Homeostasis

Maintaining your inner environment

Homeostasis: maintaining a constant
internal environment
Examples of homeostasis:
1. temperature (37C)
2. pH of blood
3. glucose level in blood
4. water & salt content of blood

Why should these factors be kept constant?

For enzymes to work effectively.
Skin, our largest organ
 Controlling your body temperature
To lower body temperature
 Blood vessels in the skin
dilate to increase blood
flow; increase heat loss by
radiation.
 Hair muscles relax; hairs
lie down to trap less air
around the body.
 Sweat glands secrete more
sweat that cools the body
as it evaporates.
To raise body temperature
 Blood vessels in the skin
constrict to decrease blood
flow; decrease heat loss by
radiation.
 Hair muscles contract;
hairs stand upright to trap
more air around the body.
 Sweat glands secrete less
sweat that cools the body
as it evaporates.
 Muscles “shiver” to
produce more heat.
 Chemical reactions in liver
increase to generate more
Surface area: volume
As an organism increases in size its surface area to volume ratio decreases.

A
B
1cm

Volume A=1x1x1 10 cm
Volume A=10x10x10
=1cm3
=1000cm3

Surface area= 6x1cm2 Surface area= 6x100cm2

=6cm2 =600cm2

Ratio 6:1 Ratio 600:1000

0.6:1
How does surface area:volume affect an
organism?
 Which looses more heat, small or large
animals?
Small because they have a larger S.A:V ratio
Controlling blood glucose level
 When blood glucose level is high:

Insulin

Liver takes up glucose

& changes it to glycogen
(stored in liver cells)
 When blood glucose level is low:

Glucagon

Liver breaks down glycogen

& changes it to glucose
(released into blood stream)
Negative feedback
 To keep blood glucose level, body
temperature constant they are controlled by a
negative feedback system.

 Negative feedback control results in reversal

of the action taking place.

 e.g. after insulin hormone secretion and the

consequent removal of glucose from blood,
the blood sugar falls below normal &
glucagon is produced to bring it back up.