Homeostasis: Introduction

2014 Year 3 Raffles Programme (Biology)

Objectives

!! Understand organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium in

their internal environment as possible to live.

!! Macro-concept: Change

Key Understandings

!! Living organisms have boundaries to distinguish between

the internal environment and external environments.

!! External environments can cause changes to the internal

environment of living organisms.

!! Different organisms have different mechanisms for coping

with external changes to restore normal internal conditions.

Homeostasis

!! Controlled stability of the internal environment of cells and

tissues.
!! Some examples of homeostasis:
!! Water regulation (osmoregulation) !! Temperature regulation (thermoregulation) !! Glucose regulation

Activity 1: Observe-Predict-Explain

These thermal infrared images of warm-blooded animals, show how birds (Image A) and mammals (Image B) maintain body temperatures well above the surrounding, cooler air temperature. Both the gecko (Image C) and the scorpion (Image D) are at the same temperature as the air surrounding them. *Note: The temperature shown in the images reflect the temperature in Fahrenheit.

Activity 1: Observe-PredictExplain
!! http://goo.gl/AFWmCg

Activity 2: Video

!! Watch the video by BBC Worldwide: Fish and Frogs out

of Water (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUsARF-CBcI)
!! What are the similarities and/or differences in strategies they

employ? !! From what you understand so far, how do you think these strategies allow for homeostasis to occur?

Equilibrium

!! Equilibrium = constant? !! Dynamic equilibrium: a state of balance achieved within an

environment as the result of internal control mechanisms that continuously oppose outside forces that tend to change that environment.

Group Discussion

How does the body employ strategies to maintain thermoregulation in high and low temperatures?

Group Discussion

How does the body employ strategies to maintain glucose concentration in blood?

Group Discussion

How does the body employ strategies to maintain water potential of blood?