Homeostasis

Definitions
 Homeostasis – state of balance in the body

 Stimulus- something in the environment that causes a

change (can be internal)

 Response – action of organism as a result of stimulus

 Feedback mechanisms/loops – processes by which the

body maintains levels
– Usually uses nervous and hormonal cues to conduct
processes
 How does homeostasis work?
 Feedback pathways
– A cellular relay race!

– Specific organs and

structures must
communicate with each
other in response to
changes in the body

 Keeps levels of certain

processes within a
normal range
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_12_stage-02_1988.jpg
 What things in your body need to be
kept within a range?
 Body Temperature
 Blood pressure
 Blood pH
 O2 and CO2 concentration
 Osmoregulation-Water balance
 Blood glucose
 Normal Ranges for Some Blood Values

Arterial pH 7.35-7.45
Bicarbonate 24-28 mEq/L
Sodium 135-145 mEq/L
Calcium 4.5-5.5 mEq/L
Oxygen content 17.2-22 ml/100ml
Urea 12-35 mg/100 ml
Amino acids 3.3-5.1 mg/100ml
Protein 6.5-8 g/100ml
Total lipids 400-800 mg/100ml
Glucose 75-110 mg/100ml
 Homeostatic Control Systems
 Network of body components that operate to
maintain a given factor in the internal
environment relatively constant around an
optimal level

 Local (intrinsic) controls

– Inherent, or built into a particular organ

 Systemic (extrinsic) controls

– Outside of an organ
– Involves neural and endocrine regulation
 Coordinates various organs and systems
 Steps in a Homeostatic process
 When a stimulus
occurs, each of these
steps must occur in
order for a response
to be initiated
 1) receptor must
recognize stimulus
– Must be enough of a
stimulus to surpass
nervous threshold
Sensory Neuron
 2)sensory neuron
must transmit
message from the
receptor, to a control
center
– Neuron = nerve cell
– Most receptors are
bundled together on
individual neurons by
region
 Control center
 3)message is carried
to a control center
(usually in brain),
where the message is
interpreted, and the
correct response is
coordinated.
– In the case of a reflex
action, spinal chord is
C.C.
Motor neuron
 4)Carries message
from control center to
effector organ
dictating response
 Effector organ
 5)Receives message
and conducts actual
response
 Afferent vs. Efferent pathway
 Afferent pathway  Efferent pathway
 Includes receptor and  Includes motor
sensory neuron (aka neuron (efferent
afferent neuron) neuron) and effector
organ
Antagonistic homeostatic control of heart rate
Tonic control of blood vessel diameter
Local vs. Reflex Control
 Variable to
Control

Sensor
Effector Receptor

Integrating
Center
 Functions of the Integrator

 Possess a “set point”

 Look for error
signals
 Respond by
controlling the
effector
 Positive Feedback Systems
 Reproductive
hormone cycles
in females
 Action potentials
in nerve cells
 Uterine
contractions
during childbirth
NOT always homeostatic
 Set-points can be modified
e.g. thermostat in brain
hypothalamus (integrator)
Increase in set-point for core
body temperature during fever

e.g. acclimatization to
environmental temperature,
altitude (increase red blood
cells)
e.g. circadian rhythms
Loop efficiency can be
altered
 Frequency
 Speed
 Sensitivity
 Anticipation (Feed-Forward
Control)
 continual observation
 prediction from other information
 e.g. salivation in response to smell
of food
 Arterial blood
pressure decrease

Variable

Heart and Baroreceptor

blood vessels decreases firing

Effector Receptor
Integrator

Efferent Brainstem Afferent

Pathway Pathway
Homeostatic control of blood
sugar (glucose)
 Blood glucose negative feedback loop

Eating

Increased Blood Glucose

Pancreas Islets of Langerhans

Beta cells

Increased Insulin

Cellular Uptake of Glucose

Decreased Blood Glucose

 Glucose

Variable

Body cells Pancreas

liver, muscle, fat islet beta cells

Effector Receptor
Integrator
Pancreas
Insulin islet beta cells
none
Antagonistic homeostatic control of blood sugar

Decreased blood glucose

Pancreas alpha cells

Increased glucagon

Increased glucose synthesis

Increased glycogen breakdown

Increased blood glucose

 Positive Feedback loop
 Process by which
stimulus causes a
response which will
increase the stimulation

 Ie. Oxytocin in childbirth

 Rate constantly
increases until action is
complete

 Least common
 Graph of Positive Feedback

 X-axis is time

 Y-axis is hormone
secreted
 Negative Feedback loops
 Receptors detect change
and initiate response
that will counter that
change
 Tries to maintain a
median
 Ie. Blood glucose, temp,
blood O2/CO2 levels
 Example: Breathing Pattern
 Body is designed to detect blood pH.
 Too high = too much CO2

 Receptor = chemoreceptors in arteries

 Afferent neuron = vagus nerve
 C.C. = brain stem
 Efferent neuron = phrenic nerve
 Effector organ = intercostals and diaphragm

 High pH will trigger quicker breathing, lower pH

will slow it down (negative feedback)
 Dueling Hormones
What goes up, must come down!
Insulin Glucagon
 Produced by -cells of  Produced by -cells of
the Pancreas the pancreas
 Released into  Released into the
circulatory system circulatory system
when blood glucose is when blood glucose is
high low
 Facilitates the  Signals the liver to
transport of glucose break down glycogen
into target cells into simple glucose
 Dueling Mechanisms
What goes up, must come down!
Thermoregulation
Sweating (cooling) vs. shivering (warming)

Blood Pressure
Vasconstriction vs. vasodilation

Osmoregulation
Hypotonic vs. hypertonic
END