Homeostasis

• Homeostasis

  The regulation of conditions inside the body to maintain a stable internal environment in response to changes in both internal and external conditions
• Cells in the body need certain conditions to function properly, such as not being too hot or too cold, not being too acidic or too alkaline, and having a good supply of glucose and water
• The body regulates everything and makes sure that everything is kept around the right levels
• Temperature and glucose levels do fluctuate, but only within small bounds
• Changes in external conditions

  The body can maintain its internal environment
• Automatic control systems


  • Receptors which detect a change
  • Coordination centres which interpret the change and decide what to do
  • Effectors which carry out the change
• Nervous system


  Sends fast and precise electrical impulses through nerves, allowing for quick responses
• Endocrine system


  Relies on hormones released into the bloodstream, which are slower, longer-lasting, and more generalized than the nervous system
• Negative feedback mechanism


  1. If the level of something gets too high, negative feedback decreases it to return it to normal

  2. If the level gets too low, negative feedback increases it to return it to normal
• Homeostasis is the overall process of maintaining a stable internal environment through a loop of negative feedback