Body temperature
Amount of water in our body
Blood glucose levels
Breathing rate
Heart rate
How are things kept the same?
1. Receptors: They detect a change in the things such as temperature
2. Processing: Centre receives information and coordinates a response
3. Effects: Produce a response that ensures our body temperature stays at 37°C.
Negative feedback: makes sure that all control system changes are reversed.
How homeostasis controls body temperature.
All mammals have a constant body temperature. This is 37°C for humans. The way heat is lost in a human body is explained in the following way: Volume: Surface Area ratio. This means the bigger a person is, the quicker they lose heat as there is more places for heat to escape. So the smaller a person, the longer it takes for them to lose heat as there is less places for heat to escape from. If the body gets too hot, there are methods to cool it down. These are:
1. Sweating: Sweating helps cool the body down as sweat glands are stimulated to release sweat when the body gets too hot. The sweat evaporates and turns into gas. In order to do this, it requires heat. It gets the heat it needs from the skin. As the skin loses heat, it cools down.
2. Vasodilation: The majority of heat is carried around the body via the blood stream. Under the skin capillaries are filled with blood when the body gets too hot. This is what makes someone go red as it brings blood closer to the surface.
Homeostasis also has ways of warming the body up if it gets too cold. These are:
1. Vasoconstriction: Capillaries under the skin get shut off or constricted as it takes blood away from the surface of the skin so less heat is lost.
2. Piloerection: This is when the hairs on the skin stand on end. It is generally referred to as “Goosebumps” or “chicken