Unit # 02 Homeostasis Insta - Husain.z.kmu

Homeostasis & Adaptation
Anatomy & Physiology
Muhammad Ziad
Lecturer INS-KMU Peshawar
Insta | husain.z.kmu
Objectives
• At the end of the session the students will be able.

• Define the term homeostasis.
• Discuss the factors which effect homeostasis.
• Explain the feedback mechanism and its components.
• Interpret the role of feedback process in homeostasis
• maintenance with examples.
• Identify stages/type of homeostasis through charts.(P)
• Adopt how to care and handle Models and charts.(A)
Homeostasis Definition
• The term ‘homeostasis’ is derived from two Greek words; Homeo which
means ‘same’ and Stasis which means ‘standing’.
• In its simplest form it means ‘staying the same’.
• It is an organism’s internal environment which ‘stays the same’
Cont…
• The ‘internal environment’ refers to the conditions inside an organism.

These conditions remain more or less constant despite changes in the
outside environment.
In practice, it comes down to providing a stable environment for the
cells of the body.
• Definition:
• The maintenance of the internal environment within narrow limits is
called homeostasis.
Factors Affecting Homeostasis
• Disease
• Stress
• Lifestyle
• Injury
• Dehydration
• Genetic factors
• Outside Temperature
Feedback Mechanism
• 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.
Feedback Mechanism
• These pathways most commonly return the body to
homeostasis.
• When there is a change in a system, an alarm is triggered,
which causes the feedback loop to start. The output either
supports or hinders the modification.

Components of Feedback Mechanism
Stimulus
•Stimulus is something which causes changes in the system
including the variable.
•Stimulus denotes that the variable has deviated from its typical
range, hence commencing the homeostasis process.

Receptor
•A structure that monitors the body's internal functions and
conditions; detects changes in the body's internal environment
and carry them to the control center.
Control center
•The center that receives messages from receptors about a

change in the body's internal conditions and relays messages to
effectors to change their function to correct the deviation; in
most homeostatic mechanisms, the control center is the brain.
Components of Feedback Mechanism…
Effectors:
• A muscle or organ that receives messages from the control center to change
its function in order to correct a deviation in the body's internal conditions.
Hormone:
• —Chemical regulator of physiology, growth, or development
which is typically synthesized in one region of the body and
active in another.
Negative feedback loop:
• —A homeostatic mechanism that opposes or resists a change in the

body's internal conditions.
• —A mechanism the Positive feedback loop increases or enlarges a

change in the body's internal conditions.
Negative feedback Mechanism:
• It applies to many systems in the body. Temperature regulation

is one example
• If the blood temperature rises, a ‘heat gain’ centre in the brain

sends nerve impulses to the skin, which causes vasodilation and
sweating, which cool the blood.
Negative feedback cont…
• If the blood temperature falls, it stimulates a ‘heat loss’ centre

in the brain which sends impulse to the skin causing
vasoconstriction and the cessation of sweating. These changes
reduce heat loss from the skin.
• The warmer or cooler blood provides negative feedback to the

thermoregulatory center in the brain
Negative feedback is the primary homeostatic mechanism that

keeps a variable close to a particular value, or set point.
A homeostatic mechanism has three components: a sensor, a

regulatory center, and an effectors. The sensor detects a change
in the internal environment; the regulatory center activates the
effectors; the effectors reverses the change and brings
conditions back to normal again.
• Another example of negative feedback is the control of the

hormone estrogen
• The pituitary body produces follicle-stimulating hormone

(FSH) which promotes the development of the ovarian follicles
and causes the ovaries to produce estrogen
• Estrogen also acts on the uterus and causes its lining to thicken
• When the estrogen reaches a certain level in the blood, it acts

on the pituitary and stops the production of more FSH
• In this case, oestrogen is exerting a negative feedback on the

pituitary
• If the oestrogen level in the blood falls, the pituitary begins to

secrete FSH again
Positive Feedback Mechanism:
• Positive feedback is a mechanism that brings about a change in

the same direction.
Examples: Blood clotting

Release of oxytocin during delivery
Positive Feedback Mechanism:
Role Of Homeostasis
• The living processes in the cells depend on the activity of enzymes.
• These enzymes work best in specific conditions such as those of

temperature and PH. Any change in these conditions affects the
function of the enzymes and may lead to the death of the cells or,
ultimately, the whole organism.
Role Of Homeostasis…
• This is why the internal environment needs to be regulated

and kept constant.
• In fact, the internal conditions are not absolutely constant,

but allowed to vary within very narrow limits. Human body
temperature, for example, varies between 36.1 – 37.8 o C.
The average temperature is usually expressed as 36.8o C
• There is no specific organs which controls homeostasis

except, possibly, the brain.
• The skin, kidneys, liver, endocrine system, nervous system

and sensory system all play a part in maintaining the internal
environment within narrow limits
• Examples of Homeostasis: The skin is a homeostatic organ

which helps maintain the body temperature within the limits
given in the previous slide
• The external temperature varies during the day and from

season to season, sometimes by as much as 40 degree C, but
the human body temperature stays at about 37 degree C
• This is achieved by sweating, vasodilation, vasoconstriction,

and shivering
Vasoconstrictions:
If the body temperature falls. The blood vessels in the skin constrict. Less
warm blood flows near the surface so less heat is lost.
Little heat loss
• Example # 2:
In the cells, the chemical breakdown of proteins produces the

nitrogenous compound, urea. If this were allowed to
accumulate in the cells it would damage or kill them.
This homeostatic functions are carried out by the kidneys

through which urea are excreted from the body.
Stages of Homeostasis
• There are three stages of homeostasis.
• They are sensing, processing and responding.
• These stages are managed by the receptor, control center and effector
respectively.
• These stages work in a continuous manner for the maintenance of homeostasis.
Stages of Homeostasis…
Sensing:
•Receptor is where sensing is performed. It is the sensing

element, which is responsible for the monitoring and responding
to the changes in the internal or external environment.
Processing:
•The control center is where processing happens. It is also known as the
integration center. It is responsible for receiving and processing information from
the receptor.
Responding:
Effector is a part which is involved in responding to the
commands from the control center. It may either enhance or
oppose the stimulus.
References:
• Waugh, A., Grant, A. (2009). Anatomy & Physiology (12th ed.). New
york, USA: Elsevier

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Homeostasis & Adaptation

Anatomy & Physiology

• At the end of the session the students will be able.

• In its simplest form it means ‘staying the same’.

• It is an organism’s internal environment which ‘stays the same’

• The ‘internal environment’ refers to the conditions inside an organism.

• 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

• These pathways most commonly return the body to

• When there is a change in a system, an alarm is triggered,

which causes the feedback loop to start. The output either

supports or hinders the modification.

•Stimulus is something which causes changes in the system

including the variable.

range, hence commencing the homeostasis process.

•A structure that monitors the body's internal functions and

conditions; detects changes in the body's internal environment

and carry them to the control center.

•The center that receives messages from receptors about a

its function in order to correct a deviation in the body's internal conditions.

• —Chemical regulator of physiology, growth, or development

which is typically synthesized in one region of the body and

Negative feedback loop:

• —A homeostatic mechanism that opposes or resists a change in the

• —A mechanism the Positive feedback loop increases or enlarges a

• It applies to many systems in the body. Temperature regulation

• If the blood temperature rises, a ‘heat gain’ centre in the brain

• If the blood temperature falls, it stimulates a ‘heat loss’ centre

• The warmer or cooler blood provides negative feedback to the

Negative feedback is the primary homeostatic mechanism that

A homeostatic mechanism has three components: a sensor, a

• Another example of negative feedback is the control of the

• The pituitary body produces follicle-stimulating hormone

• When the estrogen reaches a certain level in the blood, it acts

• In this case, oestrogen is exerting a negative feedback on the

• If the oestrogen level in the blood falls, the pituitary begins to

• Positive feedback is a mechanism that brings about a change in

Examples: Blood clotting

• These enzymes work best in specific conditions such as those of

• This is why the internal environment needs to be regulated

• In fact, the internal conditions are not absolutely constant,

• There is no specific organs which controls homeostasis

• The skin, kidneys, liver, endocrine system, nervous system

• Examples of Homeostasis: The skin is a homeostatic organ

• The external temperature varies during the day and from

• This is achieved by sweating, vasodilation, vasoconstriction,

Little heat loss

In the cells, the chemical breakdown of proteins produces the

This homeostatic functions are carried out by the kidneys

• There are three stages of homeostasis.

• They are sensing, processing and responding.

• These stages work in a continuous manner for the maintenance of homeostasis.

•Receptor is where sensing is performed. It is the sensing

•The control center is where processing happens. It is also known as the

integration center. It is responsible for receiving and processing information from

Effector is a part which is involved in responding to the

commands from the control center. It may either enhance or

oppose the stimulus.

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