Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment for survival. Examples of Homeostasis include: Osmoregulation, Thermoregulation, Maintaining healthy blood pressure, and Maintaining calcium levels.
What is Osmoregulation and How does it take place in Humans?
Osmoregulation is how our bodies get rid of the stuff we don't need. For example, the byproducts of metabolizing food. The byproducts of metabolizing food makes sure we don't get dehydrated. A main byproduct of metabolizing food is ammonia which comes from breaking down proteins. Ammonia is pretty toxic because it can cause damage to the cells and therefore the body immediately treats it as a waste product. Eventually, ammonia is excreted through the liver in the body.
What is Thermoregulation?
Thermoregulation maintains the internal temperature of the body. Thermoregulation works when the internal temperature changes in the human body. Sensors in the central nervous (CNS) send messages to the hypothalamus. The main takeaway of Thermoregulation is that the mechanisms are all "designed to return the body to homeostasis or a state of equilibrium."
How do Negative and Positive Feedback Loops maintain Homeostasis?
A positive feedback loop moves a system further away from the target of equilibrium. Positive feedback loops amplify the effects of "a product or event and occurs when something needs to happen quickly". An example of a positive feedback is fruit ripening. When fruits ripe, they produce a gas known as "Ethylene". Ethylene is essentially what makes the fruits ripe faster. A negative feedback loop is when "the product of a reaction leads to a decrease in that reaction". An example of a negative feedback is blood pressure regulation. The blood pressure needs to be able to pump blood to all parts of the body. If the blood pressure is low, the heart increases and if the blood pressure is high, the heart decreases. Moreover, homeostasis will tend to stabilize the blood pressure in blood regulation.
Real World Examples Of Homeostasis
-Fishes maintain homeostasis in the water by their "kidney," "gills", and "skin". Fishes do not sweat or produce heat to maintain a constant body temperature, instead they rely on the environment to control their temperature.
-The body regulates when calcium levels in the blood are maintained at proper levels. The "parathyroid" releases hormones when the levels decrease. The thyroid helps out when the calcium levels become too high.
-Plants rely on homeostasis to survive and thrive. The stomata takes in and excrete nutrients based on whether the plant needs more less. The leaves are the "machines" for maintaining homeostasis.
-Sweat maintains homeostasis when the temperature is high through physical activity. Initially, sweating cools you down while it evaporates.
References:
Abby. Fishionary, 19 June 2015, https://fishionary.fisheries.org/thermoregulation/.
Homeostasis and Negative Feedback Loops - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAy-03hIfck.
“Positive and Negative Feedback Loops in Biology.” Albert Resources, 1 June 2020, https://www.albert.io/blog/positive-negative-feedback-loops-biology/.
The Excretory System: From Your Heart to the ... - Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU366tJPovg.
Written by: Mehr Chandok
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