What does homeostasis mean




















These three components work by first detecting and then responding to the information i. They respond to the detected change in the environment by relaying the information to the control center for processing , or directly to a particular target effector.

Processing in the control center entails deliberation and determination of the appropriate response to the relayed stimuli. Then, it sends this message to the effectors.

The effectors upon receiving the message would bring about the supposed response that would revert to the normal homeostatic range. At the cellular level, the activated nuclear receptors will act upon by upregulating or by downregulating the expression of certain gene s.

The protein produced from the gene expression would then exert its effect on the target organ. Homeostatic mechanisms that respond to a perturbation may be in the form of a looping mechanism called feedback mechanism that may be positive or negative. Positive feedback maintains the direction of the stimulus. It tends to accelerate or promote the effect of the stimulus. Examples are labor contractions, blood clotting, and action potential generation.

Negative feedback is a self-regulatory system and is employed in various biological systems. It reverses the direction of the stimulus and tends to inhibit the source of stimulus or slow down the metabolic process. Examples include thermoregulation, blood glucose regulation, baroreflex in blood pressure, calcium homeostasis, potassium homeostasis, and osmoregulation.

Labor contraction during childbirth is positive feedback since the initial contraction of the uterine muscle leads to further contractions. Rather than inhibiting the contraction, the body tends to produce more contractions. At labor, the posterior pituitary gland releases oxytocin which stimulates muscle contraction.

At child delivery, oxytocin release is further augmented, intensifying muscle contractions until the neonate is pushed outside the birth canal. The formation of a blood clot is an example of positive feedback.

The conversion of blood from a liquid into a solid form entails series activations of clotting factors. As soon as one clotting factor is activated, the next clotting factor is activated, resulting in the formation of a fibrin clot. In this process, the direction of the stimulus is maintained.

In neuron signaling, positive feedback is demonstrated during membrane depolarization. As nerve impulse is relayed along the axon of the neuron, voltage-gated sodium channels open in a series down the axon.

The first set of voltage-gated sodium channels open, resulting in the influx of sodium ions. This, in turn, causes the depolarization of the surrounding area, which means the next set of voltage-gated sodium channels will open. Thermoregulation is an example of negative feedback. It refers to the homeostatic regulation of body temperature.

The human body tends to maintain an internal temperature of about The core temperature is regulated chiefly by the nervous system, particularly the anterior hypothalamus and the preoptic area of the brain. When the ambient temperature is less than the skin temperature, heat loss occurs. This means that in colder surroundings e. As a result, the core temperature falls. This is picked up by the thermoregulatory center of the brain and initiates control mechanisms to return the core temperature to the set point.

One of the homeostatic mechanisms is by shivering to generate heat. The thermoregulatory center in the brain sends signals to the muscles to shiver. Since the body remains still while shivering less heat will be dissipated to the environment. On the other way around, when the ambient temperature is higher than the skin temperature, the body gains heat and consequently, the core temperature rises.

This occurs during the hot summer days. The thermoregulatory control center in the brain responds, for example by stimulating the eccrine sweat glands to secrete sweat to cool the body off by evaporative cooling. Thermoregulation is an important homeostatic mechanism not just in humans but also in mammals. Mammals maintain a constant body temperature that makes them characteristically warm-blooded. The body maintains an optimal core temperature through internal regulation by a bodily system comprised of thermoreceptors in the hypothalamus, the brain, the spinal cord, the internal organs, and the great veins.

During the cold season, they look for warm spots and they tend to increase their activity. Some species, such as birds, huddle or nestle together for warmth. For instance, radiant heating in the form of steam radiators, radiant in-floor heating, in-wall heating, masonry heaters, and passive solar heating, can warm up surfaces and objects efficiently and produce an even and comfortable heat.

Read more facts on Radiant Heating. Human blood is comprised of cellular elements and plasma. The levels of these components in the blood plasma go through homeostatic regulation. For example, blood sugar level is regulated to set the blood glucose concentration within the tolerable limit. The body maintains homeostasis in this regard largely through the pancreas. The pancreas is a glandular structure made up of two major types of cells: alpha and beta cells.

With the whole thing being stirred up constantly by continual homeostasis correction. Homeostasis : the tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements of the human body. The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes.

A simple example of homeostasis is the body's ability to maintain an internal temperature around New Word List Word List. Save This Word! See more. Need a translator? Translator tool. What is the pronunciation of homeostasis? Browse homeomorphism BETA. Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes. Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold.

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Homeostasis refers to the body's need to reach and maintain a certain state of equilibrium. The term was first coined by a physiologist named Walter Cannon in More specifically, homeostasis is the body's tendency to monitor and maintain internal states, such as temperature and blood sugar, at fairly constant and stable levels.

Homeostasis refers to an organism's ability to regulate various physiological processes to keep internal states steady and balanced. These processes take place mostly without our conscious awareness.

Your body has set points for a variety of states—including temperature, weight, sleep, thirst, and hunger. When the level is off in either direction, too much or too little , homeostasis will work to correct it. For example, to regulate temperature, you will sweat when you get too hot or shiver when you get too cold. One prominent theory of human motivation , known as drive-reduction theory , suggests that homeostatic imbalances create needs. These needs to restore balance drive people to perform actions that will return the body to its ideal state.

Another way to think of it is like the thermostat in your house. Once set at a certain point, it works to keep the internal state at that level. When the temperature drops in your house, your furnace will turn on and warm things up to the preset temperature. In the same way, if something is out of balance in your body, a physiological reaction will kick in until the set point is once again reached.

Here's how the primary components of homeostasis work:. A negative feedback loop will work to decrease the effect of the stimulus while a positive feedback loop will increase it. In homeostasis, negative feedback loops are most common, as the body is typically attempting to decrease the effect of the stimulus to get the body back to equilibrium.

There are three main types of homeostatic regulation that happen in the body. Though their names might be unfamiliar, you probably experience them every day.



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