28.

1 Levels of Organization

Keystone Anchor
• BIO.A.4.2 Explain mechanisms that permit
organisms to maintain biological balance between
their internal and external environments.
In other words - _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
• BIO.A.4.2.1 Explain how organisms maintain
homeostasis (e.g., thermoregulation, water
regulation, oxygen regulation).
In other words - _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
28.1 Levels of Organization

KEY CONCEPT
Homeostasis - regulation and maintenance of a
CONSTANT environment in the body

The term ‘homeostasis’ is derived from two Greek

words; Homeo which means ‘unchanging’ and
Stasis which means ‘standing’

It is an organism’s
internal environment
which ‘stays the
same’
28.1 Levels of Organization

Type 1
Think about this person’s body, describe the
factors that need to remain in homeostasis.
28.1 Levels of Organization

• Control systems in the body.

– Sensors -gather data and detect changes

– Control center - receives data, sends messages,

usually the brain

-Communication system - delivers messages in

form of nerve impulses and hormones to target
organs, tissues

– Targets – organ, tissue or cell that responds to

change
28.1 Levels of Organization

Negative feedback loops are necessary for homeostasis.

• Feedback compares current conditions to set ranges.
• Negative feedback- counteracts change.
• Reverses any change and returns body to set point
Negative Feedback Loop
* Holding breath, CO2
levels rise,

O2 / CO2 level returns to

normal

Keep athlete running Control system forces

exhale, inhale
28.1 Levels of Organization

KEY CONCEPT
Systems interact to maintain homeostasis.
28.1 Levels of Organization
Each organ system affects other organ systems.
• Organ systems must also work together to keep the
organism healthy.

There is no specific organ which controls

homeostasis.

The skin, kidneys, liver, endocrine system,

nervous system and sensory system all
play a part in maintaining the internal
environment within narrow limits.

The hypothalamus is involved

to a degree in each of these regulations
28.1 Levels of Organization

Type I
Describe how this picture of an automotive
race team is similar to the systems of a body.
28.1 Levels of Organization

• Body cells work best if they have the correct

• Temperature
• Glucose concentration, (sugar)
• Water levels

• Homeostasis involves keeping the internal environment within set

ranges
28.1 Levels of Organization

Organs and involved:

• Water - kidneys : skin
• regulate water & mineral salts
concentration tissue
cells
• Thermoregulation –skin and muscles :
• regulate body temperature kidney

• Glucose - liver & pancreas :

• regulate blood glucose level liver blood

+
pancreas
28.1 Levels of Organization
Thermoregulation – process of
maintaining a steady body temperature
Sweating
•When your body is hot, sweat glands are stimulated to release sweat.
•The liquid sweat turns into a gas (it evaporates)
•To do this, it needs heat.
•It gets that heat from your skin.
•As your skin loses heat, it cools down.
28.1 Levels of Organization

Thermoregulation – process of maintaining a steady body

temperature
Shivering
• Hypothalamus signals skin and muscular, respiratory, and
circulatory systems
• Blood vessels constrict to reduce blood flow to prevent loss of
heat
• Muscles contract around pores
• Muscles contract causing shivering
• Thyroid releases hormones that increase
metabolism
28.1 Levels of Organization

Controlling Glucose levels

• Your cells also need an exact level of glucose in the blood.
• Excess glucose gets turned into glycogen in the liver
• This is regulated by 2 hormones (chemicals) from the pancreas called
Insulin and Glucagon
• In this way, the concentration of glucose in the blood is kept within narrow limits
 12
28.1 Levels of Organization

The glucose concentration in the

blood is controlled by the pancreas

The pancreas contains cells which

produce digestive enzymes but it also
produces the hormones insulin and
glucagon

If the glucose concentration rises, the

pancreas releases insulin

If the glucose concentration falls, the

pancreas releases glucagon
28.1 Levels of Organization

Insulin stimulates the liver and

muscles to remove excess
glucose from the blood and
store it as glycogen

Glucagon stimulates the liver

to convert its stored
glycogen into glucose which
is then released into the
bloodstream

In this way, the concentration of

glucose in the blood is kept
within narrow limits
28.1 Levels of Organization

Water Regulation
• After having a very salty meal
 produce concentrated urine to remove
excess salts in solution form
 extra water is needed to be excreted
along with the excess salts
 sensation of thirst (drink more water to
compensate for the water loss)
28.1 Levels of Organization

Water Regulation

• The amount of water in the blood must be kept more or less the
same all the time to avoid cell damage as a result of osmosis.
• There has to be a balance between the amount of water gained
(from your diet though drinks and food and the water produced by
cellular respiration) and the amount of water lost by the body (in
sweating, evaporation, feces and urine).
• This is achieved by the action of the hormone ADH (anti-diuretic
hormone).
28.1 Levels of Organization

Water Regulation
• Part of the brain, the hypothalamus, detects that there is not
enough water in the blood. The hypothalamus sends a
message to the pituitary gland which releases ADH.

• This travels in the blood to your kidneys and as a result you

make a smaller volume of more concentrated urine. The
level of water in your blood increases until it is back to
normal.
• If the level of water in your blood goes up the hypothalamus
detects the change and sends a message to the pituitary.
The release of ADH into the blood is slowed down or even
stopped. Without ADH the kidneys will not save as much
water and you produce large volumes of dilute urine.
• This is an example of negative feedback.
28.1 Levels of Organization

• There are 11 major organ systems in the human body.

28.1 Levels of Organization

TYPE I

• Name 3 systems that help maintain homeostasis and describe how

they work to maintain homeostasis.

• 1.

• 2.

• 3.