Homeostasis Lab
Lab 1: Homeostasis
Background Information: Homeostasis is the existence of a stable environment in the body for survival. This process is always regulating bodily functions in order to keep the body in optimal condition. When conditions change a receptor senses and sends a message to a control center. The control center processes the information and sends an appropriate command to effectors. These effectors will respond to the command which will stimulate a positive or negative response. A positive response will stimulate the increase of the change. For example if a person got a cut, the response from the effector would be to help stimulate clotting in the cut area. A negative response would attempt to cancel out the change, such as when the body becomes too hot or cold. When this happens the effectors cause veins and arteries to expand or narrow in order to increase or decrease blood flow. The way homeostasis works is very similar to the way cruise control works. While traveling on a relatively normal road, the cruise control will keep the car at a certain speed and only use a certain amount of fuel. As the car travels on a hill, sensors notice and send the information to the engine. The engine will send a command to the necessary places to send more or less fuel into the engine in order to maintain speed. One of the many functions of homeostasis is to regulate body temperature, usually measured by placing a thermometer in or on a part of the body and recording the degrees (Fahrenheit or Celsius). Each part of the body works the best at a certain temperature. The body’s temperature changes depending on where the measurement is taken and when, with variations of up to three degrees Fahrenheit. This is because each part of the body does a different job, and requires a different environment in order to keep it functioning properly. Certain proteins and reactions also require extremely specific conditions, such as digestive proteins and enzymes. When a person
Background Information: Homeostasis is the existence of a stable environment in the body for survival. This process is always regulating bodily functions in order to keep the body in optimal condition. When conditions change a receptor senses and sends a message to a control center. The control center processes the information and sends an appropriate command to effectors. These effectors will respond to the command which will stimulate a positive or negative response. A positive response will stimulate the increase of the change. For example if a person got a cut, the response from the effector would be to help stimulate clotting in the cut area. A negative response would attempt to cancel out the change, such as when the body becomes too hot or cold. When this happens the effectors cause veins and arteries to expand or narrow in order to increase or decrease blood flow. The way homeostasis works is very similar to the way cruise control works. While traveling on a relatively normal road, the cruise control will keep the car at a certain speed and only use a certain amount of fuel. As the car travels on a hill, sensors notice and send the information to the engine. The engine will send a command to the necessary places to send more or less fuel into the engine in order to maintain speed. One of the many functions of homeostasis is to regulate body temperature, usually measured by placing a thermometer in or on a part of the body and recording the degrees (Fahrenheit or Celsius). Each part of the body works the best at a certain temperature. The body’s temperature changes depending on where the measurement is taken and when, with variations of up to three degrees Fahrenheit. This is because each part of the body does a different job, and requires a different environment in order to keep it functioning properly. Certain proteins and reactions also require extremely specific conditions, such as digestive proteins and enzymes. When a person