Homeostasis

• What is the definition of homeostasis?


  Homeostasis is the regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function.
• Why do enzymes require stable conditions to function?


  Enzymes cannot work well if the conditions around them change too much.
• What are the three internal conditions that homeostasis helps to keep constant in the human body?


  Blood glucose concentration, body temperature, and water levels.
• What are the key features of automatic control systems in the body?


  • Involves the nervous system or hormones
  • Receptor cells detect changes (stimuli)
  • Coordination Center processes information
  • Effector carries out the response
• What is a stimulus in the context of homeostasis?


  A stimulus is a change to the environment that is detected by receptor cells.
• What role do receptor cells play in homeostasis?


  Receptor cells detect changes in the environment and pass information to the Coordination Center.
• What is the function of the Coordination Center in an automatic control system?


  The Coordination Center receives and processes information from receptor cells.
• What is the role of an effector in the homeostasis process?


  An effector is a muscle or gland that carries out the response to restore optimum levels.
• Describe the process of homeostasis in the human body.


  1. Stimulus detected by receptor cells
  2. Information sent to Coordination Center
  3. Coordination Center processes information
  4. Instructions sent to effector
  5. Effector carries out response to maintain optimum conditions
• What are the two systems that can be involved in automatic control systems in the human body?

  The nervous system and hormones.
• How does exercise affect homeostasis in an athlete?


  Exercise can cause blood glucose concentration to fall, body temperature to rise, and water loss through sweating.
• What is the relationship between homeostasis and enzyme function?


  Homeostasis maintains stable conditions that are necessary for enzymes to function effectively.