AIR- 1 (AIIMS) Dr.

Sachin Kapur
AIR - 1 (AIPMT) M.Phil, Phd.
AIR - 1 (DPMT)
23+ years Teaching Experience

1 Million Students & Teachers Mentored

Introduction
French Physiologist Claude Bernard in nineteenth
century advocated that the 'stability of the internal
environment (milieu interieur) is the condition for the
free and independent life'.
Organism's ability to keep a nearly constant internal
environment was termed as homeostasis by Walter Bradford
Cannon an American Physiologist in 1929. Canon explained the
concept of maintenance of constancy in internal environment.
The Maintenance of a relatively stable internal
environment is termed homeostasis (homeo means
“similar”; stasis means “to stand or stay”)
Homeostasis is often referred to as maintaining a dynamic
equilibrium. (Dynamic means “active,” and equilibrium
means “balanced.”) If the body loses homeostasis, illness
or even death will occur.
Disease is often considered to be a state of disrupted
homeostasis.However, even in presence of disease, homeostatic
mechanisms continue to operate and maintain vital functions. The
field of Pathophysiology explains how the various physiological
processes are altered during disease or injury.
Body operates within a narrow range of temperature, fluids, and
chemicals.
This range of normal is called the set point or set point range.
For example, the body’s internal temperature should remain
between 97° and 99° F (36°– 37.2° C) despite the temperature
outside the body.
Set Points differ between individuals based on age, gender,
genetic factors, overall health and environment.There are no
actual precise homeostatic conditions. Basically, homeostatic
values are either based on average between large number of
people or as a range including 95%(or more) of those people
being sampled.
Most healthy adults have body temperature between 98.1°F
and 98.9°F(36.7 °C and 37.2 °C), 5% have resting body
temperatures above or below this ange.
Composition of ions, electrolytes, water, etc. varies between
intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid.
Extracellular fluid contains more amount of nutrients such as
glucose, fatty acid, amino acids and ions such as sodium,
chloride, bicarbonate while intracellular fluid contains higher
amount of potassium, phosphate and magnesium
In order to keep a stable internal environment there is constant
adjustments of chemical composites of extracellular and
intracellular content which is aided by various transport
mechanisms.
Homeostatic Regulation

It involves:
1. Receptor

2. Control center

3. Effector
Receptor

It receives information about a change in the environment.

Control Center

It receives and processes information from the receptor.

Effector

It responds to signals from the control center by either

opposing or enhancing the stimulus. The signal sent by the
effector is called feedback; feedback can be either negative or
positive.
To maintain homeostasis, the control system must be able to

(1) detect deviations from normal in the internal

environmental factor that needs to be held within narrow limits
To maintain homeostasis, the control system must be able to
(2) integrate this information with any other relevant
information
(3) make appropriate adjustments in the activity of the body
parts responsible for restoring this factor to its desired value
Homeostatically Regulated Factors

Many factors of the internal environment must be

homeostatically maintained. They include the following:
Homeostatically Regulated Factors

1-Concentration of nutrients
2-Concentration of O2 and CO2.
3-Concentration of waste products
Homeostatically Regulated Factors

4-pH. Changes in the pH

5-Concentrations of water, electrolytes.
6-Volume and pressure.
7-Temperature.
All systems of human body participate in maintenance
of homeostasis. The physiological well-being of human
body is maintained by the harmonious functional
interaction between various systems.
Role of various systems of body in Homeostasis
Role of various systems of body in Homeostasis
Skeletal and Muscular System

It is responsible for movements of the human body. The

locomotion of entire body is based on presence of bones to
which muscles are attached. Movements are affected by
muscle.
Skeletal and Muscular System

Muscles help in movement of limbs and locomotion. Locomotion

aids in movement of individual to meet the need of food which
provides nutrition to the human body and aids in homeostasis.
Kidneys

These maintain extracellular fluid volume, electrolyte

concentration, acid-base balance, removes waste products from
blood and also produces hormones erythropoietin which
stimulates red blood cell production.
Kidneys

Renin regulates blood pressure and calcitriol promotes the

renal reabsorption of phosphate and intestinal absorption of
calcium.
Cardiovascular System

Heart pumps the blood in circulation and maintains the systemic

circulation and this aids in delivering 02 and nutrients to the
various tissue and organ of the body.
Respiratory System

The main respiratory function of lung is to deliver oxygen to

tissues and remove carbon dioxide from the body.
Endocrine System

It regulates the metabolism, growth and development, sleep,

emotions, mood, sexual function, reproduction, stress response,
tissue functions among many other important body functions via
feedback mechanisms.
Endocrine System

Most of the mechanisms of the endocrine system are negative

feedback. For example, adrenocortical releasing hormone
(ACTH) and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) are controlled
by negative feedback mechanisms.
Endocrine System
Reproductive System

It has a little role in homeostasis.

Sex hormones like testosterone influence muscular growth.
Estrogen is important for bone growth.
Digestive System

It controls the absorption, and digestion of carbohydrates, lipids,

proteins, vitamins and nutrient along the gastrointestinal tract.
Special Senses

Vision, hearing, taste and smell also participate in homeostasis.

Example: Vision and hearing aids in motor and sensory response
to a stimuli while smell and taste promotes food and water
intake
Nervous System

Central nervous system controls muscle tone, maintenance of

posture and equilibrium, planning and programming of
movements, co-ordination for movements, expression of
emotions, learning, memory, speech, etc
Feedback Homeostasis
Regulations
Homeostasis Control Mechanism
 Homeostatic Control Mechanism

Intrinsic Controls Extrinsic Controls

Intrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

Intrinsic, or local, controls are built into or are inherent in an

organ (intrinsic means “within”).
Intrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

An exercising skeletal muscle rapidly uses up O2 to generate

energy to support its contractile activity, the O2 concentration
within the muscle falls.
Intrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

This local chemical change acts directly on the smooth muscle

in the walls of the blood vessels supplying the exercising
muscle, causing the smooth muscle to relax so that the vessels
dilate, or open widely.
Intrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

As a result, increased blood flows through the dilated vessels

into the exercising muscle, bringing in more O2. This local
mechanism helps maintain an optimal level of O2 in the fluid
immediately around the exercising muscle cells.
Extrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

Most factors in internal environment are maintained by extrinsic,

or systemic, controls, which are regulatory mechanisms initiated
outside an organ to alter the organ’s activity.
Extrinsic Homeostatic Control Mechanism

Extrinsic control of the organs and body systems is accomplished

by the nervous and endocrine systems, the two major regulatory
systems
 Types of Homeostatic Control
Mechanisms

Feedback Feedforward
Mechanisms Mechanisms
Feedback Mechanism

In this the effect or output of an action is returned(feedback) to

modify the next action. In this the change actually occurs.
Feed Forward Mechanism

This type of control system anticipates the disturbance and

prevent the change in controlled variable by generating a
corrective command. It means system is creating a condition in
anticipation of the change that will occur.
Feed Forward Mechanism

This type of control system is capable of overcoming the

disadvantage of other feedback systems. It improves the speed of
response, cancels steady state errors, does not provoke instability
of system.
 Feedback Mechanisms

Positive Feedback Mechanism Negative Feedback Mechanism

Negative Feedback
When the effector opposes the stimulus (such as a dropping
temperature) and reverses the direction of change (causing the
temperature to rise)
Negative Feedback
The controller acts opposite and the error is minimised.
Components of Negative Feedback:
Most systems supporting homeostasis operate by
negative feedback.
 When the effector reinforces the
Positive stimulus (such as uterine contractions
Feedback during childbirth, which trigger the
release of the hormone oxytocin) and
amplifies the direction of change
(causing even greater contractions and
further release of oxytocin)
Positive Feedback
The controller acts in same direction and error is amplified.
Because positive feedback is stimulatory, there are only a few
situations in which it is beneficial to the body (such as during
childbirth or in blood clotting).
More often, positive feedback is harmful (such as when a high
fever continues to rise)
In each case where positive feedback is useful, it is actually a
part of an OVERALL negative feedback process. For Example in
case of blood clotting the positive feedback clotting process is a
negative feedback process for maintenance of normal blood
volume.
Positive Feedback Mechanism

When the response to a stimulus increases the original stimulus,

it is known as positive feedback mechanism. It is also known as
VICIOUS CYCLE.
Negative Feedback Mechanism

When the response to a stimulus reduces the original stimulus, it

is the negative feedback mechanism.
It is the Primary type of homeostatic control.
AIR- 1 (AIIMS) Dr. Sachin Kapur
AIR - 1 (AIPMT) M.Phil, Phd.
AIR - 1 (DPMT)
23+ years Teaching Experience

1 Million Students & Teachers Mentored

Whatsapp No.
8368459323