Homeostasis: Components, Mechanisms & Homeostasis Breakdown

Homeostasis is the state at which a steady internal chemical and physical environment is maintained by the body. This concept of Homeostasis was first explained by a French Physiologist, Clause Bernard in the year 1865. In this article, we will discuss Homeostasis, its components, mechanism, examples and Homeostasis Breakdown.

Keyterms: Homeostasis, physical environment, chemical environment, Receptor, Control center, Effector, stimuli, Corti

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Homeostasis

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Homeostasis can be defined as the maintenance of a stable internal body environment. This internal body environment includes certain factors like temperature, pH level, the concentration of salt, glucose level, amount of food intake, osmolarity, etc. 

Homeostasis is often seen as a resistance to the external environment in order to maintain a stable and constant environment. It is very essential for the survival of all living organisms and is self-regulating due to which it makes the conditions of the body optimal for existence.

Also Read: Neural Control and Coordination

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Components of Homeostasis

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The regulation of Homeostasis depends on the three components-

• Receptor
• Control center 
• Effector

Receptor- The receptor’s function is to collect information from the surroundings regarding the condition of the body. It relays the report further to the control system. Some common examples of receptors in the human body include -

• Photoreceptors - These are the receptors that respond to light stimuli
• Auditory receptor cells - These are the receptor cells that react to sound stimuli and are present in the epithelium in the organ of Corti. 
• Olfactory receptor cells - These receptors are situated in the olfactory epithelium at the roof of the nose. They react to odors and smells. 
• Thermoreceptors - These receptors are present in the sensory cell and are sensitive to changes in temperature. 

Control center- The control center monitors and processes the received information. Then it conveys a signal to the effector. The respiratory center and the renin-angiotensin system are common examples of it. 

Effector- The effector produces a reaction based on the signal provided by the control centre. 

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Mechanism of Homeostasis

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The homeostatic mechanism is in the form of a looping mechanism, also known as the feedback mechanism. This can be either positive or negative. 

Positive feedback maintains a steady flow of the stimulus. The effect of the stimulus is often accelerated by positive feedback. For example, labor contractions during childbirth can be called positive feedback. The formation of blood clots is also an example of positive feedback. 

Negative feedback, on the other hand, is a self-regulatory system and is employed in various biological systems. It is concerned with the purpose of reversing the direction of the stimulus and often tends to slow down the metabolic process. Osmoregulation, blood glucose regulation, thermoregulation are common examples of negative feedback. 

Also Read: Nerve impulses

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Homeostasis Breakdown

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The failure of homeostasis or the inability of the body’s mechanism to maintain the internal environment can lead to serious illness. It can even lead to death and make a person disable. There are many factors that affect homeostasis. 

Common factors of homeostasis are -

• A person’s psychological health
• Genetics 
• Diet intake and nutrition
• The physical condition of a person
• Certain side effects of medicines or even medical procedures
• Toxins present in the body can harm the process of homeostasis as well. 

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Examples of Homeostasis

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• Body Temperature
• Blood Pressure
• Calcium Levels
• Water levels
• Fighting against infection

Body Temperature

If our body temperature becomes very low, then it is the job of the hypothalamus to provide sufficient heat to the body. Similarly, if we start feeling extremely hot, the hypothalamus makes sure that the extra heat is released or sweat is produced to cool the temperature of the skin. 

Blood Pressure

The maintenance of healthy blood pressure is very crucial for homeostasis. The body acknowledges certain changes in the pressure of blood and conveys signals to the brain. As a result, the brain processes this piece of information and sends a signal to the heart to either speed up the pressure if it's low or slows it down if the blood pressure appears to be high.

Calcium Levels

There are certain parameters in the human body within which the calcium levels should remain. Our body controls this process by releasing certain hormones it seems fit. For this process, thyroid hormones are solely responsible. Their function is to fix the calcium within the bones if the calcium levels become very high. An increase in calcium levels can result in a decrease in the amount of calcium present inside the bones. 

Water Levels

Regulation of water levels in the body is also an example of homeostasis. Our body cells must have a stable balance of water within them. This is irrespective of the fact that our body contains almost 60% of water. Cells containing excessive water can lead to bloating. Cells containing a very minute amount of water may lead to shrinkage. 

Fighting Against Infection

Our body is capable of fighting against infections in case foreign particles like viruses or bacteria enter it. The lymphatic organ of our body solves this issue by working in the right way and is primarily responsible for these threats. 

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Things to Remember

• Homeostasis can be defined as the maintenance of a stable internal body environment.
• Homeostasis can also be stated as resistance to the external environment in order to maintain a stable and constant environment.
• The regulation of Homeostasis depends on the three components- Receptor, Control center and Effector.
• The homeostatic mechanism is in the form of a looping mechanism also referred to as the feedback mechanism. This can be either positive or negative. 
• Positive feedback maintains a steady flow of the stimulus. 
• Negative feedback is a self-regulatory system and is employed in various biological systems.
• The failure of homeostasis or the inability of the body’s mechanism to maintain the internal environment can lead to serious illness.