Homeostasis

Homeostasis
Ugbai Teklay
Lecturer/Education
Facilitator
Biological Sciences
Learning Outcomes
• List the functional characteristics common to
humans and other living organisms
• List the survival needs of the body.
• Define homeostasis and explain its

importance to human life.
Learning Outcomes
• Describe the components of a feedback

system and the basic flow of information in a
control mechanism.
• Explain the concept of a negative and

positive feedback mechanisms and give an
example of each .
Functional Characteristics of Organisms
All living organisms have certain characteristics

that distinguish them from non-living forms.
• Movement- includes motion of the whole body,

individual organs, single cells and even tiny
structures inside cells.
• Responsiveness: is the body’s ability to sense

changes in the environment and then reacting
to that change.
• Reproduction- production of offspring or formatio

of new cells for tissue growth.
• Metabolism -refers to sum of all chemical

reactions that occur within the body cells.
Includes:
• catabolism- the breakdown of complex chemical
substances into simpler components and
anabolism- the building up of complex chemical
substances from smaller components.
• Growth -an increase in body size usually by an

increase in a number of cells or an increase in
the size of existing cells.
• Excretion -process of removing wastes from the

body.
Survival Needs
The goal of nearly all body systems is to
maintain life. However, life requires that several
factors be available called survival needs
include:
• Nutrients- taken in via the diet contain
chemicals used for energy, cell building and
chemical reactions that go on cells.
• Oxygen- the chemical reactions that release
energy from foods require oxygen. It is required
by our cells. 20% the air we breath in is oxygen.
Survival Needs
• Water- accounts for 60-80% of body weight

and provides the fluid base for body secretions
and excretions.
• Maintenance of body temperature: for good
health, body temperature must be maintained
around 37˚C...if not metabolic reactions are
affected.
• Atmospheric pressure - the exchange of O2
and Co2 in the lungs depend on appropriate
atmospheric pressure.
Survival Needs
The survival factors must be present

in appropriate amount as excesses
and deficits may be harmful.
Homeostasis
• Homeostasis- is the body’s ability to maintain a
relatively stable internal environment despite the
influences of unpredictable internal and external
environments.
• Homeostasis indicates a dynamic state of

equilibrium in which internal conditions change
and vary, but always within relatively narrow limits.
• Each structure from the cellular level to the
system level contributes in some way to keeping
the internal environment of the body within normal
limits.
Homeostasis and Body Fluids
• An important aspect of homeostasis is
maintaining the volume and composition of body
fluids such as dissolved chemicals that are found
inside cells as well as surrounding them.
• The fluid within cells is intracellular fluid (ICF).

The fluid outside body cells is extracellular fluid
(ECF).
• The ECF that fills the narrow spaces between

cells of tissues is known as interstitial fluid.
Homeostasis and Body Fluids
• The proper functioning of the body cells depends
on precise regulation of the composition of the
interstitial fluid surrounding them.
• Because of this interstitial fluid is called the

body’s internal environment.
• The composition of interstitial fluid changes as

substances move back and forth between it and
blood plasma.
Homeostatic Control Mechanisms
• Homeostasis in the human body is continually

being disturbed.
• Some disruptions come form the external

environment (e.g. intense heat in a hot summer
day). Other disruptions originate in the internal
environment (low blood glucose when you skip
meal) and psychological stresses.
• Homeostatic regulation is important for keeping

internal environment within certain limits. Its loss
results in illness or disease.
Homeostatic Control Mechanisms
• In most cases the body responds quickly to restore

the disturbance through the regulating systems.
• For this to happen, communication within the body

is essential.
• The body communicates through neural and

hormonal control systems to provide the needed
corrective measures.
• Nerve impulses and hormones counteract changes
from the balanced state.
Feedback Systems
• The body can regulate internal environment

through feedback systems.
• A feedback system or feedback loop is a cycle of
events in which the status of a body condition is
monitored, evaluated, changed, remonitored
reevaluated, and so on.
• Each monitored variable, such as body
temperature, blood pressure, or blood glucose
level , is termed as a controlled condition.
• Any disruption that changes a controlled
condition is called a stimulus.
Feedback Systems
• A feedback system includes three basic

components:
• a receptor,
• a control center, and
• an effector.
Feedback Systems
– A receptor – is a body structure that monitors

changes in a controlled condition and sends
information to control center.
This pathway is called an afferent pathway,

since information flows toward the control
center. e.g. nerve endings in the skin can detect
a dramatic drop in temperature.
Feedback Systems
– A control center – in the body, e.g. the brain,

sets the range of values within which a
controlled condition should be maintained,
evaluates the input it receives from receptors,
and generates output commands when they
are needed.
The output occurs as nerve impulses or

hormones.
This pathway is called an efferent pathway as

information flows away from the control center.
Feedback Systems
– An effector – is a body structure that receives

output from the control center and produces a
response or effect that changes the controlled
condition.
Nearly every organ in the body can behave as
an effector.
When your body temperature drops sharply,
your brain (control center) sends nerve
impulses (output) to your skeletal muscles
(effectors).
The result is shivering, which generates heat
and raises your body temperature.
Operation of a Feedback System
Question
Define receptor, control center, and effector.

Homeostasis: Feedback
There are two types of feedback systems that

influence the magnitude of stimulus:
Negative and Positive feedback systems.

Negative Feedback
• A negative feedback system reverses a change

in a controlled condition.
• There is a disturbance in a physiological variable

e.g. Blood pressure.
• The disturbance may be an increase or a

decrease.
Negative Feedback
• The response is to return the disturbance back to

within the normal limits for the variable.
• Most common form of feedback in the body.
Examples of negative feedback:

• Temperature control, Blood glucose control,
Blood pressure control etc…
Homeostatic regulation of blood pressure by a
negative feedback system
Questions
• When disruption of homeostasis is mild and

temporary, responses of body cells quickly
restore balance in the internal environment to
a normal level.
What happens when homeostasis of blood

pressure decreases below normal?
What happens when homeostasis of blood

sugar level increases above normal?
Positive Feedback
• A positive feedback system tends to strengthen or

reinforce a change of the body’s controlled
conditions.
• There is a disturbance in a physiological variable

e.g. labour in childbirth.
• The control center provides commands to an

effector to create further disturbance rather than
opposing the original stimulus .
Positive Feedback
• The action of a positive feedback system continues

until it is interrupted by some mechanism.
• Least common form of feedback in the body.
Examples of positive feedback:

• Labour in childbirth, Milk let down reflex in breast
feeding, Blood clotting.
Blood
clotting
30
Questions
What is the main difference between negative and

positive feedback systems?
One example of positive feedback occurs during the

birth of a baby. Outline how this happens.
Homeostatic Imbalances
• If disruption is extreme regulation of homeostasis may fail.

• Disruption of homeostasis can lead to disorder, disease
and death.
• Disorder is a general term for an abnormality of structure

or function.
• Disease is a more specific term for an illness

characterized by a recognizable set of signs and
symptoms.
Summary
• The concept of homeostasis as an underlying
principle in the study of living systems is
introduced.
• Feedback systems are defined, using the

regulation of body temperature as an
example of negative feedback and blood
clotting as an illustration of positive feedback.
• Homeostatic disruption leads to disease.

Reference
• Tortora, G and Derrickson, B (2021)

Principles of Anatomy and Physiology,
16th edition.
Questions ?
Do post them in the learning forum, Moodle

page.
Thank you .

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Homeostasis

• List the survival needs of the body.

• Define homeostasis and explain its

• Describe the components of a feedback

• Explain the concept of a negative and

All living organisms have certain characteristics

• Movement- includes motion of the whole body,

• Responsiveness: is the body’s ability to sense

• Reproduction- production of offspring or formatio

• Metabolism -refers to sum of all chemical

• Growth -an increase in body size usually by an

• Excretion -process of removing wastes from the

• Water- accounts for 60-80% of body weight

The survival factors must be present

• Homeostasis indicates a dynamic state of

• The fluid within cells is intracellular fluid (ICF).

• The ECF that fills the narrow spaces between

• Because of this interstitial fluid is called the

• The composition of interstitial fluid changes as

• Homeostasis in the human body is continually

• Some disruptions come form the external

• Homeostatic regulation is important for keeping

• In most cases the body responds quickly to restore

• For this to happen, communication within the body

• The body communicates through neural and

• The body can regulate internal environment

• A feedback system includes three basic

• a control center, and

– A receptor – is a body structure that monitors

This pathway is called an afferent pathway,

– A control center – in the body, e.g. the brain,

The output occurs as nerve impulses or

This pathway is called an efferent pathway as

– An effector – is a body structure that receives

Define receptor, control center, and effector.

There are two types of feedback systems that

Negative and Positive feedback systems.

• A negative feedback system reverses a change

• There is a disturbance in a physiological variable

• The disturbance may be an increase or a

• The response is to return the disturbance back to

• Most common form of feedback in the body.

Examples of negative feedback:

• When disruption of homeostasis is mild and

What happens when homeostasis of blood

What happens when homeostasis of blood

• A positive feedback system tends to strengthen or

• There is a disturbance in a physiological variable

• The control center provides commands to an

• The action of a positive feedback system continues

• Least common form of feedback in the body.

Examples of positive feedback:

What is the main difference between negative and

One example of positive feedback occurs during the

• If disruption is extreme regulation of homeostasis may fail.

• Disorder is a general term for an abnormality of structure

• Disease is a more specific term for an illness

• Feedback systems are defined, using the

• Homeostatic disruption leads to disease.