UNIT-II: HOMEOSTASIS & ADAPTATION

By: Farzana Kausar

Lecturer
INS-KMU
 Objectives
At the completion of this unit, learners will be
able to:
 Define the term homeostasis.
 Discuss the factors which affect homeostasis.
 Define feedback mechanism and its
components.
 Discuss the role of feedback mechanisms in
maintenance of homeostasis with examples.
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 Homeostasis
Homeo = same; stasis = standing
Homeostasis is the body's ability to maintain a stable internal
environment despite external changes.
 Homeostasis is the body's self-regulation to maintain stable internal
conditions essential for optimal function and survival.
 Homeostasis must be maintained for normal body functioning and to
sustain life.
 Homeostatic imbalance – a disturbance in homeostasis resulting in
disease
 First described by French physiologist CLAUDE BERNARD in
1865 and later named WALTER CANNON in 1926.
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 Factors Affecting
Homeostasis
 Factors affecting homeostasis include external
environmental conditions, internal metabolic
processes, hormonal signals, and the body's
feedback mechanisms.
 Some other factors may include Disease, Stress,
Lifestyle, Injury, Dehydration, Genetic factors,
Outside Temperature.

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 Two Major Systems
Involved

 Autonomic Nervous System

 Endocrine System

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 Receptor: Detects and responds to changes in
the environment (stimuli), sending this
information to the control center.
 Control Center: Analyzes the information
received from receptors, determines the set point
(desired value), and decides on an appropriate
response.
 Effector: Carries out the response instructed by
the control center, providing a means to
counteract or enhance the stimulus and restore
the system to the set point.

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Feedback Mechanism
(Feedback Loop)
Negative Feedback:
 This is the most common type of feedback mechanism in
homeostasis.
 It works to maintain a stable condition by counteracting any
deviation from the set point.
 When a change occurs in the internal environment, sensors
detect the change and send signals to effectors (muscles or
glands) to reverse the change.
 The goal is to bring the system back to its normal or set point.
 Examples include the regulation of body temperature, blood
glucose levels, and blood pressure.
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Negative Feedback
 Temperature Regulation:
 Stimulus: An increase in body temperature.
 Receptor: Temperature receptors in the skin and hypothalamus
detect the rise.
 Control Center: The hypothalamus determines the set point and
signals effectors.
 Effector: Sweat glands release sweat, cooling the body through
evaporation.
 Response: Body temperature decreases, and the feedback loop is
inhibited.

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Negative Feedback
 Blood Glucose Regulation:
 Stimulus: Rise in blood glucose levels after a meal.
 Receptor: Pancreatic cells detect elevated blood glucose.
 Control Center: The pancreas releases insulin.
 Effector: Cells take up glucose, and the liver stores it as glycogen.
 Response: Blood glucose levels decrease, and insulin release
diminishes.

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Positive Feedback
 Positive feedback amplifies or reinforces a change in the
body's internal environment.
 Instead of opposing the change like negative feedback, it
enhances or accelerates it.
 Positive feedback is often associated with processes that
need to be completed quickly.
 Examples include blood clotting during an injury and the
release of oxytocin during childbirth.

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Positive Feedback
 Childbirth (Uterine Contractions):
 Receptor: Stretch receptors in the cervix detect pressure from the
baby's head.
 Control Center: The brain (specifically, the hypothalamus and
pituitary gland) releases oxytocin in response to the pressure,
stimulating uterine contractions.
 Effector: The uterine muscles act as effectors, contracting and
pushing the baby further down the birth canal.

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Positive Feedback
 Blood Clotting:
 Receptor: Platelets and damaged tissues detect the presence of a
break in a blood vessel.
 Control Center: The platelets release chemical signals that
activate more platelets, promoting further clotting. The
coagulation cascade is also initiated in the blood plasma.
 Effector: Platelets and clotting factors act as effectors, forming a
blood clot at the site of injury.

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 Blood clotting

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 Stages of Homeostasis
 There are three stages of homeostasis.
 Sensing
 Processing
 Responding

 These stages are managed by the receptor, control

center and effector respectively.
 These stages work in a continuous manner for the
maintenance of homeostasis.

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Stages of Homeostasis
Sensing:
Receptor is where sensing is performed. It is the sensing element, which
is responsible for the monitoring and responding to the changes in the
internal or external environment.
Processing:
The control center is where processing happens. It is also known as the
integration center. It is responsible for receiving and processing
information from the receptor.
Responding:
Effector is a part which is involved in responding to the commands from
the control center. It may either enhance or oppose the stimulus.

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References

 Ross & Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in

Health and Illness 12th Edition

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