UON/BNS321/NURSING STUDY NOTES

Homeostasis
• A condition in which the internal environment
of the body remains relatively constant
despite changes in the external environment.
Examples would be the maintenance of body
temperature and levels of glucose in the
blood

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 Homeostatic mechanisms
• Homeostasis is achieved through negative or
positive feedback mechanism.
• Negative feedback: Includes most homeostatic
control mechanisms. Shuts off the original
stimulus, or reduces its intensity. Works like a
household thermostat. Examples iclude
control of blood pressure and temperature
regulation.

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 Homeostatic mechanisms
• Positive feedback: Increases the original
stimulus to push the variable farther e.g. in
blood clotting and during the birth of a baby
• Homeostatic mechanisms are designed to
reestablish homeostasis when there is an
imbalance.

The Home Heating System

1. When the temperature of a room decreases below a set point, the thermostat
electrically starts the furnace.

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2. As the temperature of the room rises to the set point, the thermostat shuts
down the furnace.
3. As the room cools, step one is repeated.

There are three components to this system:

1. The Sensor which detects the stress.
2. The Control Center which receives information from the sensor and sends a
message to the Effector.
3. The Effector which receives the message from the control center and
produces the response which reestablishes homeostasis.

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There are three components to a homeostatic system:
1. The Sensor which detects the stress.

2. The Control Center which receives information from the sensor and
sends a message to adjust the stress.

3. The Effector which receives the message from the control center and
produces the response which reestablishes homeostasis

It should be noticed that

1. the heat produced by the furnace shuts the furnace down through the
thermostat.

2. the original stress is reduced, i.e., the room warms up.

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 Homeostatic mechanisms that show these two
characteristics are operating by negative feedbackhttps://www. nursingsathi.com

Homeostatic Regulation of Body Temperature through

Negative Feedback
Hyperthermia Heat receptors Hypothalamus
in the skin
Stress
Sensors Control Center

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism
Increased
activity of
Perspiration(swea sweat glands
t) evaporates
cooling the skin Increased blood
flow to the skin
Effect
Effectors

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Homeostasis Using a Neural Pathway
Many homeostatic
mechanisms use a
nerve pathway in
which to produce their
effects. These
Control center pathways involve an
afferent path which
brings sensory
messages into the
brain and an efferent
path which carries
outgoing nerve
messages to effectors.
Homeostatic Regulation of Blood Sugar through
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 Negative Feedback

Hyperglycemia Pancreas-beta cells Insulin is released

into blood
Stress Sensor and Control center

Stress is reduced
shutting down
mechanism

Liver and Muscle cells

Blood glucose
take up glucose from
is reduced
the blood

Effectors

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 Negative Feedback Via a Hormonal Pathway Regulation of
Blood Sugar

Hormones play an important role in many homeostatic pathways.

Hormones are produced by endocrine glands. They enter the blood after
being produced and travel throughout the body.
However, hormones have their effect on specific target tissues.

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 Positive Feedback Mechanisms
Homeostatic systems utilizing positive feedback exhibit two primary characteristics:
1. Time limitation – Processes in the body that must be completed within a constrained
time frame are usually modified by positive feedback.
2. Intensification of stress – During a positive feedback process, the initial imbalance or
stress is intensified rather than reduced as it is in negative feedback.

Typical Positive Feedback Process

Stress Sensor Control Center

Intensifies Effector
Homeostatic Regulation of Child Birth through

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 Positive Feedback
Nerve endings in the uterine
Pressure of Fetus on
wall carry afferent messages
the Uterine Wall
to the Hypothalamus

Intensifies

Production and Release

Increasing strength of of Oxytocin into the
uterine contractions Blood

The birth of the child will bring this process to a close.

Feedback in Coagulation

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Positive feedback “mini-loops” are built into pathway to speed up production of
chemicals needed to form the clot. Entire sequence of clotting is a negative feedback
pathway:

Harmful Effects of Positive Feedback

Positive feedback can be harmful. Two specific examples of

these harmful outcomes would be:
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1. Fever can cause a positive feedback within homeostasis
that pushes the body temperature continually higher. If the
temperature reaches 45 degrees centigrade cellular
proteins denature bringing metabolism to a stop and
death.
2. Chronic hypertension can favor the process of
atherosclerosis which causes the openings of blood vessels
to narrow. This, in turn, will intensify the hypertension
bring on more damage to the walls of blood vessels.

Thank You
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