Why is it important to maintain homeostasis in the body

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Homeostasis refers to the body's need to reach and maintain a certain state of equilibrium. The term was first coined by a physiologist named Walter Cannon in 1926. More specifically, homeostasis is the body's tendency to monitor and maintain internal states, such as temperature and blood sugar, at fairly constant and stable levels.

Homeostasis refers to an organism's ability to regulate various physiological processes to keep internal states steady and balanced. These processes take place mostly without our conscious awareness.

Your body has set points for a variety of states—including temperature, weight, sleep, thirst, and hunger. When the level is off (in either direction, too much or too little), homeostasis will work to correct it. For example, to regulate temperature, you will sweat when you get too hot or shiver when you get too cold.

Another way to think of it is like the thermostat in your house. Once set at a certain point, it works to keep the internal state at that level. When the temperature drops in your house, your furnace will turn on and warm things up to the preset temperature.

In the same way, if something is out of balance in your body, a physiological reaction will kick in until the set point is once again reached. Here's how the primary components of homeostasis work:

1. Stimulus: A stimulus from a change in the environment kicks something out of balance in the body.
2. Receptor: The receptor reacts to the change by informing the control unit.
3. Control unit: The control unit then communicates the change needed to bring the body back into balance.
4. Effector: The effector receives this information and acts on the change that is needed.

A negative feedback loop will work to decrease the effect of the stimulus, whereas a positive feedback loop will increase it. In homeostasis, negative feedback loops are most common, as the body is typically attempting to decrease the effect of the stimulus to get the body back to equilibrium.

There are three main types of homeostatic regulation that happen in the body. Though their names might be unfamiliar, you probably experience them every day.

When you think about homeostasis, temperature might come to mind first. It is one of the most important and obvious homeostatic systems. Regulating body temperature is called thermoregulation.

All organisms, from large mammals to tiny bacteria, must maintain an ideal temperature in order to survive. Some factors that influence this ability to maintain a stable body temperature include how these systems are regulated as well as the overall size of the organism.

• Endotherms: Some creatures, known as endotherms or "warm-blooded" animals, accomplish this via internal physiological processes. Birds and mammals (including humans) are endotherms.
• Ectotherms: Other creatures are ectotherms (aka "cold-blooded") and rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. Reptiles and amphibians are both ectotherms.

The colloquial terms "warm-blooded" and "cold-blooded" do not actually mean that these organisms have different blood temperatures. These terms simply refer to how these creatures maintain their internal body temperatures.

Thermoregulation is also influenced by an organism's size, or more specifically, the surface-to-volume ratio. 

• Large organisms: Larger creatures have a much greater body volume, which causes them to produce more body heat.
• Small organisms: Smaller animals, on the other hand, produce less body heat but also have a higher surface-to-volume ratio. They lose more body heat than they produce, so their internal systems must work much harder to maintain steady body temperature. This is even true of babies, especially those born prematurely.

Osmoregulation strives to maintain the right amount of water and electrolytes inside and outside cells in the body. The balance of salt and water across membranes plays an important role, as in osmosis, which explains the name "osmoregulation." In this process, the kidneys are responsible for getting rid of any excess fluid, waste, or electrolytes. Osmoregulation also affects blood pressure.

Your body regulates other chemical mechanisms as well to keep systems in balance. These use hormones as chemical signals—for example, in the case of blood sugar levels. In this situation, the pancreas would release either insulin, when blood sugar levels are high, or glucagon, when blood sugars are low, to maintain homeostasis.

Homeostasis involves both physiological and behavioral responses. In terms of behavior, you might seek out warm clothes or a patch of sunlight if you start to feel chilly. You might also curl your body inward and keep your arms tucked in close to your body to keep in the heat.

As endotherms, people also have a number of internal systems that help regulate body temperature. When your body temperature dips below normal, a number of physiological reactions respond to help restore balance. Blood vessels in the body's extremities constrict in order to prevent heat loss. Shivering also helps the body produce more heat.

The body also responds when temperatures go above normal. Have you ever noticed how your skin becomes flushed when you are very warm? This is your body trying to restore temperature balance. When you are too warm, your blood vessels dilate in order to give off more body heat. Perspiration is another common way to reduce body heat, which is why you often end up flushed and sweaty on a very hot day.

Like the body, the mind seeks its own type of homeostasis and attempts to compensate when out of balance. For example, one prominent theory of human motivation, known as drive-reduction theory, suggests that homeostatic imbalances create needs. These needs, in turn, motivate behavior in an attempt to restore homeostasis.

Homeostasis: During the study of life, one of the most important attribute to be aware of is the concept of internal balance or homeostasis.

But what exactly is homeostasis, how does it occur, and why is it important in living organisms?

Find out the answers to these questions below.

What is Homeostasis?

• Cannon’s definition of the term is solely focused on the ability of the human body to regulate certain factors like temperature and concentration of substances in the body.
• By definition, homeostasis refers to the characteristic of a system that maintains the balance and stability between the internal and external environment.

Almost all living organisms widely exhibit homeostasis. It is constantly happening which is almost impossible to find any organism that does not perform it. The following are just a few examples from the human body and our ecosystems.

1. Maintenance of Body Temperature

2. Maintenance of Glucose Level

3. Protection From infection

4. Maintenance of Blood Pressure

5. Maintenance of Fluid Volume

6. Maintenance of Breathing Patterns

7. Removal of Wastes/Toxins

8. Regulation of Light Entry in Eyes

9. Stable Population in An Ecosystem

Importance of Homeostasis

Based from the aforementioned examples, you may probably already have understood how important homeostasis is. Living organisms need to maintain homeostasis constantly in order to properly grow, work, and survive. In general, homeostasis is essential for normal cell function, and overall balance.

• In the human body, chemicals like Oxygen (O2), Carbon dioxide (CO2) and digested food enter and exit the cells using the concept called diffusion and osmosis. For this process to function properly, homeostasis helps our body to keep both water and salt balance level.
• Enzymes in the cell help in the speedy chemical reactions to order to keep the cells alive but these enzymes need to be in an optimal temperature to function properly. Again, homeostasis plays a crucial role in maintaining a constant body temperature (37C/98.6F) for enzymes to do their jobs.
• Mechanisms to attain homeostasis are stable as they need to resist any change that happens within and outside the organism’s environment. These mechanisms vary depending on the individual and may either be positive or negative feedback.

It is important to note that homeostasis occurs naturally when a system is stable and functions correctly. This can be achieved by continuously making systems work together in harmony.

Key References

• “Homeostasis. The ancient Greek origin of a modern scientific principle. – PubMed – NCBI”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “The Importance of Homeostasis | Conquer Fear and Live Free!”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “editions:ISBN0393002055 – Google Books”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “What is Homeostasis?” Scientific American. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “Glucose Homeostasis”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “Mechanism for maintaining homeostasis in the immune system of the intestine. – PubMed – NCBI”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “The lymphatic system in body homeostasis: physiological conditions. – PubMed – NCBI”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “Homeostasis of the eye lab – Anatomy”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.
• “Ecosystem Homeostasis – P. Trojan – Google Books”. Accessed September 17, 2017. Link.