Homeostasis - negative and positive feedback (thermoregulation and lactation)
Armando Hasudungan・5 minutes read
Organisms maintain stable internal conditions through homeostasis, primarily driven by negative feedback mechanisms like vasodilation and shivering. Positive feedback, like in lactation, can also play a role by amplifying responses in the same direction.
Insights
- Homeostasis refers to an organism's ability to regulate internal conditions despite external variations, like maintaining body temperature within a narrow range.
- Negative feedback is the key process in achieving homeostasis by detecting changes and initiating responses to counteract them, while positive feedback, though less common, can intensify responses in the same direction, as observed in lactation triggering milk production.
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Recent questions
What is homeostasis?
The ability to maintain stable internal conditions.
How does the body maintain homeostasis?
Through negative feedback mechanisms.
What is the role of positive feedback in homeostasis?
Amplifying a response in the same direction.
What are examples of negative feedback in the body?
Vasodilation and shivering.
How does the body respond to deviations from homeostasis?
Activating mechanisms to counteract changes.
Related videos
Summary
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"Maintaining Stability: Homeostasis in Organisms"
- Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain stable internal conditions despite external changes, such as body temperature being kept between 36 to 37 degrees Celsius or 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The main mechanism for maintaining homeostasis is negative feedback, where the body senses changes and activates mechanisms to counteract them, such as vasodilation to cool the body or shivering to generate heat.
- While negative feedback is the primary driver of homeostasis, positive feedback can also play a role, as seen in lactation where a baby suckling triggers the release of hormones to produce and eject milk, amplifying the response in the same direction.
