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Physiological Control Systems

Homeostasis: need to maintain constant internal
environment
Controlled (or regulated) variables include
core temperature (37C)
ionic composition of fluids (300 mOsm)
plasma glucose concentration (100 mg/dL)
blood pressure (100 mmHg)
muscle length during contraction
etc.
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Set point of a variable
Optimal value of a variable
Not always constant. Examples:
fever ! core temperature
muscle length at different joint positions
No real set point because no optimal
reference value. Example:
chronic hypertension: high maintained blood
pressure resulting from cardiovascular disease
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Control theory: three types of systems
Negative feedback system
most common
response to a change tends to negate (diminish) change
stabilizes system
returns variable to set point
Positive feedback system
rare in biological systems, but notable important
instances
response to a change tends to enhance change
inherently unstable resulting in all-or-none events
Open loop system
system lacking feedback control (more later)
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Parts of a negative feedback system (or loop)
Sensor: measures controlled variable
Integrator: compares sensor information with
set point
Error signal: output of integrator that controls
effector
Effector: mechanism that ultimately adjusts
controlled variable
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Block diagram of negative feedback loop
Perturbing
factors
Controlled
variable
Sensor
set point
Integrator
Error
signal
Effector
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Real example: room temperature during winter
Cold air
entry
Room
temperature
Thermocouple
70 F
Thermo-
stat
k(70"temp)
Heat output
from furnace
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Gain determines response of system to a
perturbation
Error signal typically never zero
Gain determines sensitivity of effector to a small
perturbation of variable
High gain: system maintains small error
Low gain: system tolerates significant error
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Time lag also alters response to a perturbation
Time needed to
sense change in controlled variable
process signal (integrator)
communicate with effector
restore variable to set point
Example: room temp change after opening door:
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A perfect controlled system
has infinite gain
small deviation produces large error signal
has zero time lag
responds immediately to a deviation
RESULT: controlled variable perfectly kept at set
point
REALITY: this is never the case!
finite gain and response time (time lag)
HENCE: response as seen in previous two slides
i.e., controlled variable oscillates about the set
point
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System gone awry e.g., pathological case
System with out-of-control oscillations
amplitude dependent on gain
frequency inversely dependent on time lag
Example: furnace to big for small house (too
much gain: e.g., Madison Sq. Garden heating
plant), with large time lag (e.g., boiler several
blocks from baseboards)
Result: poor control of house temperature
Large amplitude, low-frequency oscillation, in
house temperature
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Real physiological control system: restoration
of mean BP following hemorrhage
Loss of
blood
Blood pres.
Stretch of
arterial receptors
100 mmHg
Brain
(medulla)
k(100 mmHg"BP)
Heart rate
#Vessel
diameter
Very rapid: occurs every time you get out of bed!
Bad set point can cause hypertension!
A high gain, short
time-lag system
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Another example: long time-lag (several days)
system for blood-pressure control
Consume salt
and water
Blood pres.
Stretch of
atrial receptors
(sensitive to blood volume)
100 mmHg
Brain
(medulla)
k(BP"100 mmHg)
salt-wasting
hormones
salt-saving
hormones
kidney
function
+
"
Occurs whenever one goes out drinking!
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Positive feedback systems
Recall change in variable results in response that
exacerbates change.
Rare in biological systems, but notable exceptions:
nerve impulses
blood clotting
uterine contractions during delivery of a newborn
other examples as well
Positive feedback usually pathological, resulting in
vicious cycles--i.e., a bad change in a variable leads to
further worsening of the variable
Example: congestive heart failure (CHF)
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CHF: A drop in blood pressure leading to
further decreases in the pressure
Death of
heart tissue
Blood pools in veins
( venous pressure)
Heart becomes
engorged
# Volume per
cardiac cycle
# Arterial blood
pressure
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Open-loop systems
Controlled variable normally under negative-feedback
control becomes disrupted by breaking of feedback loop
No negative (or positive) feedback
Variable tends to increase or decrease in one direction
Pathological examples: Parkinsons disease, sun stroke
(hyperthermia)
Extremely rapid events normally operate in open-loop mode
Why? To overcome time lag inherent to control system
Examples: rapid piano playing, rapid typing, etc.