Homeostasis

Question 1

What is homeostasis?

Answer 1

The regulation of some conditions inside the body at constant levels.

Question 2

What do negative feedback mechanisms do?

Answer 2

Respond to a change in the a condition to help bring the condition back to the normal level.

Question 3

What does osmoregulation control?

Answer 3

How much water is lost in the urine and therefore how much water is in your body.

Question 4

In osmoregulation what happens if too much water is detected in your body?

Answer 4

The brain detects change through negative feedback and causes more water to be excreted in urine

Question 5

In osmoregulation, what happens if too little water is detected in your body?

Answer 5

The brain detects water change and causes less water to be excreted in urine.

Question 6

What does thermoregulation control?

Answer 6

Thermoregulation controls the core body temperature to keep it steady at around 37 degrees

Question 7

What should your average core body temperature be around?

Answer 7

37 degrees

Question 8

Why is it important that the body remains around 37 degrees?

Answer 8

Enzymes in the main organs are most active at this temperature

Question 9

What part of the brain detects the rise and fall of the body’s core temperature?

Answer 9

Hypothalamus

Question 10

What does the hypothalamus in the brain do?

Answer 10

Detects the rise and fall of the body’s core temperature and causes the body responses.

Question 11

How does the body react if the hypothalamus in the brain detects a rise in body temperature?

Answer 11

• vasodialation: so that more blood flows near the skins surface
• sweat glands release more sweat onto skin surface to evaporate
• sebaceous glands produce oil that helps sweat spread out over the skin

Question 12

How does the body respond if the hypothalamus in the brain detects a fall in body temperature?

Answer 12

• vasoconstriction: so less blood flows near skin surface
• sweat glands stop producing sweat
• body hairs raised by erector muscles in skin

Question 13

How does
- vasodialation: so that more blood flows near the skins surface
- sweat glands release more sweat onto skin surface to evaporate
- sebaceous glands produce oil that helps sweat spread out over the skin
help the body to cool down?

Answer 13

More heat is transferred to the environment causing body temperature to fall

Question 14

How does
- vasoconstriction: so less blood flows near skin surface
- sweat glands stop producing sweat
- body hairs raised by erector muscles in skin
help the body to warm up?

Answer 14

Less heat is transferred to the environment causing the body temperature to rise