Homeostasis

DR.P.HAMAMBULU
 Homeostasis
• A condition in which the internal
environment of the body remains
relatively constant despite changes in
the external environment. Examples
would be the maintenance of body
temperature and levels of glucose in
the blood
 Homeostatic mechanisms
• Homeostasis is achieved through negative
or positive feedback mechanism.
• Negative feedback: Includes most
homeostatic control mechanisms. Shuts
off the original stimulus, or reduces its
intensity. Works like a household
thermostat. Examples iclude control of
blood pressure and temperature
regulation.
 Homeostatic mechanisms
• Positive feedback: Increases the original
stimulus to push the variable farther e.g. in
blood clotting and during the birth of a
baby
• Homeostatic mechanisms are designed to
reestablish homeostasis when there is an
imbalance.
The Home Heating System
1. When the temperature of a room decreases below a set point, the
thermostat electrically starts the furnace.
2. As the temperature of the room rises to the set point, the thermostat
shuts down the furnace.
3. As the room cools, step one is repeated.

There are three components to this system:

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

1. The Sensor which detects the stress.

2. The Control Center which receives information from the sensor

and sends a message to adjust the stress.

3. The Effector which receives the message from the control

center and produces the response which reestablishes
homeostasis

It should be noticed that

1. the heat produced by the furnace shuts the furnace down

through the thermostat.

2. the original stress is reduced, i.e., the room warms up.

Homeostatic mechanisms that show these two

characteristics are operating by negative feedback
 Homeostatic Regulation of Body Temperature through
Negative Feedback

Hyperthermia Heat receptors Hypothalamus

in the skin
Stress
Sensors Control Center

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism
Increased
activity of
Perspiration(swea sweat glands
t) evaporates
cooling the skin Increased blood
flow to the skin
Effect
Effectors
 Homeostasis Using a Neural
Pathway
Many homeostatic
mechanisms use a
nerve pathway in which
to produce their effects.
These pathways
Control center involve an afferent path
which brings sensory
messages into the
brain and an efferent
path which carries
outgoing nerve
messages to effectors.
 Homeostatic Regulation of Blood Sugar through
Negative Feedback

Hyperglycemia Pancreas-beta cells Insulin is released

into blood
Stress Sensor and Control center

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism

Liver and Muscle cells

Blood glucose
take up glucose from
is reduced
the blood

Effectors
 Negative Feedback Via a Hormonal Pathway
Regulation of Blood Sugar

Hormones play an important role in many homeostatic pathways.

Hormones are produced by endocrine glands. They enter the
blood after being produced and travel throughout the body.
However, hormones have their effect on specific target tissues.
 Positive Feedback Mechanisms
Homeostatic systems utilizing positive feedback exhibit two primary
characteristics:
1. Time limitation – Processes in the body that must be completed within a
constrained time frame are usually modified by positive feedback.
2. Intensification of stress – During a positive feedback process, the initial
imbalance or stress is intensified rather than reduced as it is in negative
feedback.

Typical Positive Feedback Process

Stress Sensor Control Center

Intensifies Effector
 Homeostatic Regulation of Child Birth through
Positive Feedback
Nerve endings in the uterine
Pressure of Fetus on
wall carry afferent messages
the Uterine Wall
to the Hypothalamus

Intensifies

Production and Release

Increasing strength of of Oxytocin into the
uterine contractions Blood

The birth of the child will bring this process to a close.

 Feedback in Coagulation

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

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

Positive feedback can be harmful. Two specific

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