Homeostasis

L.O
 Define Homeostasis.
 Explain the concept of negative feedback.
 Describe the control of blood glucose concentration.
 Identify different structures on a diagram of the skin.
 Describe how body temperature is kept constant.
Homeostasis: It is the maintaining of a constant internal environment.

Examples of internal conditions: Blood glucose, Internal Temperature, Water content, Blood
pH

 Why glucose: There is always enough fuel for respiration

 Why water: Means that your cells are not damaged by absorbing or losing too
much water by osmosis.
 Why 37 degrees: Helps enzymes work at an optimum rate.
Negative feedback: When the normal level of parameter is restored. The control mechanism
is switched off.
Types of body temperatures in living organisms
Ectothermic (Cold blooded): Living organisms with body temperatures changing with any
changes in external temperatures:
Examples: Fish/ Amphibian/ Reptiles
If external temp is very low what happens to them?

Metabolic rate slows down because their body temperature is now the same as the
external temp so they become inactive.
If external temp is at room temp what happens?
Body temp becomes the same as room temp and so they become active.
Endothermic (Warm blooded): Living organism that maintain body temperature whatever the
change is in external temperature and get their heat energy from within themselves.
Examples: Birds/Mammals
If external temp is very low why do they remain active?
Their cells respire and release heat energy through breaking down nutrients which
keeps their internal temp constant which maintains their metabolism and keeps them
active.
If external temperature is at room temperature what happens?

Not more active than at 0 degrees because the internal body temp doesn’t change.
Why might it be less active at 40 degrees: TO AVOID OVERHEATING.
Advantage of being endothermic:
 If body temp kept around 37 then enzymes can always work efficiently, no
matter what the outside temp is.
 Metabolism can keep going, even when it is cold outside.
 In cold weather, or at night, an endothermic animal can be active when an
ectothermic animal is too cold to move.
Disadvantage of being endothermic:
 Endothermic animals keep their internal body temp constant through energy
coming from food through respiration. This is why endothermic animals have
to eat much more food than the ectothermic.
Skin parts
Skin functions:

 Protects the body from damage

 Stops pathogens from entering
 Prevents too much water loss
 Detects changes in temperature
 Detects touch and pain
 Loses Heat by conduction, radiation, convection, evaporation

Epidermis: Has hair, Thin layer

Dermis: Thick layer, Receptors, Shunt vessels, Blood capillaries, Hair follicle, Erector muscle,
Sweat gland
Hypodermis: Fat store under our skin called adipose tissue which insulates our body to any
heat loss and is used as an energy reserve.
EPIDERMIS:
All cells in the epidermis divide by mitosis at the base of the epidermis. The new cells that are
made gradually move towards the surface of the skin. As they go, they die and fill up with a
protein called keratin. The top layer of the skin is made up of those dead cells. It is called the
cornified layer.
The cornified layer:
 Protects the softer, living cells underneath, because it is hard and waterproof.

 It is always being worn away and replaced by cells rising from beneath.
Melanin is in charge of skin pigmentation and it absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays in sunlight,
which would have damaged the living cells in the deeper layers of the skin
Hair: At some parts of the epidermis it folds inwards, forming a hair follicle. A hair grows from
each one.
What is hair made up of?

Keratin
DERMIS:
Most of the dermis is made of connective tissue. This tissue contains elastic and collagen
fibres.
Why do we get wrinkles ?
As we get older the elastic and collagen fibres in our connective tissue become loose
and wrinkled.

The dermis also contains sweat glands. These secrete sweat. Sweat is mostly water, with
small amounts of salts and urea dissolved in it. It travels up the sweat ducts and out onto the
surface of the skin through the sweat pores.
The dermis contains blood vessels and nerve endings. These nerve endings are sensitive to
touch, pain, pressure and temperature.

Function of nerve endings: Detects stimuli and keeps us aware of changes in our
environment.

Things the skin feels:

 Pain
 Pressure
 Temperature
 Touch
Example 1: Control of body temperature
The hypothalamus is a part of our brain in the thermoregulatory centre and it controls our
BODY TEMPERATURE. This contains receptors that detect rises or drops in body temp.
Hypothalamus job:
Coordinating activities of the parts of the body that can bring about temperature
changes.

The hypothalamus contains temperature receptors that sense the temp of the blood running
through it. If it is above or below the receptors that detected this in the hypothalamus send
electrical nerve impulses along the nerves, to the parts of the body that can regulate your
body temp.
If body temperature is cold:

Vasoconstriction: The arterioles become narrow so less blood flows near the skin surface
capillaries and shunt vessels and this decreases the heat loss from the body by radiation or
conduction.
Erector muscles contract: Pulling the hair up on end and this creates a layer of trapped air
above the skin which acts as a heat insulator which decreases heat loss from the body. This is
not as useful for humans (it makes Goosebumps) but with animals with thicker fur it is more
effective.
Sweat glands: Less active and so less sweat secreted which results in less heat loss.
Shivering: Contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscles which generates heat that is
distributed all over the body. You stop shivering once heat goes through your blood and your
temp goes back to normal.
Metabolism increases to increase rate of respiration to release more heat.
If body temperature is hot:
Vasodilation: Arterioles dilate for more blood flow to the surface capillaries of skin for more
heat loss by radiation and conduction.
Sweat glands begin secreting more sweat on to the skin surface because arterioles supplying
the sweat gland dilate bringing more blood to the gland: This is so that then water from the
sweat evaporates on the hot skin so removes heat from the skin and makes a cooling effect.
Erector muscle of hair relax: Hairs lie flat against the skin so less air is trapped and so less
insulation which results in more heat loss.
Example 2: Regulation of blood glucose level
Our pancreas is the only organ THAT CONTROLS OUR GLUCOSE LEVEL. It detects rises and
drops in glucose levels and secretes hormones that stimulate the liver cells to secrete
enzymes.

If above normal:

Problem: Can cause water to move out of cells and into the blood by osmosis. This leaves the
cells with too little water for them to carry out their normal metabolic processes.

If blood glucose level is above normal our pancreas detects the increase in blood glucose
level. Beta cells in the pancreas secrete insulin which is transported through the blood to the
liver where the insulin stimulates liver cells to store excess glucose in the form of the
polysaccharide called glycogen. And as soon as the blood glucose level returns to normal
insulin secretion stops. This is an example of negative feedback.

If below normal:

Problem: Brain cells might die quickly because they depend on glucose as their substrate for
respiration.
If blood glucose is lower than normal our pancreas detects this drop and alpha cells in
pancreas secrete glucagon hormones that are transported through the blood to the liver
where it stimulates liver cells to break down their glycogen store into glucose. Once the blood
glucose returns to normal secretion of glucagon stops. This is an example of negative
feedback.
Diabetes glucose levels
If high: Hyper glycemia
If low: Hypo glycemia

Symptoms:

 Feeling thirsty
 Frequent urination
 Presence of sugar in urine
 Fatigue
 Nausea
 Weight loss
 Blurred vision
 Poor wound healing
 Confusion
 Dry mouth
 Thirst
 Higher heart rate and breathing rate
Treatment:

Insulin injection because it is a protein hormone and so it will be broken down by proteases
enzymes in our stomach like pepsin.
Regulating diet (Not eating too much carbohydrates): Because carbs will be broken down to
maltose and then to glucose.
Regular blood glucose tests
Regular exercise to increase respiration rate: This will make you use excess glucose for
respiration.
Why can’t you take insulin pills?
Insulin is a protein hormone and so it will be broken down by proteases enzymes in
our stomach like pepsin.
Why don’t eat too much carbohydrates?

Because carbs will be broken down to maltose and then to glucose.