Homeostasis & Response

• Homeostasis


  The regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external changes
• Enzymes and cells require very stable conditions in order to work
• The body has systems in place to keep the internal conditions optimum for the cells to function
• Internal conditions maintained by homeostasis

  • Blood glucose concentration
  • Body temperature
  • Water levels
• Automatic control system


  Involves the nervous system or hormones
• Automatic control system


  1. Receptor cells detect changes in the environment (stimulus)

  2. Receptor cells pass information to a Coordination Center

  3. Coordination Center receives and processes the information

  4. Coordination Center sends instructions to the effector

  5. Effector (muscle or gland) carries out the response
• The optimum level is stored