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    Homoeostasis Notes

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    Ashleigh Jarrett
    Homeostasis refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external changes. Key homeostatic functions include temperature regulation and blood glucose control. The hypothalamus detects temperature changes and triggers responses like shivering or sweating. Hormones like insulin and glucagon control blood glucose levels through negative feedback loops. Osmoregulation also maintains electrolyte and water balance through mechanisms involving the kidneys, hypothalamus, and hormones. Together these examples illustrate how homeostasis enables organisms to survive within a narrow range of conditions.

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    Homoeostasis Notes

    Uploaded by

    Ashleigh Jarrett
    25 views6 pages
    Homeostasis refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external changes. Key homeostatic functions include temperature regulation and blood glucose control. The hypothalamus detects temperature changes and triggers responses like shivering or sweating. Hormones like insulin and glucagon control blood glucose levels through negative feedback loops. Osmoregulation also maintains electrolyte and water balance through mechanisms involving the kidneys, hypothalamus, and hormones. Together these examples illustrate how homeostasis enables organisms to survive within a narrow range of conditions.

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    Homeostasis refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external changes. Key homeostatic functions include temperature regulation and blood glucose control. The hypothalamus detects temperature changes and triggers responses like shivering or sweating. Hormones like insulin and glucagon control blood glucose levels through negative feedback loops. Osmoregulation also maintains electrolyte and water balance through mechanisms involving the kidneys, hypothalamus, and hormones. Together these examples illustrate how homeostasis enables organisms to survive within a narrow range of conditions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    25 views6 pages

    Homoeostasis Notes

    Uploaded by

    Ashleigh Jarrett
    Homeostasis refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external changes. Key homeostatic functions include temperature regulation and blood glucose control. The hypothalamus detects temperature changes and triggers responses like shivering or sweating. Hormones like insulin and glucagon control blood glucose levels through negative feedback loops. Osmoregulation also maintains electrolyte and water balance through mechanisms involving the kidneys, hypothalamus, and hormones. Together these examples illustrate how homeostasis enables organisms to survive within a narrow range of conditions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 6

    HOMOEOSTASIS

    What is Homoeostasis?
    Homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment, which is vital for an
    organism to stay healthy. Fluctuations in temperature, water levels and nutrient concentrations
    could lead to death.

    Temperature Regulation
    Temperature regulation is one homeostatic function. Mammals and birds are warm-blooded, so
    they maintain a constant body temperature despite external environmental changes. Humans
    maintain a body temperature of 370C, we have mechanisms to lose heat when we get too hot and
    ways of retaining heat when we get too cold.

    The Hypothalamus
    The hypothalamus acts like a thermostat and detects the temperature of the blood running through it. If
    the temperature of the blood passing through the hypothalamus becomes greater or less than 370C, it
    sends electrical impulses along nerves to parts of the body which function in regulating body
    temperature.
    Methods of Temperature Regulation When Cold
    - Shivering - muscles contract and relax spontaneously ---> produces heat ---> warms the blood

    - Vasoconstriction - arterioles near skin narrow so little blood can flow through them --->
    conserve heat

    - Metabolism may increase ---> release energy

    - Hair stands up.

    Methods of Temperature Regulation When Hot


    - Sweating – droplets of water evaporate, cooling the body

    - Vasoconstriction – arterioles widen so more blood flows near skin surface ---> lose heat

    - Hair lies flat


    Control of Blood Glucose Content
    The control of glucose concentration in the blood is a very important part of homeostasis. Two
    hormones (insulin and glucagon) control blood glucose levels. Both hormones are secreted by the
    pancreas and are transported to the liver in the bloodstream.

    Too Little Glucose in the Blood


    Cells cannot release enough energy they need. Brain cells are especially dependent on glucose for
    respiration and die quite quickly if they are deprived of it. When blood sugar drops too low, the level of
    insulin declines and cells in the pancreas release glucagon, which causes the liver to turn stored
    glycogen back into glucose and release it into the blood. This brings blood sugar levels back up to
    normal.

    Too Much Glucose in the Blood


    Water moves out of cells and into the blood by osmosis. The cell has too little water to carry out
    the normal metabolic processes. When blood sugar rises, cells in the pancreas release insulin,
    causing the body to absorb glucose from the blood and lowering the blood sugar level to normal.
    Excess glucose is then converted to glycogen and stored in the liver.
    Diagram

    Left-Side
    When glucose levels drop below normal, glycogen is broken down to glucose, which is released
    into the bloodstream.

    glucagon: glycogen ---> glucose

    Right-Side
    Excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as the polysaccharide glycogen (animal starch).

    insulin: glucose ---> glycogen


    Negative Feedback in Homeostasis

    Blood Levels Regulation


     If glucose levels rise, the sensor will instruct an effector
    (the pancreas) to secret insulin ---> glucose levels drop below normal.

     If glucose levels drop, the sensor will instruct the pancreas to stop secreting
    insulin ---> glucose levels rise.

     This is negative feedback – the change is fed back to the effector.

    Temperature Regulation

     All the time, the hypothalamus is monitoring small changes in the temperature of your
    blood.

     If temperature rises above normal, actions take place that helps to


    reduce it.

     If the temperature is lower than normal, the hypothalamus stops these actions
    and starts actions that help to raise the blood temperature.
    What is Osmoregulation?
    Osmoregulation is a process that regulates the osmotic pressure of fluids and electrolytic
    balance in organisms. In animals, this process is brought about by osmoreceptors, which can
    detect changes in osmotic pressure. Humans and most other warm-blooded organisms have
    osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus. Besides the brain, osmoregulators are also found in the
    kidneys.

    Osmoregulation in Humans

    The kidney is the main organ responsible for osmoregulation in humans. Water, amino acids
    and glucose are reabsorbed by the kidneys. When the water level in the body is high, it
    releases a large amount of hypotonic (dilute). When the water level is low, it retains water
    and produces a low amount of hypertonic urine (concentrated). Thus, the kidneys maintain
    the electrolytic balance of the body.

    Aldosterone, angiotensin II, and antidiuretic hormones control the absorption process. Some
    water and electrolytes are also lost by perspiration. Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus of the
    brain control the thirst and secretion of ADH. ADH opens the water channels of aquaporins
    allowing the water to flow. Thus, the kidneys keep absorbing water until the pituitary
    gland stops releasing ADH.

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