Its all about balancing

Definition

• The term coined by American physiologist Walter B.

Cannon.

• He described homeostasis as "the maintenance of

the steady states in the body by coordinated
physiological mechanisms".
• French physiologist Claude Bernard described it as

“It is the fixity of the internal environment that is the

condition of free and independent life…All vital
mechanisms, however varied they may be, have only
one object, that of preserving constant the
conditions of life in the internal environment”.
 A Stable Internal Environment Is Essential
for Normal Cell Function

• Most body cells are not directly exposed to the

external world but, rather, interact with it through
the internal environment, which is continuously
renewed by the circulating blood.
• A stable environment allows an organism to be
independent of changes in the external environment.
 Life originated in the sea.

 Multicellular organisms carry their own sea

within their body which makes up the internal
environment of the body.

The extracellular fluid (ECF) of the body makes

the internal environment .

 Maintenance of this internal environment is

known as homeostasis.
 Factors homeostatically regulated
1. Concentration of nutrient molecules.
2. Concentration of O2 and CO2.
3. Concentration of waste product.
4. pH.
5. Concentration of water, salt and other electrolytes.
6. Volume and pressure.
7. Temperature.
 Contributions of the body systems
to homeostasis
• Circulatory system
• Digestive system
• Respiratory system
• Urinary system
• Skeletal system
• Muscular system
• Integumentary system
• Immune system
• Nervous system
• Endocrine system
• Reproductive system
• Changes in the internal environment of the
body do occur but the magnitude of these
changes are small and are kept in narrow
limits through multiple coordinated
homeostatic processes.
 Balancing the Internal and External Environment
Cells, the fundamental units of life, exchange nutrients and wastes
with their surroundings:

The intracellular fluid is “conditioned by”…

the interstitial fluid, which is “conditioned by” …

the plasma, which is “conditioned by” …

the organ systems it passes through.

ICF ISF
plasma organs
external
environment
internal environment
 Requirements for Maintaining
Homeostasis
• Communication within the body: accomplished by
endocrine & nervous systems.

• The factor being regulated is the variable

(temperature, blood sugar levels, blood pressure
etc.).

• All homeostatic control mechanisms have at 3

interdependent components:
sensor, integrating center and effector.
 Regulation of Body Functions

• Nervous System: The nervous system is composed

of three major parts: the sensory input portion, the
central nervous system (or integrative portion), and
the motor output portion.
Regulation of Body Functions
 Nervous System

• A large segment of the nervous system called the autonomic

system operates at a subconscious level and controls many
functions of the internal organs, including the level of
pumping activity by the heart, movements of the
gastrointestinal tract, and secretion by many of the body’s
glands.
• The key to maintaining stability of the internal environment
is the presence of regulatory mechanisms in the body.
 Hormonal System of Regulation
• Thyroid hormone increases the rates of most chemical
reactions in all cells, thus helping to set the tempo of bodily
activity.
• Insulin controls glucose metabolism; adrenocortical
hormones control sodium ion, potassium ion, and protein
metabolism; and parathyroid hormone controls bone calcium
and phosphate.
• The nervous system regulates mainly muscular and secretory
activities of the body, whereas the hormonal system
regulates many metabolic functions.
 Regulatory mechanism
• In addition to control by the CNS the secretion
of hormones is regulated by feedback control.

• Negative feedback

• Positive feedback
Characteristics of Control Systems
• Negative feedback promotes stability; Feed forward control
anticipates change.

• Positive feedback promotes a change in one direction. When

a hormone is able to stimulate its own production. Ex - Event
of ovulation during follicular phase of menstruation cycle is an
example.
Components of control system
• Input from sensory receptors: sensory receptors
respond to stimuli (detect changes) to the body, an
awareness of what is happening internally & externally.
• Control / Integrating center: brain, spinal cord, or
endocrine glands.
• They receive sensory information and bring about a
response (efferent signal) via nerve impulses or
hormones, intended to change conditions back to normal.

• The control center determines a set point (the range) at

which a variable is to be maintained; it analyzes afferent
signals & responds with an efferent signal.
• Effectors bring about the change specified
by the integrating center (e.g., skeletal muscle,
glands & organs).
 Negative feedback
• Most of the feedback system of the body is negative feedback.

• Negative feedback mechanism decreases the cause that

initiated it.

• Negative feedback occurs at three levels:

• Long loop feedback

• Short loop feedback
• Ultra short loop feedback
Components of control system
Positive Feedback Promotes a
Change in One Direction
A positive-
feedback cycle
involved in the
upstroke of an
action potential.
 Positive feedback
• Another example of positive feedback occurs during the
follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
• The female sex hormone estrogen stimulates the release of
luteinizing hormone, which in turn causes further estrogen
synthesis by the ovaries. This positive feedback culminates in
ovulation.
• Other examples include hemostasis and uterine contraction
during child birth.
 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. Other examples of
positive feedback regulation occur during blood clotting.
Positive feedback
 Positive 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.
 Control and regulation
• There cannot be regulation without control.
For example, heat loss and heat production are controlled for
the regulation of body temperature. Control of heart rate and
stroke volume for regulation of blood pressure.

• The control mechanisms operate to achieve(or maintain) any

variation of a variable.
• Note: Positive feedback can be fatal as well. Can cause
vicious cycle and death.
 Questions
• Define homeostasis with examples.

• Describe how homeostasis is maintained by

different organ system.

• Discuss negative and positive feedback

mechanisms with examples.
 Gain

• The degree of effectiveness with which a control

system maintains constant conditions is determined
by the gain of the negative feedback.
 Gain
• “Gain” of a Control System.