Importance of Homeostasis

Homeostasis is crucial for the survival of organisms. It ensures optimal operating conditions for cells and organs, facilitates physiological processes, and maintains a balance despite environmental changes. Disruption in homeostasis often lead to diseases or disorders, reflecting its importance in health and disease.

• Aronoff, Stephen L.; Berkowitz, Kathy; et al. (2004). “Glucose Metabolism and Regulation: Beyond Insulin and Glucagon”. Diabetes Spectrum . 17 (3): 183–190. doi: 10.2337/diaspect.17.3.183
• Betts, J. Gordon; Desaix, P.; et al. (2013) Anatomy and Physiology (1st ed.). OpenStax. ISBN: 9781947172043.
• Boron, W.F.; Boulpaep, E.L. (2009). Medical Physiology: A Cellular and Molecular Approach (2nd International ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/Elsevier. ISBN 9781416031154.
• Kalaany, N.Y.; Mangelsdorf, D.J. (2006). “LXRS and FXR: the yin and yang of cholesterol and fat metabolism”. Annual Review of Physiology . 68: 159–91. doi: 10.1146/annurev.physiol.68.033104.152158
• Marieb, E.N.; Hoehn, K.N. (2009). Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology (9th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 978-0321513427.

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StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.

StatPearls [Internet].

Physiology, homeostasis.

Sabrina Libretti ; Yana Puckett .

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Last Update: May 1, 2023 .

• Introduction

Homeostasis is a term that was first coined by physiologist Walter Cannon in 1926, clarifying the 'milieu intérieur' that fellow physiologist Claude Bernard had spoken of ­­in 1865. [1]  'Homeo,' Latinized from the Greek word 'homio,' means 'similar to,' and when combined with the Greek word 'stasis,' meaning 'standing still' gives us the term that is a cornerstone of physiology. Carl Richter proposed that behavioral responses were also responsible for maintaining homeostasis in addition to the previously proposed internal control system, while James Hardy gave us the concept of a setpoint or desired physiological range of values that homeostasis accomplishes. [2]  

The body's many functions, beginning at the cellular level, operate as to not deviate from a narrow range of internal balance, a state known as dynamic equilibrium, despite changes in the external environment. Those changes in the external environment alter the composition of the extracellular fluid surrounding the individual cells of the body, but a narrow range must be maintained to stave off the death of cells, tissues, and organs.

• Cellular Level

On the cellular level, homeostasis is observable in the biochemical reactions that take place. Regulation of pH, temperature, oxygen, ion concentrations, and blood glucose concentration is necessary for enzymes to function optimally in the environment of the cell, and the formation of waste products must be kept in control as not to disrupt the internal environment of the cells as well. The cell will remain alive as long as the internal environment is favorable and can be a functioning part of the tissue to which it belongs. [3]  

Cells respond to changes in volume by activating the metabolic transport of molecules necessary to return to back to normal volume. [4]  In both, the cases of hyperosmolar or hypoosmolar external cellular states, the transfer of molecules must result in volume regulation as not to disturb the contents of the cell from their maximum function. All tissues of the body compose organs that comprise organ systems, which do not operate independently and must work together to achieve homeostasis. Each cell benefits from homeostatic control, and contributes to its maintenance as well, providing continuous automaticity to the body.

• Development

Homeostasis would not be possible without setpoints, feedback, and regulation. The human body is composed of thousands of control systems to detect change caused by disruptors and employ effectors to mediate that change. The setpoint is invaluable in the development of the homeostatic control system and is the value that the system designs the output to be. [5]  Homeostatic regulation involves both local control (paracrine or autocrine responses) as well as reflex control (involving the nervous and endocrine systems).

Although homeostasis is central to understand internal regulation, allostasis, or maintaining stability through change, is worthy of mention, as it is also necessary for organisms to adapt to their environments. [6]  Allostasis considers the normal daily variations that exist in the internal system. As such, a difference between homeostasis and allostasis is that, although the goal of homeostasis is to reduce variability and maintain consistency, allostasis favors variability because the internal environment can adapt to various environmental encounters. [7]  Although the two concepts may differ, it is important to note the existence of each and their contribution to physiology.

• Organ Systems Involved

Homeostasis is involved in every organ system of the body. In a similar vein, no one organ system of the body acts alone; regulation of body temperature cannot occur without the cooperation of the integumentary system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and cardiovascular system at a minimum. Chemosensors in the carotid bodies and aortic body measure arterial PCO2 and PO2, send the information to the brainstem (control center), to tell the effectors (the diaphragm and respiratory muscles) to alter breathing rate and tidal volume to return to balance. Altered reabsorption and secretion of inorganic ions are the result of chemosensors in the adrenal cortex (for potassium concentration), parathyroid gland (for calcium concentration), and kidney and carotid and aortic bodies (for sodium concentration) which help to bring these regulated variables back to the normal range.

In short, the purpose of homeostasis is to maintain the established internal environment without being overcome by external stimuli that exist to disrupt the balance.

A proposed mechanism for homeostasis is represented by a regulatory system in which five critical components must work together in a reflex loop: the sensor, setpoint, error detector, controller, and effector. [5]  A regulated (sensed) variable has a sensor within the system to measure the change in its value, an example of which is blood glucose concentration. On the other hand, a controlled (nonregulated) variable whose value becomes altered to maintain the regulated variable in the narrow range, an example of which would be the roles of gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, and glycogenolysis in blood glucose concentration. [2]  

A controller's role is to interpret an error signal and determine the outputs of the effectors so that homeostasis is once again attainable. Thus, in the body, controllers are usually the endocrine cells and sensory neurons in the autonomic nervous system, medulla, and hypothalamus. The effectors produce the response that forces the variable back to the normal range. Receptors monitor a change in the environment, a stimulus, which is transmitted to the integration center (for example, the brain in the case of the central nervous system, or a gland in the endocrine system). If the determination is that the stimulus differs from the setpoint, it generates a response and sent to the effector organ. A system that utilizes these components is known as a negative feedback system, although the opposite is not true: negative feedback does not mean the system is homeostatic in function. [5]  

Negative feedback refers to a response that is opposite to the stress: the compensatory action will increase values if they become too low or decrease if they become too high. Anticipatory (feedforward) controls exist to minimize the disturbance of a predicted change in the environment when anticipating a change. [8] In this type of feedback, controls do not activate when there is a perturbance to the system, but rather before it occurs, as to prepare for the effects that disturbance would have. Lastly, although not as frequently occurring as negative feedback loops, positive feedback, in which the stimulus is reinforced rather than decreased, is necessary in some cases as well. One of the most well-known examples of positive feedback occurs during labor when the release of oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions forcing the baby's head to push against the cervix, which stimulates the release of more oxytocin which cycles until delivery is complete.

• Related Testing

A patient's vital signs (blood pressure, core body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) are the first measurement indicating if there is a homeostatic imbalance. A basic metabolic panel is a quick blood test to show electrolyte disturbances, if present, to guide diagnosis and treatment. Measurement of the inorganic ions, kidney function (BUN/Creatinine ratio), and glucose enable us to fix those abnormalities as well as the underlying cause.

• Pathophysiology

Homeostasis underlies many, if not all, disease processes. Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, involve both the disturbance of homeostasis, as well as the presence of inflammation. [2]   The loss of receptor sensitivity with age increases the risk of illness as an unstable internal environment is allowed to exist. [9]  Older individuals are more susceptible to temperature dysregulation and have impaired thirst mechanisms, which contribute to the elevated risk of dehydration seen in this population. Acid-base imbalances underlie acid-base disorders and electrolyte abnormalities that exist from a plethora of medical conditions or medication side effects. Additionally, water balance in terms of fluid maintenance is crucial as not to overload the patient, or underhydrate the patient's cells. Overload would be detrimental to a person with underlying cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Thus, an individualized approach is necessary to correct a patient's fluid balance, especially in surgical patients. [10]  

The setpoint must confine itself to a strict range in certain body functions, but it is not necessarily static in others. For example, deviation of arterial blood gas values from the accepted range would be detrimental to a living system. However, when the body is deprived of food, a 'new normal' must be adjusted to function with less energy and a slower metabolism rate. [9]  Without this adaptation, the body's cells would be deprived of the needed nutrients and would die quickly, which is not the case, as a living organism can survive on less intake as long as the energy can be maintained. Disruption in thermoregulation could lead to hypothermia if the body's core temperature falls below the threshold for optimal cellular functioning, or hyperthermia if the body's core temperature exceeds the highest. Fever is another example of how the setpoint can increase without necessarily killing the individual. [2]  An increase in core body temperature is necessary to fight off an invader, but in the case of hyperthermia, the adaptive function of temperature has failed, and the setpoint is unable to return to normal.

• Clinical Significance

All in all, every medical condition can be traced back to failure at some point in the homeostatic control system, whether it be in the inability to detect the initial external change, failure of initiating a feedback loop, failure to enact a response to return to the setpoint, or failure in the setpoint itself. The goal of the health care provider must be to restabilize the internal milieu of the body without causing further harm and to do so promptly to avoid the death of cells from dysregulation, and irreparable failure of organ systems.

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Disclosure: Yana Puckett declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

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• Review Homeostasis: The Underappreciated and Far Too Often Ignored Central Organizing Principle of Physiology. [Front Physiol. 2020] Review Homeostasis: The Underappreciated and Far Too Often Ignored Central Organizing Principle of Physiology. Billman GE. Front Physiol. 2020; 11:200. Epub 2020 Mar 10.
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1.5 Homeostasis

Learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Discuss the role of homeostasis in healthy functioning
• Contrast negative and positive feedback, giving one physiologic example of each mechanism

Maintaining homeostasis requires that the body continuously monitor its internal conditions. From body temperature to blood pressure to levels of certain nutrients, each physiological condition has a particular set point. A set point is the physiological value around which the normal range fluctuates. A normal range is the restricted set of values that is optimally healthful and stable. For example, the set point for normal human body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F) Physiological parameters, such as body temperature and blood pressure, tend to fluctuate within a normal range a few degrees above and below that point. Control centers in the brain and other parts of the body monitor and react to deviations from homeostasis using negative feedback. Negative feedback is a mechanism that reverses a deviation from the set point. Therefore, negative feedback maintains body parameters within their normal range. The maintenance of homeostasis by negative feedback goes on throughout the body at all times, and an understanding of negative feedback is thus fundamental to an understanding of human physiology.

Negative Feedback

A negative feedback system has three basic components ( Figure 1.10 a ). A sensor , also referred to a receptor, is a component of a feedback system that monitors a physiological value. This value is reported to the control center. The control center is the component in a feedback system that compares the value to the normal range. If the value deviates too much from the set point, then the control center activates an effector. An effector is the component in a feedback system that causes a change to reverse the situation and return the value to the normal range.

In order to set the system in motion, a stimulus must drive a physiological parameter beyond its normal range (that is, beyond homeostasis). This stimulus is “heard” by a specific sensor. For example, in the control of blood glucose, specific endocrine cells in the pancreas detect excess glucose (the stimulus) in the bloodstream. These pancreatic beta cells respond to the increased level of blood glucose by releasing the hormone insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin signals skeletal muscle fibers, fat cells (adipocytes), and liver cells to take up the excess glucose, removing it from the bloodstream. As glucose concentration in the bloodstream drops, the decrease in concentration—the actual negative feedback—is detected by pancreatic alpha cells, and insulin release stops. This prevents blood sugar levels from continuing to drop below the normal range.

Humans have a similar temperature regulation feedback system that works by promoting either heat loss or heat gain ( Figure 1.10 b ). When the brain’s temperature regulation center receives data from the sensors indicating that the body’s temperature exceeds its normal range, it stimulates a cluster of brain cells referred to as the “heat-loss center.” This stimulation has three major effects:

• Blood vessels in the skin begin to dilate allowing more blood from the body core to flow to the surface of the skin allowing the heat to radiate into the environment.
• As blood flow to the skin increases, sweat glands are activated to increase their output. As the sweat evaporates from the skin surface into the surrounding air, it takes heat with it.
• The depth of respiration increases, and a person may breathe through an open mouth instead of through the nasal passageways. This further increases heat loss from the lungs.

In contrast, activation of the brain’s heat-gain center by exposure to cold reduces blood flow to the skin, and blood returning from the limbs is diverted into a network of deep veins. This arrangement traps heat closer to the body core and restricts heat loss. If heat loss is severe, the brain triggers an increase in random signals to skeletal muscles, causing them to contract and producing shivering. The muscle contractions of shivering release heat while using up ATP. The brain triggers the thyroid gland in the endocrine system to release thyroid hormone, which increases metabolic activity and heat production in cells throughout the body. The brain also signals the adrenal glands to release epinephrine (adrenaline), a hormone that causes the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, which can be used as an energy source. The breakdown of glycogen into glucose also results in increased metabolism and heat production.

Interactive Link

Water concentration in the body is critical for proper functioning. A person’s body retains very tight control on water levels without conscious control by the person. Watch this video to learn more about water concentration in the body. Which organ has primary control over the amount of water in the body?

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback intensifies a change in the body’s physiological condition rather than reversing it. A deviation from the normal range results in more change, and the system moves farther away from the normal range. Positive feedback in the body is normal only when there is a definite end point. Childbirth and the body’s response to blood loss are two examples of positive feedback loops that are normal but are activated only when needed.

Childbirth at full term is an example of a situation in which the maintenance of the existing body state is not desired. Enormous changes in the mother’s body are required to expel the baby at the end of pregnancy. And the events of childbirth, once begun, must progress rapidly to a conclusion or the life of the mother and the baby are at risk. The extreme muscular work of labor and delivery are the result of a positive feedback system ( Figure 1.11 ).

The first contractions of labor (the stimulus) push the baby toward the cervix (the lowest part of the uterus). The cervix contains stretch-sensitive nerve cells that monitor the degree of stretching (the sensors). These nerve cells send messages to the brain, which in turn causes the pituitary gland at the base of the brain to release the hormone oxytocin into the bloodstream. Oxytocin causes stronger contractions of the smooth muscles in of the uterus (the effectors), pushing the baby further down the birth canal. This causes even greater stretching of the cervix. The cycle of stretching, oxytocin release, and increasingly more forceful contractions stops only when the baby is born. At this point, the stretching of the cervix halts, stopping the release of oxytocin.

A second example of positive feedback centers on reversing extreme damage to the body. Following a penetrating wound, the most immediate threat is excessive blood loss. Less blood circulating means reduced blood pressure and reduced perfusion (penetration of blood) to the brain and other vital organs. If perfusion is severely reduced, vital organs will shut down and the person will die. The body responds to this potential catastrophe by releasing substances in the injured blood vessel wall that begin the process of blood clotting. As each step of clotting occurs, it stimulates the release of more clotting substances. This accelerates the processes of clotting and sealing off the damaged area. Clotting is contained in a local area based on the tightly controlled availability of clotting proteins. This is an adaptive, life-saving cascade of events.

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The Importance of Homeostasis Essay

Homeostasis refers to the balance in the external and internal environments of living organisms that enables them to survive within a range of conditions. Through this self-regulating process, changes in the body and the mechanisms that react to these changes can be easily detected to restore stability. Homeostatic regulatory components that maintain equilibrium include effectors, receptors, and control centers (Fossion et al., 2018). The disruption of homeostatic mechanisms results in disease, and therefore, the interaction of multiple complex feedback systems is vital to ensure the health of organisms. Homeostasis is crucial in regulating various concentrations of pH, ions, blood sugar, fluids, and temperature in the body despite variations in the diet and environment to help maintain life.

Receptors primarily sense, monitor, and respond to internal and external changes in the environment for an appropriate reaction to be elicited by the body. The effectors are the body organs and tissues that receive information about the changes and respond by providing the conditions necessary to maintain homeostasis. The control centers, such as the respiratory system, are crucial in setting the maintenance range for particular variables. However, the homeostatic control of an entity does not necessarily mean that its value is absolutely steady in health (Fossion et al., 2018). For instance, as regulated by a homeostatic mechanism with temperature sensors, the setpoint of core body temperature varies from time to time and needs to be reset. Notably, the body temperature in humans and other mammals changes during the course of the day, with the lowest temperatures being at night and the highest in the afternoons.

The nervous system, digestive system, and endocrine system, among other body systems, work together to contribute to overall homeostasis. In mammals, body temperature regulation is achieved through input from thermoreceptors in the hypothalamus, spinal cord, and internal organs (Fossion et al., 2018). When the core temperature drops, the blood supply to the skin and limbs is reduced, resulting in minimal heat loss. On the other hand, when the temperature is high, sweat glands are stimulated to secrete sweat onto the skin, which evaporates, cooling the skin and blood flowing through it.

Homeostasis is also important in controlling the blood sugar levels through the beta cells of the pancreas. In response to high sugar levels, insulin is secreted into the blood, which inhibits the secretion of glucagon from alpha cells and glucose from the liver. With the limited secretion of more glucose into the blood, fat cells and muscle cells take up and convert the excess glucose to other forms (Fossion et al., 2018). However, when the level of blood glucose falls, insulin secretion is stopped, and glucagon is released into the blood thus correcting the detected error.

In regulating the level of blood gases, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels are monitored by various chemoreceptors, and information is relayed to the respiratory center to activate effector organs (Fossion et al., 2018). The diaphragm and other muscles of respiration respond appropriately to variations of gases especially oxygen which serves many purposes in the body. Moreover, the process of homeostasis enables fluid balance as it balances the amount of water and the levels of electrolytes in the body through osmoregulation. When the water levels are low, the kidney has to reabsorb water, thus preventing water loss through urine, and a thirst reflex is generated to restore the required amount of water.

Conclusively, when the body has a suitable constant internal temperature, metabolic processes can effectively take place to release the energy required by an organism to carry out various activities. All the body systems and organs have to work together for the correct signals and responses to take place. Therefore, homeostatic regulation is a necessary process in maintaining the immunity and proper functioning of the body.

Fossion, R., Rivera, A., & Estanol B. (2018). A physicist’s view of homeostasis: How time series of continuous monitoring reflect the function of physiological variables in regulatory mechanisms. Physiological Measurement, 39 (8), 5-16.

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Essay on Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the tendency to maintain a stable and relatively constant internal environment. It is crucial for any living thing to maintain a stable internal condition since it must always remain constant. Despite the external environment’s dynamicity, the body employs different physiological strategies that support the system’s proper function. This capability is one of the crucial aspects that enable the human body to stay alive. The body acts upon and resists the effects of external factors to prevent its deviation from the state of balance, equilibrium, and stability it favors rather than doing nothing. According to Modell et al. (2015), three general components enable the human body to maintain homeostasis. They include the receptor, control, and effector centers.

Maintaining homeostasis

The hemostasis mechanism is in the form of a loop that can either be positive or negative. Positive feedback propels the situation and results in more stimulation, whereas negative feedback decelerates the process and inhibits the stimulus (Castanho & Dos Anjos Garnes, 2019). For example, a high body temperature triggers the negative loop, which returns it towards the set point. The sensors, which are primary nerve cells with endings in the brain, will detect the high temperature and relay it to the temperature-regulatory control center. Processing this information will take part in the control center, and effectors such as sweat glands will be activated (Modell et al., 2015). The function of these effectors is to lower the body temperature by opposing the stimulus.

The body temperature does not always go above the setpoint. In some situations, it can go below the set point. In general, there are at least two negative feedback loops that are usually involved in the homeostatic circuit. The first negative feedback loop is designed to lower a parameter after it has gone above the setpoint (Modell et al., 2015). The second negative feedback loop is intended to return the parameter up when it is below the set point.

For example, when the external body temperature is either too cold or too hot, the hypothalamus, the temperature regulatory center in the brain, is notified by the sensors in the periphery that the temperature has strayed from the setpoint (Tansey et al., 2015). For instance, when an individual has been exercising too hard, the internal body temperature rises above the setpoints, and cooling it down will require activating the necessary mechanisms (Library, 2019). The increase in blood flow in the skin seeks to increase heat loss to the surrounding. Sweating is also a mechanism that allows the body to cool off when the sweat evaporates.

The temperature center in the brain will also trigger responses to keep warm when an individual is sitting in a cold room and is not dressed warmly. Tansey et al. (2015) note that a person may begin shivering since the blood flow in the skin decreases. This action allows the body to generate more heat. The skin may also develop goosebumps, allowing the body hair to stand up and trap air near the skin.

The negative feedback loops play a fundamental factor in homeostasis, and any interference with this feedback mechanism disrupts homeostasis and may eventually result in disease. For example, a broken feedback loop involving insulin hormone results in diabetes disease (Röder et al., 2016). The human body finds it challenging to lower high blood sugar levels when the feedback loop is broken. When an individual consumes a meal, the blood glucose levels increase, triggering the β cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin (Library, 2019). It then activates body cells to absorb this glucose for energy. Insulin is also responsible for the conversion of glucose to glycogen in the liver. These processes are responsible for reducing glucose levels in the blood, which returns the system to homeostasis.

On the other hand, glucagon increases glucose concentration in the blood. When the blood glucose levels are low, the pancreatic α cells release glucagon, which initiates the breakdown of glycogen to glucose in the liver (Röder et al., 2016). This increases the glucose level in the body. The system is brought back to homeostasis when glucagon secretion is reduced. Therefore, diabetes occurs when the human body stops responding to insulin or when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. Therefore, blood sugar remains high under these conditions since the body cells cannot absorb glucose readily.

Ecosystem homeostasis

Ecosystems comprise a network of animals from the tiniest insects to the largest mammals, alongside various microorganisms, fungi, and plants, making the ecosystem complex. There is an interaction between all these lifeforms since caterpillars will feed on leaves, bears prey on fish, while shrews eat insects. A delicate balance is maintained by everything that exists in nature, and scientists refer to the balance of organisms in an ecosystem as ecosystem homeostasis (Zakharov et al., 2018). The fundamental goal of ecosystem homeostasis is equilibrium. But nothing is ever perfectly balanced in the real-world ecosystem. Various animal species have their population at a similar range, resulting in a relatively stable state of an ecosystem in equilibrium (Ecological Center, 2021). Therefore, as long as there is no general downward or upward trend, populations can go up and down in cycles.

Negative feedback in ecosystem homeostasis operates more diffusely than physiology due to the decentralized nature of ecological systems such as communities, populations, and ecosystems. The interactions among species, individuals, and their environment result in negative feedback since a central processing unit that implements and coordinates negative feedback is unavailable (Ecological Center, 2021). A classic example of how negative feedback could stabilize the system due to consumer or resource dynamics is the interaction between predators and prey. There is an increase in resource availability for the predators when the prey population increases. This increase results in increased survival and reproduction rates for the predator due to the consumption of the prey. Hence, the predator population increases. However, an increase in predator population increases the demand for prey, increasing the predators’ death rates. This is due to the decline in the prey population, which cannot support the high predator abundance. Eventually, the predator population also reduces. Therefore, the limiting resource of the prey induces negative feedback, which counteracts the initial increase in predator abundance.

Many systems experience such a case, and there is a strong stabilizing constraint on the community’s dynamic when food resources are limiting. An increase in resource consumption results in a decrease in other components since the resources are limited. The Ecological Center (2021) defines compensatory dynamics or species compensation as the balance between increased and decreased species. The negative feedback that counteracts the increased consumption rates by various communities emerges from the finite nature of these resources. Resources are responsible for reproduction, growth, maintenance, and survival and as a result, limiting them affects net production, birth, and death rates. Therefore, resource constraints are essential for stabilizing the overall consumption and stabilizing critical ecosystem properties such as biomass production, total abundance, and standing biomass.

In conclusion, people have been steadily growing, particularly since the industrial revolution. It took several years for the human population to reach one billion, and the world is now swiftly approaching eight billion, more than three hundred years later. This sounds like the world is on its way to a catastrophe due to overpopulation. However, due to decreased birth rates resulting from increasing access to contraception and women’s education, the world’s population is not predicted to grow exponentially. The average family size in countries where women are empowered is tiny, with very few children. An increase in natural and economic resource demand and competitiveness has led to reduced birth rates, leading to a drop in the world population.

Castanho, F. L., & Dos Anjos Garnes, S. (2019).  Homeostasis: An Integrated Vision . IntechOpen. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=y7-QDwAAQBAJ

Ecological Center. (2021).  Maintenance of Homeostasis in Ecological Systems – Population Dynamics . https://www.ecologycenter.us/population-dynamics-2/maintenance-of-homeostasis-in-ecological-systems.html

Library, T. O. T. O. C. (2019).  The Animal Body – Basic Form and Function: Biology . Independently Published. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=IPNMzQEACAAJ

Modell, H., Cliff, W., Michael, J., McFarland, J., Pat Wenderoth, M., & Wright, A. (2015). A Personal View A physiologist’s view of homeostasis.  Adv Physiol Educ ,  39 , 259–266. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00107.2015.-Homeostasis

Röder, P. V., Wu, B., Liu, Y., & Han, W. (2016). Pancreatic regulation of glucose homeostasis.  Experimental & Molecular Medicine ,  48 (November 2015), e219. https://doi.org/10.1038/emm.2016.6

Tansey, E. A., Johnson, C. D., & Johnson, C. D. (2015). Staying Current Recent advances in thermoregulation.  Adv Physiol Educ ,  39 , 139–148. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00126.2014.-Ther

Zakharov, V., Minin, A., & Trofimov, I. (2018). Study of developmental homeostasis: From population developmental biology and the health of environment concept to the sustainable development concept.  Russian Journal of Developmental Biology ,  49 (1). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062360418010071

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Best topics on Homeostasis

1. Biology and Functions of Homeostasis and Thermoregulation

2. Role Homeostasis in Understanding the Human Body

3. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Homeostasis

4. Evaluation of Dynamic Serum Thiol-Disulphide Homeostasis in Colorectal Cancer

5. Endocrine Diseases In Patients Admitted To Endocrinology Ward

6. Renal And Urinary Systems’ Work

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• Biology Article

Homeostasis

Homeostasis Definition

“Homeostasis is the state of steady internal chemical and physical conditions maintained by living systems.”

Table of Contents

• Explanation
• Body System

Homeostasis Meaning and Etymology

The theory of homeostasis was first introduced by Claude Bernard, a French Physiologist in the year 1865, and the term was first used in 1926 by Walter Bradford Cannon. Bradford derived Homeostasis from the ancient Greek words  ὅμοιος (pronounced: hómoios) and ἵστημι (pronounced: hístēmi). The combination of these words translates to “similar” and “standing still” respectively.

Read on to explore what is homeostasis and its role in regulating internal body environment.

What is Homeostasis?

Homeostasis is quite crucial for the survival of organisms. It is often seen as a resistance to changes in the external environment. Furthermore, homeostasis is a self-regulating process that regulates internal variables necessary to sustain life.

In other words, homeostasis is a mechanism that maintains a stable internal environment despite the changes present in the external environment.

The body maintains homeostasis by controlling a host of variables ranging from body temperature, blood pH, blood glucose levels to fluid balance, sodium, potassium and calcium ion concentrations.

Regulation of Homeostasis

The regulation of homeostasis depends on three mechanisms:

• Control Center.

The entire process continuously works to maintain homeostasis regulation.

As the name suggests, the receptor is the sensing component responsible for monitoring and responding to changes in the external or internal environment.

Control Center

The control centre is also known as the integration centre. It receives and processes information from the receptor.

The effector responds to the commands of the control centre. It could either oppose or enhance the stimulus.

Also Read:  Thermoregulation

Homeostasis Breakdown

The failure of homeostasis function in an internal environment will result in illnesses or diseases. In severe cases, it can even lead to death and disability.

Many factors can affect homeostasis. The most common are:

• Physical condition.
• Diet and nutrition.
• Venoms and toxins.
• Psychological health.
• Side effects of medicines and medical procedures.

Body Systems and Homeostasis

The body system participates in maintaining homeostasis regulations. The purpose of the body system is to describe several controlling mechanisms where every system contributes to homeostasis.

Listed below are the tables which describe how different organs perform different functions to maintain the internal body environment.

Other Examples of Homeostasis

• Blood glucose homeostasis.
• Blood oxygen content homeostasis.
• Extracellular fluid pH homeostasis.
• Plasma ionized calcium homeostasis.
• Arterial blood pressure homeostasis.
• Core body temperature homeostasis.
• The volume of body water homeostasis.
• Extracellular sodium concentration homeostasis.
• Extracellular potassium concentration homeostasis.
• Blood partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide homeostasis.

Also Read:  Osmoregulation

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. state homeostasis definition..

Homeostasis is the ability to maintain internal stability in an organism in response to the environmental changes. The internal temperature of the human body is the best example of homeostasis.

2. Which body systems help to maintain homeostasis?

The endocrine system and the nervous system are essential in maintaining the homeostasis of the body. However, other organs also play a role in maintaining homeostasis as well.

3. How is homeostasis essential for our body?

Homeostasis is a self-regulating process that controls internal variables necessary to sustain life.

4. What are the main components of homeostasis?

Homeostasis involves three components- the receptor, the control centre, and the effector. The receptor receives information on the changing environment, and the control centre processes the information received by the receptor. And the effector responds to the commands of the control centre by enhancing or opposing the stimulus.

5. What is the primary function of homeostasis?

The primary function of homeostasis is to maintain a balance within the body regarding its temperature, salt concentration, food intake and pH levels.

6. How does the cell maintain homeostasis in the body?

To maintain homeostasis in the body, the cells perform the following activities: Obtain and use energy, exchange materials, make new cells, and eliminate wastes.

7. What role does liver play in homeostasis?

Our liver plays a vital role in blood glucose homeostasis. When the blood glucose level rises after a meal, the liver removes glucose from the blood and stores it in the form of glycogen. When the blood glucose levels are low, it converts the stored glycogen back to glucose.

8. How does the skin help in maintaining homeostasis?

If the external temperature is high, the body tries to keep cool by producing sweat. Also, blood vessels near the skin surface dilate. This helps in decreasing body temperature. Conversely, if the external temperature is cold, the blood vessels constrict and retain body heat. Thus, the skin maintains homeostasis.

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• Essay on Blood

Homeostasis Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Blood , Health , Human , Medicine , Discipline , Disease , Skin , Body

Words: 1300

Published: 01/19/2020

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It is well documented that human beings are capable of thriving and surviving in the harshest of conditions ranging from the arctic to the equator and with different forms of lifestyles and diets. One of the reasons’ for this is not farfetched, it is the ability of the human body to adapt to various conditions and in turn maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis refers to the human body's ability to regulate her internal environment physiologically in a bid to ensure and maintain stability in response to the instability and fluctuations of the weather and the external environment. Also, homeostasis refers to the special mechanisms that are in place in the human body that detect physiological changes and also respond to the physiological changes from their various set point values through initiating responses which restores them to their optimal physiologic range. To maintain homeostasis, there is collaboration between all the systems in the body, though the various systems have well defined specific roles they perform. Of all the systems in the body, the endocrine and nervous systems are very important in maintaining homeostasis. Important basic functions in the body such as breathing and heart rate may be stimulated or slowed by the nervous system. Also, hormones help with maintaining balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. The kidneys, liver and brain are all involved in maintaining homeostasis. The liver which is an abdominal organ and the second largest organ in the body after the skin is saddled with the task of removing toxic substances from the body and also involved with carbohydrate metabolism. The kidneys which are paired retroperitoneal organs are responsible for the regulation of blood water levels, maintenance of ion and salt levels in the body, reabsorption of non toxic substances into the blood, regulation of blood pH and excretion of urea and other wastes in the body. The brain through the endocrine system, the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamus maintains homeostasis in the human body. Homeostasis is very germane to the body as the body needs it to stay alive. Failure of the human body to maintain homeostasis may lead to a disease state or death. For example, a serious disease state such as heart failure occurs when the negative feedback mechanisms in the body become overworked and deleterious positive feedback mechanisms supervene. Other disease states which could occur due to the imbalance of the homeostatic mechanisms in the human body include heat stroke, dehydration, gout, hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia and diabetes to mention a few. Physical health solely depends on an optimally functioning homeostatic mechanism. Undue and persistent stress such as poor or inadequate sleep, unaccustomed exercises, and inadvertent build up of free radicals in the body, drug abuse and alcoholism are capable of disrupting the body's homeostatic mechanisms which ultimately leads to a disease state. When this happens, medical intervention can help restore the body to the pre-illness state through the actions of the homeostatic mechanisms. There are several examples of homeostasis in the body; some of the very important ones include acid-base balance in the body, temperature regulation, glucose metabolism, calcium metabolism and body fluid volume. Negative feedback mechanism is an integral part of the proper functioning of the homeostatic mechanisms. It literarily means that whenever there is a change in any of the systems, there is an automatic corrective mechanism which initiates the reversal of the noxious change and brings back the body to the set point also known as the normal. In the simplest of languages, negative feedback could be likened to an oven in use. When it gets too hot, the mechanism that causes the increase in temperature resulting in the heating turns off automatically which allows the oven to cool down. It eventually gets cold since the heating system has been turned off automatically, the heating system then turns on again increasing the temperature of the oven. In essence, a system exclusively controlled by the negative feedback mechanism is never maintained perfectly as it swings about the set point. However, an efficient homeostatic system reduces the size and frequency of the oscillations. Regulation of the body temperature is an integral part of homeostasis in the body. Animals which maintain a near normal body temperature are called endotherms and sometimes referred to as warm blooded animals. Normally, they maintain their body temperatures between thirty five degrees Celsius and forty degrees Celsius. Mammals and birds are ectotherms. On the other hand, ectotherms have variying body temperatures, though some of them could have warm blood during the day either by basking in the sun or through extended muscle activity such as tuna and bumble bees. The main difference between ectotherms and endotherms is that endotherms utilize internal corrective mechanisms to maintain homeostasis while ectotherms utilize behavioural mechanisms such as moving into the shade or a cool place when hot or lying in the sun and basking when they feel cold. Body temperature in human beings is controlled by the thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus; impulse is received from receptors in the hypothalamus and receptors in the skin. Both are thermoreceptors. The hypothalamic receptors monitor the core temperature which is the temperature of the blood is it navigates through the brain. Receptors in the skin especially those on the trunk monitor the external temperature. The two sets of information are required for the body to make appropriate adjustments, impulses are then sent from the thermoregulatory centre to the different effectors to adjust the body temperature. Whenever we are faced with unbearable heat or a very cold weather, we may take off our clothing’s when too hot or put on extra clothing’s when too cold. However, when these responses are inadequate, the thermoregulatory centre is then stimulated. The heat loss centre of the hypothalamus is stimulated when we feel too hot and the heat conservation centre is stimulated when we are too cold. During excessive heat, vasodilatation, sweating, pilorelaxation and stretching out all help the body loose heat. The arterioles increase in size so as to allow more blood into the capillaries in the skin leading to heat loss. Also, sweat glands secrete sweat in response to heat. The sweat produced removes heat from the body and gives a cooling effect on the body. Also, hairs on the skin are laid flat. This prevents whatever trapped air from heating the body by insulating it. Likewise, when the body feels too cold vasoconstriction, shivering, piloerection all occur. The arterioles reduce in calibre and get smaller reducing blood supply to the skin to keep the inner body warm. Also, rapid contraction and relaxation of the skeletal muscles leads to shivering which produces heat to keep the body warm. Curling up and making the surface area of the body smaller reduces the effect of the cold on the body. In addition, the hairs on the skin rise, giving rise to goose pimples thereby trapping hair between the skin and the atmosphere creating an insulation against the cooler air. In conclusion, Homeostasis is highly important for the survival of living beings so as to regulate the milieu of the body which is subject to fluctuations periodically as various disease states and even death may occur due to a faulty homeostatic mechanism.

http://www.biologymad.com/resources/A2%20Homeostasis.pdf http://course.zju.edu.cn/532/study/theory/1/int/pdf/01-homeostasis.pdf L.A Zaykoski., Examples of Homeostasis in the body.,http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/112024.aspx., Retrieved on 25th December, 2012. http://www.biologymad.com/resources/A2%20Homeostasis.pdf http://scienceray.com/biology/human-biology/a-guide-to-human-homeostasis/

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Essay On Homeostasis

Ever wonder why the body shivers when it gets cold? Homeostasis keeps body conditions steady and constant. So, this means that when the body shivers, that is homeostasis taking place trying to keep your body temperature at a constant degree. Homeostasis maintains normality in the body in many different ways. Some examples include osmoregulation, thermoregulation, chemical regulation, and behavioral homeostasis. While homeostasis controls these processes, homeostasis must also go through a separate process of its own in order for things like osmoregulation to be carried out.

These “inner processes” are called negative and positive feedback. These processes will be explained in depth throughout the paper. Homeostasis uses negative and positive feedback when a sensor is alerted in the body. The sensors will alert the brain, and then the brain decides whether to activate either negative or positive feedback based on the situation it is trying to control. One process of homeostasis is called osmoregulation. Osmoregulation helps maintain a constant state in the body by cleaning out all of the extra water, salt, and urea in the body.

Osmoregulation cleans the unnecessary particles out of the body by sending them out through the kidneys, urinary bladder, ureters, urethra, pituitary glands, and the lungs. Osmoregulation is considered a homeostasis process because in order to keep things such as the kidneys and the bladder constant and steady, being cleaned out is a very important part in keeping those things working correctly (ck12, February 15, 2015). Another process of homeostasis is thermoregulation. Thermoregulation is the process of the body maintaining a constant body temperature.

The body performs thermoregulation by sweating and dilating the blood vessels in order to bring the body temperature back down to a constant degree. If the body temperature is too low, the body will begin to shiver, constrict the blood vessels, and provide insulation in order to bring the body temperature back up to the steady degree. The insulation used in this process comes from adipose tissue and a breakdown of tissue combined (ck12, February 15, 2015). Homeostasis will also cool the body down by pilorelaxation.

This is when the hair on the body flattens to the skin in order for the temperature to cool down to the “set point” temperature. Homeostasis can also bring the body temperature up by piloerection. This is when the hairs on the body stand up so heat can be taken in and bring the body temperature back up to a constant degree. There are two types of heat regulation when it comes to the thermoregulation process, endothermic and exothermic. Endothermic heat occurs in mammals, for example humans. An endothermic organism regulates its own body temperature.

However, an organism that is exothermic, their body temperature is usually relatively close to the temperature of the environment in which it lives in (Claydon, January 1, 2012). Thermoregulation uses multiple body parts in order to achieve its goal of maintaining a constant body temperature. The body parts that are involved and used in thermoregulation include the muscular system, nerves, blood vessels, skin, and adipose tissue (ck12, February 15, 2015). In addition to the processes above, chemical regulation also occurs in homeostasis.

Chemical regulation aids in maintaining homeostasis by regulating the glucose levels in the body. This is completed by secreting insulin and glucagons into the blood stream to either bring up or lower the glucose level. Chemical regulation also adjusts the breathing rate based on the amount of carbon dioxide levels in the blood stream. In addition to that, chemical regulation also keeps the creating of red blood cells constant by releasing erythropoietin from the kidneys (ck12, February 15, 2015). Chemical regulation can also involve the hormonal system.

The hormones that the body needs are created in the area of the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. If there happens to be a rise or spike in the glucose levels, beta cells will detect the rise or spike. After the beta cells are alerted, the cells will then make more insulin. The extra insulin that was created in the pancreas would then be used to link together receptor proteins in the liver. That allows for more protein channels to be opened up, and that allows the glucose to enter the beta cell. Once the glucose has entered the cell, it will then be converted into glycogen (Claydon, March 9, 2007).

Another major process of homeostasis is called behavioral homeostasis. This process is the body trying to remain constant by altering the actions/ responses of the body due to its environment. Behavioral homeostasis is very similar to thermoregulation. Behavioral homeostasis performs much like a thermostat in a house would work. If the thermostat is set to a certain temperature, the air conditioner/ heater will come on and off based on whether the room needs to cool down or heat up in order to reach that steady temperature.

For example, if a thermostat was set at a certain degrees and the temperature of the room was falling, the thermostat would turn the heat on until that constant, set temperature is maintained. If the temperature in the room began to rise, the thermostat would kick on the air conditioning unit until the room temperature was back down to the constant degree. Homeostasis, the controlling of all of the inner bodily functions, might sound like a simple process. However, homeostasis has its own process that can also get quite complicated. Homeostasis does not simply just happen.

In order for these things to occur, there is a process behind osmoregulation, thermoregulation, chemical regulation, and behavioral homeostasis also. In order to maintain a constant state, other functions must go on even before beginning the process of returning to normality. These functions are known as negative and positive feedback. Negative feedback is the part of homeostasis that kicks in when a system needs to be slowed down or stopped completely. An example of negative feedback taking place would be when a person is eating. Digestion of the food starts when it reaches the stomach.

Hormones and nervous impulses are used to stop and start acids from releasing from the stomach. Another example of negative feedback taking place would be when the body begins to over heat. Negative feedback will sense the body over heating, so it will stop the rise of the body temperature. This causes the body to sweat. This is one of the body’s many ways of cooing down back to its normal temperature (Rader, February 12, 2006). On the other hand, positive feedback is the part of homeostasis that supports the system that is carrying out the job.

Positive feedback can be thought of as an encouragement factor to help the system work more efficiently and effectively. Whether it is felt or not, positive feedback is constantly occurring in the body over and over again until it is stopped by a negative feedback. A great example of positive feedback taking place would also occur in the stomach. The pepsinogen that is created in the stomach is then converted into an enzyme commonly known as pepsin. This process is repeated over and over again until there is a sufficient amount of pepsin molecules to digest all of the proteins that are in the stomach (Rader, February 12, 2006)

Even though negative and positive feedback are considered “inner processes”, they do not just take place all on their own either. Something has to occur to make them happen also. Inside the body, there are millions of little sensors. These sensors are present all over the body so that if there happens to be a spike, rise, or a drop in the supply of an item or particle that is necessary to the body, they can detect that. If a sudden spike, rise, or drop is detected, the sensor will then send an alert signal to the brain and let it know what is going on.

After the brain has been alerted, it will then activate either negative or positive feedback based on what is needed to solve the problem with the body system. Then, either negative or positive feedback will be activated, and either stops the process completely, slows the process down, or encourages the process so that it works effectively and completes the task in which it has been assigned (Ohio Assessments for Educators, March 10, 2015). On the other hand, homeostasis can also occur in plants, grasses, and flowers.

In plants, photosynthesis is referred to as homeostasis. Photosynthesis is the process of releasing water from the plant, and taking in carbon dioxide. It is necessary for photosynthesis to be carried out. If photosynthesis is not performed and a plant does not maintain a constant state, it will wilt and die just like a human would. The stomata of the plant would be the place where all the gases, like carbon dioxide, could enter the cell through, and the water could also leave the cell through here. In every stomata, there is an object called a guard cell.

Guard cells act as the “security” or the “gate keepers” for the stomata. The guard cells only open for special reasons. They open to take in carbon dioxide, and to release water. The guard cell will also open on rare, needy occasions. For example, the guard cell will also open when the plant is running low on the availability of water. These structures help the plant maintain its version of homeostasis (Buckley, January 16, 2002) As you can see, homeostasis is a very vital, important factor in keeping humans and other organisms alive and thriving.

With out osmoregulation, thermoregulation, chemical regulation, and behavioral homeostasis, the body would not be able to function in the way that it is designed to work. This will eventually cause all of the organs inside of the body to begin to shut down. This will result in almost certain death. However, without negative and positive feedback, homeostasis itself would not even occur. That is why even the tiny objects inside of the body, for example sensors, play such an important role in the process of homeostasis.

The body does not react or adjust to change very well. So, it is important for homeostasis to be present and keep all of the systems going at a constant state in order for humans to be alive and healthy. This is even true with plants also. If homeostasis (photosynthesis) is not taking place and working correctly, the plant will also almost certainly wilt and die. That is why homeostasis is an extremely important and necessary function that all living organisms must have in order to survive.

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Homeostasis Movie Reflection

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 712 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

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Introduction, portrayal of homeostasis in "inside out", relevance to biological homeostasis, reflection on the movie's message.

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