FEEDBACK MECHANISMS

(TEMPERATURE REGULATION AND

OSMOTIC BALANCE)
for General Biology 2 Grade 11
Quarter 4 / Week 5

1
 FOREWORD

The ability to maintain core temperature as well as

volume and composition of body fluids within narrow ranges
is a major characteristic of mammals. Yet, the ability to
maintain a stable core temperature often relies on
physiological responses that perturb the stability of blood
fluids. A common thermoregulatory mechanism that affects
body fluid homeostasis is evaporative cooling, by sweating
and/or panting, to dissipate heat from the body when core
temperature is elevated.

This self-learning kit (SLK) aims to explain how

temperature affects homeostasis in an organism’s body; why
our body goes back to normal whenever we are shocked,
we are tired, or any situations we encounter; and why our
body can regulate temperature in response to signals from
the nervous system.

2
 LESSON
TEMPERATURE REGULATION
1

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to:
K: define thermoregulation
S: differentiate thermoregulation of endothermic and
ectothermic animals
A: recognize the importance of temperature regulation

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

Explain how some organisms maintain steady internal

conditions (e.g. temperature regulation, osmotic balance)
that possess various structures and processes.
(STEM_BIO11/12-IVi-j-2)

I. WHAT HAPPENED
PRE-TEST:
I. Instruction: There are ten words found in the puzzle below that may appear
straight across, back-word straight across, up and down, and diagonally. List
down all the words in your notebook.
WORD PUZZLE
H O M E O S T A S I S R C
C A E R U T A R E P M E T
O W E N G T H J I K E G B
N A S N D M T Y M C L U A
T B C E D O G H T I J L L
R R E C E P T O R C S A A
A U E F M S T H U O I T N
C V J G N H O O E N P I C
T W T E E P E R A R U O E
I X G R K Y U I E R M N O
O Y M B L K O S M O S I S
N N O I T A L I D O S A V
S H I V E R I N G D A S F
A B C K V C W X Y Z X G H

3
 II. Arrange the jumbled words below. Write your answers in your
notebook.

1. TEEHIRMTORGLAONU
2. MEASSISTOHO
3. THEMECORT
4. DHENSTORME
5. DIASAVONOLTI
6. POMULAHTHASY
7. PREYONGS
8. INCPYERTHYOIT
9. BRUIQIULIME
10. REDINECON NGALDS

II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

DISCUSSION:

THINK ABOUT IT A herd of wildebeests plods across Africa’s Serengeti Plain.

The land is parched, so they are on the move toward greener pastures.
They move mechanically, their steps using as little energy as possible. With
no food in their guts, their bodies mobilize energy stored in ft deposits for
distribution to body tissues. Between drinking holes, their bodies conserve
water by producing as little urine as possible. All their body systems work
together in a joint effort to survive this difficult passage.

• INTERRELATIONSHIP OF BODY SYSTEMS:

Why is the interdependence of body systems essential?

Homeostasis, or controlled internal conditions, is essential to an organism’s

survival. Wildebeest brain cells, like those of humans, must be kept at a stable
temperature and supplied with a steady stream of glucose for energy – even
when animal is under stress. The brain cells must be bathed in fluid with a
constant concentration of water and be cleansed of metabolic waste
products. These conditions must not dramatically change during droughts,
floods, famines, heat or cold. Failure of homeostasis, even for a few minutes,
would lead to permanent brain injury or death.

4
 All body systems work together to maintain homeostasis.
The following discussion will help you learn about other body systems, those
that fight disease, produce, and release chemical controls, and manage body
temperature – all to help ensure homeostasis.

a. Fighting Disease
Most animals have an immune system that can distinguish between
“self” and “other”. Once the immune system discovers “others” in the
body, it attacks the invaders and works to restore homeostasis. Your body
experiences this process regularly, any time you catch a cold or fight off
other kinds of infections. During the process, you may develop a fever and
feel other effects of the battle going on within your body.

b. Chemical Controls
Vertebrates, such as the migrating wildebeest, along with
arthropods and many other invertebrates regulate many body processes
using a system of chemical controls. Endocrine glands are part of that
system. Endocrine glands regulate body activities by releasing hormones
into the blood. Some hormones control the way the body stores energy or
mobilizes it – as in the case of wildebeests.

c. Body Temperature Control

How do animals control their body temperature?
Control of body temperature is important for maintaining
homeostasis, particularly in areas where temperature varies widely with
time of day and with season. Why is temperature control so important?
Because many body functions are influenced by temperature. For
example, muscles cannot operate if they are too cold or too hot. Cold
muscles contract slowly, making an animal slow to react. If muscles get too
hot, on the other hand, they may tire easily.

An animal may be described based on the structures and behaviors

that enable it to control its body temperature.

a. ectotherms - animals that do not have internal control of their

body.
- the body temperature is generally like the temperature of the
environment, although the individual organisms may do things
that keep their bodies slightly below or above the
environmental temperature. This can include burrowing
underground on a hot day or resting in the sunlight on a cold
day.
- have relatively low metabolic rates when resting, so their
bodies do not generate much heat.

5
 - most reptiles, invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians are
ectotherms that regulate body temperature primarily by
absorbing heat from, or losing heat to, their environment.

b. endotherms – animals that maintain a constant body

temperature in the face of environmental changes.
- they can maintain a level of activity because
they generate internal heat that keeps their cellular
processes operating optimally even when the
environment is cold.
- Birds and mammals have high metabolic rates that
generate heat, even when they are resting.

Thermoregulation

- It is coordinated by the nervous system. The processes of temperature

control are centered in the hypothalamus of the advanced animal
brain. The hypothalamus maintains the set point for body temperature
through reflexes that cause vasodilation or vasoconstriction and
shivering or sweating.
- During an infection, compounds called pyrogen are produced and
circulate to the hypothalamus resetting the thermostat to a higher
value. This allows the body’s temperature to increase to a new
homeostatic equilibrium point in what is commonly called a fever.

The increase in body heat makes the body less optimal for bacterial
growth and increases the activities of cells so they are better able to
fight the infection.

Source: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-systems/hs-body-and homeostasis/a/homeostasis

6
 Activity:

List down at least 2 importance of temperature regulation.

III. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Key points:

• Homeostasis is the condition in which a system such as the human body is

maintained in a more-or-less steady state. It is the job of cells, tissues, organs,
and organ systems throughout the body to maintain many different variables
within narrow ranges that are compatible with life.
• The goal of homeostasis is the maintenance of equilibrium around a specific
value of some aspect of the body or its cells called a set point.
• A change in the internal or external environment is called a stimulus and is
detected by a receptor; the response of the system is to adjust the activities of
the system, so the value moves back toward the set point. For instance, if the
body becomes too warm, adjustments are made to cool the animal.
• When a change occurs in an animal’s environment, an adjustment must be
made so that the internal environment of the body and cells remains stable.

EVALUATION/POST-TEST:

I. Identification. Read and answer each item carefully. Write your answers
in your notebook. (2 points each)

1. It refers to the animals that do not have internal control of their body.
2. It is the condition in which a system such as the human body is
maintained in a more-or-less steady state.
3. It regulates body activities by releasing hormones into the blood.
4. It refers to the animals that maintain a constant body temperature in
the face of environmental changes.
5. It is a change in the internal or external environment and is detected
by a receptor.

7
 REFERENCES

Miller & Levine BIOLOGY: @ 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. 23-25

First Lok Yang Road, Jurong, Singapore 629733. Kenneth R. Miller, Ph.
D. and Joseph S. Levine, Ph. D.

Internet Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
biology/chapter/osmoregulation-and-osmotic-balance/

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-
human-body-systems/hs-body-structure-and-
homeostasis/a/homeostasis

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-
35982017000900783

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Book%3A_Hu
man_Biology_(Wakim_and_Grewal)/10%3A_Introduction_to_the_Hu
man_Body/10.7%3A_Homeostasis_and_Feedback

8
SYNOPSIS
The tendency to maintain a
stable, relatively constant internal
environment is called homeostasis.
The body maintains homeostasis for
many factors in addition to
temperature.
If you get too hard or too cold,
sensors in the brain tell the
temperature regulation periphery and
the brain tell the temperature
regulation center of your brain – in a
region called hypothalamus – that
your temperature has strayed from its
set point.
For instance, if you’ve been
exercising hard, your body
temperature can rise above its set
point, and you’ll need to activate
mechanisms that cool you down.
Blood flow to your skin increases to
speed up heat loss into your
surroundings, and you might also start
sweating so the evaporation of sweat
from your skin can help you cool off.
Heavy breathing can also increase
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
heat loss.

SANDY LIZA B. RODRIGUEZ graduated at Negros Oriental State

University, Guihulngan Campus with a degree of Bachelor of
Secondary Education major in General Science. She is a licensed
professional teacher. She took her Master of Arts in Education at the
same university (CAR) and pursued MAED major in General Science at
CPSU San Carlos. She is currently teaching at La Libertad Technical
- Vocational School, SHS Department, North Poblacion, La Libertad,
Negros Oriental, Philippines.

9
 LESSON OSMOREGULATION
2
OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to:

K: describe the process and purpose of osmoregulation
S: compare and contrast negative and positive feedback loops
A: appreciate the importance of homeostasis

LEARNING COMPTENCY:

Explain how some organisms maintain steady internal

conditions (e.g. temperature regulation, osmotic balance)
that possess various structures and processes.
(STEM_BIO11/12-IVi-j-2)

I. WHAT HAPPENED
PRE-TEST: Multiple choice: Choose the letter that corresponds to the correct
answer. Write your answer on your activity notebook.

1. Stable internal conditions are called __________.

a. homeostasis c. endothermic
b. ectothermic d. reactivity
2. The main source of heat for an ectotherm is
a. its high rate of metabolism c. its own body
b. the environment d. its food
3. Endotherms
a. control body temperature through behavior.
b. control body temperature from within.
c. obtain heat from outside their bodies.
d. have relatively low rates of metabolism.
4. It monitors the values of the variable and sends data on it to the
control center.
a. effector b. stimulus c. sensor d. control center
5. Feedback serves to intensify a response until an endpoint is reached.
a. blood clotting c. Positive Feedback Loop
b. heating up d. Negative feedback loop

10
 6. It is a compound that dissociates into ions when dissolved in water.
a. electrolyte b. sodium c. chlorine d. nonelectrolyte
7. The process of maintaining salt and water in the body is called______.
a. ectothermic c. endothermic
b. thermoregulation d. osmotic balance
8. It is being provided by the variable that is being regulated.
a. sensor b. stimulus c. effector d. control center
9. It serves to reduce an excessive response and keep a variable within the
normal range.
a. Positive Feedback Loop c. blood clotting
b. Negative feedback loop d. heating up
10. It allows more blood from the warm body core to flow close to the
surface of the body, so heat can be radiated into the environment.
a. cooling down c. vasodilation
b. feedback cycle d. heating up

II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

DISCUSSION:

What is Feedback Mechanism?

In biology, a feedback mechanism is a physiological loop that brings the

body either toward or away from the normal, steady state. The feedback
mechanism, also referred to as a feedback loop, either amplifies a certain
biological pathway or inhibits it. These pathways most commonly return the body
to homeostasis. A homeostatic state refers to the stable state of the inner
environment of organisms.

https://biologydictionary.net/feedback-mechanism/

HOMEOSTASIS is the tendency of biological systems to maintain relatively

constant conditions in the internal environment while continuously interacting
with the adjusting to changes originating within or outside the system.

11
 Consider that when the outside temperature drops, the body does not just
“equilibrate” with (become the same as) the environment. Multiple systems work
together to help maintain the body’s temperature: we shiver, develop “goose
bumps”, and blood flow to the skin, which causes heat loss to the environment,
decreases.

OSMOREGULATION

Is the process of maintaining salt and water balance (osmotic

balance)across membranes within the body. The fluids inside and surrounding
cells are composed of water, electrolytes, and non-electrolytes.

An electrolyte is a compound that dissociates into ions when

dissolved in water. A nonelectrolyte, in contrast, does not
dissociate into ions in water.

Homeostasis is normally maintained in the human body by an

extremely complex balancing act. Regardless of the variable being kept
within its normal range, maintaining homeostasis requires at least four
interacting components: stimulus, sensor, control center, and effector.

1. The stimulus is provided by the variable that is being regulated.

Generally, the stimulus indicates that the value of the variable has
moved away from the set point or has left the normal range.

2. The sensor monitors the values of the variable and sends data on it
to the control center.

3. The control center matches the data with normal values. If the value
is not at the set point or is outside the normal range, the control
center sends a signal to the effector.

4. The effector is an organ, gland, muscle, or other structure that acts

on the signal from the control center to move the variable back
toward the set point.

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-body-systems-/hs-body-structure-and-
homeostasis/a/homeostasis

12
 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap1/chapter/homeostasis-and-feedback-loops/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap1/chapter/homeostasis-and-feedback-loops/

TYPES OF FEEDBACK MECHANISM

A. NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

In a negative feedback loop, feedback serves to reduce an excessive response

and keep a variable within the normal range. Examples of processes controlled
by negative feedback include body temperature regulation and control of
blood glucose.

Body Temperature
Body temperature regulation involves negative feedback whether
it lowers the temperature or raises it.

13
 Cooling Down

The human body’s temperature regulatory center is the

hypothalamus in the brain. When the hypothalamus receives data from
sensors in the skin and brain that body temperature is higher than the set
point, it sets into motion the following responses:

• Blood vessels in the skin dilate (vasodilation) to allow more blood

from the warm body core to flow close to the surface of the body,
so heat can be radiated into the environment.
• As blood flow to the skin increases, sweat glands in the skin are
activated to increase their output of sweat (diaphoresis). When the
sweat evaporates from the skin surface into the surrounding air, it
takes the heat with it.
• Breathing becomes deeper, and the person may breathe through
the mouth instead of the nasal passages. This increases heat loss
from the lungs.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Book%3A_Human_Biology_%28Wakim_and_Grewal%29/
10%3A_Introduction_to_the_Human_Body/10.7%3A_Homeostasis_and_Feedback

Heating Up

When the brain’s temperature regulatory center receives data that body
temperature is lower than the set point, it sets into motion the following responses:

• Blood vessels in the skin contract (vasoconstriction) to prevent blood from

flowing close to the surface of the body. This reduces heat loss from the
surface.
• As the temperature falls lower, random signals to skeletal muscles are
triggered, causing them to contract. This causes shivering, which
generates a small amount of heat.

14
 • The thyroid gland may be stimulated by the brain (via the pituitary gland)
to secrete more thyroid hormone. This hormone increases metabolic
activity and heat production in cells throughout the body.
• The adrenal glands may also be stimulated to secrete the hormone
adrenaline. This hormone causes the breakdown of glycogen (the
carbohydrate used for energy storage in animals) to glucose, which can
be used as an energy source. This catabolic chemical process is
exothermic, or heat producing.

B. POSITIVE FEEDBACK

In a positive feedback loop, feedback serves to intensify a response until an

endpoint is reached. Examples of processes controlled by positive feedback in
the human body include blood clotting and childbirth.

Blood Clotting

When a wound causes bleeding, the body responds with a positive

feedback loop to clot the blood and stop blood loss. Substances released
by the injured blood vessel wall begin the process of blood clotting.
Platelets in the blood start to cling to the injured site and release chemicals
that attract additional platelets. As the platelets continue to amass, more
of the chemicals are released and more platelets are attracted to the site
of the clot. The positive feedback accelerates the process of clotting until
the clot is large enough to stop the bleeding.

https://open.oregonstate.education/aandp/chapter/1-3-homeostasis/

Normal childbirth is driven by a positive feedback loop. Positive

feedback causes an increasing deviation from the normal state to a fixed
endpoint rather than a return to a normal set point as in homeostasis.

15
Key points:

Homeostasis is the condition in which a system such as the human body is

maintained in a more-or-less steady state. It is the job of cells, tissues, organs, and
organ systems throughout the body to maintain many different variables within
narrow ranges that are compatible with life.

The goal of homeostasis is the maintenance of equilibrium around a

specific value of some aspect of the body or its cells called a set point.
A change in the internal or external environment is called a stimulus and is
detected by a receptor; the response of the system is to adjust the activities of
the system so the value moves back toward the set point. For instance, if the
body becomes too warm, adjustments are made to cool the animal.
When a change occurs in an animal’s environment, an adjustment must be
made so that the internal environment of the body and cells remains stable.

Activity 2:

Direction: List down the importance of homeostasis

III. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

EVALUATION/POST-TEST:

I. Identification. Read and answer each item carefully. Write your answers in your
notebook.
1. Refers to the animals that do not have internal control of their body.

2. It is the condition in which a system such as the human body is

maintained in a more-or-less steady state.

3. The net movement of solvent molecules from a region of high solvent

potential to a region of lower solvent potential through a partially
permeable membrane.

4. Animals that maintain a constant body temperature in the face of

environmental changes.

5. It is A change in the internal or external environment and is detected by

a receptor.

6. A type of feedback that serves to intensify a response until an endpoint

is reached.

16
II. True or false. Write true if the statement is correct and write false if it is wrong.

1. Feedback cycle refers to any situation in which a variable is regulated,

and the level of the variable impacts the direction in which the variable
changes.
2. Thermoreceptors do not detect changes in the body temperature.
3. When a stimulus, or change in the environment, is present, feedback
loops respond to keep systems functioning near an ideal level.
4. Normal childbirth is driven by a positive feedback loop.
5. It is the effector will detect during high temperature and relayed to
sensor.

17
 REFERENCES

https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/osmoregulation-and-
osmotic-balance/

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-
systems/hs-body-structure-and-homeostasis/a/homeostasis

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-35982017000900783

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Book%3A_Human_Biology
_(Wakim_and_Grewal)/10%3A_Introduction_to_the_Human_Body/10.7%3A_Ho
meostasis_and_Feedback

18
 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF NEGROS ORIENTAL

SENEN PRISCILLO P. PAULIN, CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

FAY C. LUAREZ, TM, Ed.D., Ph.D.

OIC - Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Acting CID Chief

NILITA L. RAGAY, Ed.D.

OIC - Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

ROSELA R. ABIERA
Education Program Supervisor – (LRMS)

ARNOLD R. JUNGCO
PSDS – Division Science Coordinator

MARICEL S. RASID
Librarian II (LRMDS)

ELMAR L. CABRERA
PDO II (LRMDS)

SANDY LIZA B. RODRIGUEZ

WRITER

IVANNE RAY A. GIDOR

LAYOUT ARTIST
_________________________________
ALPHA QA TEAM
LIEZEL A. AGOR
MA. OFELIA I. BUSCATO
ANDRE ARIEL B. CADIVIDA
THOMAS JOGIE U. TOLEDO

BETA QA TEAM
LIEZEL A. AGOR
JOAN Y. BUBULI
LIELIN A. DE LA ZERNA
PETER PAUL A. PATRON
THOMAS JOGIE U. TOLEDO
DISCLAIMER

The information, activities and assessments used in this material are designed to provide
accessible learning modality to the teachers and learners of the Division of Negros Oriental. The
contents of this module are carefully researched, chosen, and evaluated to comply with the set
learning competencies. The writers and evaluator were clearly instructed to give credits to
information and illustrations used to substantiate this material. All content is subject to copyright and
may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent from the division.

19
 5. false

SYNOPSIS 4. true
3. true
2. false
Homeostasis is a dynamic equilibrium that 1. True

is maintained in a body tissues and organs. It is

II. True or False

dynamic because it is constantly adjusting to 6. positive feedback loop

5. stimulus
the changes that the systems encounter. It is an 4. endotherms
3. osmosis:
equilibrium because body functions are kept 2. Homeostasis
1. ectotherms
within a normal range, with some fluctuations I. Identification
Evaluation
around a set point. The kidneys are the main
-Removal of wastes/toxins
osmoregulatory organs in mammalian systems; -Maintain body temperature
Activity:
they function to filter blood and maintain the
6. feedback mechanism
dissolved ion concentrations of the fluids. 5. osmoregulation
4. endotherm
3. ectotherms

Homeostasis is generally maintained by a

2. homeostasis
1. osmoregulation
II. Jumbled Words
negative feedback loop that includes a
10. effector
stimulus, sensor, control center, and effector. 9. stimulus
8. control
7. heat
6. sensor
5. feedback
4. osmosis
3. temperature
2. balance
1. Homeostasis
I. Word Puzzle
Pre-Test.

ANSWER KEY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

s
SANDY LIZA B. RODRIGUEZ graduated at Negros Oriental State
University, Guihulngan Campus with a degree of Bachelor of
Secondary Education major in General Science. She is a
licensed professional teacher. She took her Master of Arts in
Education at the same university (CAR) and pursued MAED
major in General Science at CPSU San Carlos. She is currently
teaching at La Libertad Technical - Vocational School, SHS
Department, North Poblacion, La Libertad, Negros Oriental,
Philippines.

20