Homeostasis

the control of regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism

Examples of internal conditions:

o water content
o temperature
o pH
o blood pressure & glucose concentration

core body temperature is kept close to 37°C to prevent enzymes from denaturing

o body temperature is monitored & controlled by the thermoregulatory centre

(hypothalamus) in the brain
o hypothalamus contains receptors sensitive to the temperature of blood
o the skin contains temperature receptors & sends nervous impulses to the
hypothalamus
o the brain then coordinates a cooling or heating response, depending on what is
required
 When the temperature is too high (>37°C): cooling mechanisms
o Vasodilation
- supplies more blood to the capillaries in the skin, allowing more heat to
be lost to the environment via radiation
- arterioles (small vessels connecting arteries & capillaries) have muscle in
their walls to contract or relax to allow more or less blood to flow
through them
- during vasodilation these muscles relax, causing the arterioles near the
skin to dilate, allowing more blood to flow through capillaries
o Sweating
- sweat is secreted by sweat glands
- cools the skin by evaporation, using heat energy form the body to form
water vapour
o flattening of hairs
- hair erector muscles in the skin relax, causing hairs to lie flat
- prevents them from forming an insulating layer by trapping air & allows
air to circulate over skin & heat to leave by radiation

 When the temperature is too low (<37°C):

warming mechanisms
o Vasoconstriction
- supplies the capillaries in the skin with less blood, minimising heat loss
to the environment through radiation
o Shivering
- a reflex action responding to a decrease in temperature
 - muscles contract in a rapid & regular manner
- metabolic reactions occur to provide energy for muscles to contract &
generates heat to warm the blood & raise the body temperature
o erection (standing) of hair
- hair erector muscles in the skin contract, causing the hair to stand
- forms an insulating layer over the skin’s surface by trapping air
(convection) & stops heat from being lost by radiation