Homeostasis And Survival

When humans are in their healthy state, their body temperature is

at 98.6 Fahrenheit an does not drop or rise suddenly. This is an
example of homeostasis. It can be defined as the process that
helps to maintain the physical and chemical conditions inside the
internal environment of the body. If you are studying Biology and
specifically Physiology, you have to write papers on Homeostasis.
This blog will help you to learn a lot about homeostasis.
Definition Of Homeostasis In Biology

Before we know about its importance, it is necessary to learn

what is homeostasis. According to the homeostasis definition, it is
the constant preservation of optimum physiological conditions.
All of our body systems function in accordance with each other to
balance the homeostasis of the body.
It can also be considered as the tendency to oppose any change to
sustain a constant and stable internal environment.
The American physiologist, Walter Cannon created the term
‘homeostasis.’ He used this term to explain the dynamic
equilibrium that our body tries to acquire in order to survive.
Now that you know what homeostasis is, let
us move on to learning why it is important.

Homeostasis can be seen as a set of mechanisms of our body that

maintains the internal consistency of temperature, energy
availability, pH, etc. Life continues if homeostasis is successful,
and if not, it can lead to death. Since we are all warm-blooded
organisms, it is required to metabolise constantly. Apart from this,
we should also retain our pH, temperature, etc. within the narrow
range within which the systems of our body functions. Failure to
do this will lead to a breakdown, gathering of waste, and
ultimately death.
Importance Of Homeostasis For Maintaining Body
PH Level

The body pH is monitored very closely. This is due to the fact that enzymes and other
molecules in our bodies have certain pH values for performing their necessary
functions. But, there are different pH values for the different body parts. Now, it is
known to all that the essential molecules in the blood are very different from the ones
present in the stomach. The blood must have a basic pH to accommodate haemoglobin.
In this case, if the pH level changes even a little, haemoglobin cannot deliver oxygen to
the various parts of the body.
A real-life example concerning the importance of homeostasis can be blood glucose
regulation. If any issue occurs with the regulation of blood glucose level, a human being
can suffer from Diabetes. This disease can be devastating for any human being if not
controlled properly. A high sugar level can damage different parts of the body. This is
why a Diabetes patient is provided with medicine and diet to assist the body in
maintaining homeostasis.
How Does The Body Maintain Homeostasis?

Homeostasis usually includes negative feedback loops that

forestall various changes in properties from their target values,
which are called ‘set points.’ In contrast, positive feedback loops
increase their initiating stimuli. To say it differently, the positive
feedback loops take the system away from the beginning.
The body maintains the homeostasis in different ways.
Temperature, pH, glucose, blood pressure, toxins, calcium, etc.
are regulated by homeostasis.
• Temperature– It is essential that the body upholds a relatively constant temperature. When the
body gets hot, it utilises vasodilation to lower the temperature. This expands the blood vessels and
lets more heat to get out via the skin.
• pH balance- The amounts of bases and acids in the blood are controlled by the body. When the pH
level is unbalanced, the lungs push carbon dioxide out of the diaphragm as per the requirement.
This will either increase or decrease the body’s pH levels.
• Glucose- The body utilises glucose as an energy source. However, if the glucose level becomes
too high or too low in the blood, many complications can arise. Hence, the body controls the
glucose level to maintain a healthy state. In case of a high glucose level, a hormone named insulin
is released by the body. When the level is too low, glycogen is converted to glucose.
• Blood pressure- It is also necessary to retain a healthy blood pressure level. For this purpose, the
heart receives signals from the brain for speeding up or slowing down as per the blood pressure.
• Toxins- If the blood contains toxins, it can upset the homeostasis of the body. The hormones of
the body control the toxin level and make sure that the body excretes the toxins.
• Calcium- Other than the 99% calcium present in the bones and teeth, 1% calcium also circulates
within the blood. If this balance is damaged somehow, it will negatively affect the body. This is
why the body controls the level of calcium.
 Maintaining Stable Internal Conditions In An
Organism
• The condition for organisms to function is that their internal conditions must be kept within a
certain range. Hormones are secreted by the endocrine system to help homeostasis to happen.
• The basic organisational plan of a single cell and multi-celled organisms create the difference
between how they perform homeostasis. A single cell can simply throw out the waste outside their
cell, and their work will be done as the metabolic activity will reach their standard level an the
internal temperature will balance. However, a multi-celled organism has to give much effort into
carrying the waste out of the body.
• Homeostasis fully depends on the negative feedback loops. Hence, anything that disturbs the
feedback mechanism can upset homeostasis.
• Let us take the example of Diabetes. The reason behind the appearance of this disease is a broken
feedback loop that involves the hormone insulin. The body cannot lower the high blood sugar
level and bring it to a healthy level due to the broken feedback loop.
• The condition or term for stable internal conditions is that the negative feedback loops should not
get disturbed.
• Now that you have a basic understanding of homoeostasis, you can use this information to write
your paper or do further research on the topic.
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