Homeostasis

Maintanance of Constant Body Environment

Homeostasis

 It is the maintenance of constant internal body environment despite

of changes in the external environment. Internal environment includes
many factors like blood glucose level, blood water level, body
temperature etc.
Important of Homeostasis:
 Homeostasis provide more chances to an organism to survive as
 It enables the organisms to occupy diverse places
 An organism can stay active in all seasons
 Organisms can continue metabolism and as optimum level
Example of Homeostasis

 Skin: (Regulation of Body Temperature)

 Skin keeps the temperature of body in homeostasis by gaining heat
through muscle contraction (shivering) & losing heat & extra water
& salts as sweat through sweat glands.
 If the body temperature is not maintained, the enzymes of the body may
become inactive or denatured.
Example-2

 Liver: (Regulation of glucose in Blood)

 Liver regulates the concentration of glucose in blood. When there is
extra glucose it in blood, insulin from pancreas convert it to
glycogen & is stored in liver.
 If glucose concentration is not maintained in blood, it may form clots in
blood or composition of blood plasma may also be afected.
Diagram:
Regulation of Water Potential

When water potential in the blood decreases, Pituitary gland starts to

secrete more Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH). As a result
 More water is reabsorbed from kidneys
 Less water is excreted through urine
 Urine becomes concentrated
 Less urine is produced
To be continued…

When water potential in the blood rises, Pituitary gland starts to secrete
less Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH). As a result
 less water is reabsorbed from kidneys
 more water is excreted through urine
 Urine becomes dilute
 More urine is produced
Color of Urine:

 By consuming more protein (meat) in diet, due to large amounts of

urea, the urine will become darker in color.
 By consuming less protein (meat) in diet, due to less amounts of urea,
the urine will become lighter in color.
Negative Feed Back Mechanism:

 Negative feedback is a main process involved in homeostasis. According

to this principle, the body always brings opposite efect to the change.
 For example, If the water potential of blood is high, body lowers it down
by producing dilute urine and vice versa.
 Similarly, if water level decreases below the normal the body will rise it
by bringing the thirst stimulus. These are the opposite efect to
change & vice versa.
 Similarly, if outside stimulus is cold, the body will produce heat by
muscle contraction etc. and if the outside stimulus is hot, the body
will lowers body temperature by vasodilation etc.
Diagram:
Structure of Mammalian Skin:

 Skin:
 It is the protective covering over the entire body surface. It acts as
excretory organ as well as regulator of body temperature. It
performs many functions as:
 Prevents entry of pathogen into body
 Loss of body fuids
 Maintenance body temperature
 Excretion of excess water, salts & urea.
Structure:
Outer Part-Epidermis

 Epidermis:
 The outer epidermis is divided into 3 parts:
i. Outer Cornifed Layer:
 This layer has dead, dry & fat cells because of deposition of Keratin Protein which prevents
the water loss from skin & also prevents the entry of harmful pathogens in skin. Cornfeld layer is
thickest on soles of feet & palms of hand.
ii. Granular Layer:
 It receives new cells from lower side & gives rise to cornifed layer when its cells are rubbed
of or damaged.
 iii. Inner Malpighian layer:
 In this layer cell division through mitosis take place & new cells are formed which are pushed
upward to form cornifed layer.
 This layer also has cells with pigment melanin which gives characteristic dark color to skin &
also protects it from harmful ultraviolet sunlight.
Inner Layer-Dermis

 Dermis consists of fbrous connective tissues & their upper part lies in the ridge of skin. Dermis
has following structures:
 i. Blood Vessels:
 Numerous blood capillaries are present is the dermis which cause vasodilation &
vasoconstriction.
 Vasodilation:
 On a hot sunny day, Blood vessels dilate & more blood fows through them carrying more heat.
So more heat from the skin is lost in the surrounding& this lowers the body temperature.  
 Moreover body also lowers its temperature through
 Evaporation of sweat from skin surface
 Decreased metabolic activities in body
 Faeces and urine
 Exhaled air
Vasoconstriction:

 On a cold day, blood vessels contract and less blood fows through
them carrying less heat. So less heat from the skin is lost in the
surrounding and this prevents the loss of heat from body.
 This dilation & contraction of blood vessels regulate the body
temperature during cold & hot. So skin is also a regulatory organ of
temperature.
 Moreover body also gains heat through
 Vigorous muscle exercise
 Metabolic activities in body like cellular respiration
 Consumption of hot food
 Being in warm environments ( being outdoors in a hot day)
Hair and Sebaceous Glands:

 Hair grows inside a hollow deep penetration lying in dermis. At the base
of the hair follicle where are the living cells that divide & grow to build
the hair which extends out over the surface of the skin.
 Hairs on the skin can be raised by the contraction of Hair Erector
muscles attached to hair follicles.
 iii. Sebaceous Glands:
 Sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance sebum into the hair
follicle which lubricates the hair & keep the skin soft & smooth.
 This sebum has an antiseptic action on skin which prevents the
growth of bacteria.
Sweat Glands:

 Sweat Glands:
 Sweat glands are small tubular structure situated in the dermis and are
richly supplied with blood capillaries. In these capillaries, sweat is
secreted which fows through a sweat duct & as sweat pore to the
skin surface.
 This sweat contains dissolved inorganic salts & small amount of urea.
 Skin surface contains metabolic waste such as urea, so skin is also an
excretory organ.
Sense Receptors

 Sense Receptor:
 Nerve endings in the epidermis & dermis have sense organs or
receptors.
 Pain receptors enable the body to sense pain and pressure.
 Heat and cold receptors sense temperature changes in the external
environment.
Inner most Layer:

 Sub-cutaneous Fat Layer:

 Beneath dermis are several layers of adipose cells which store fat. The
fat in these cells serve as an insulating layer.
 So the adipose tissues are also fat storage & insulating tissue.
 
Regulation of Body Temperature:

 On a warm Day:
 Blood vessels in the skin dilate (Vasodilation) to allow more blood to fow causing more
heat loss by skin.
 Sweat glands produces more sweat thus a means of losing heat.
 Rapid breathing to promote more heat loss (like panting in dogs).
 Body’s metabolic rate slows down so that less heat is produced within the body.
 On a Cold Day:
 Blood vessels contracts (Vasoconstriction) thus less blood fows through them & less
heat is removed from skin.
 Sweat glands become less active so less latent heat is lost.
 Body’s metabolic rate increases so that more heat is produced within body.
 Shivering (muscle contraction) also starts which produces latent heat.