The body’s need to maintain a state of equilibrium
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What Is Homeostasis?
Homeostasisrefers 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.
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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.
How Is Homeostasis Maintained?
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.
Types of Homeostatic Regulation
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.
Thermoregulation
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 so you can survive.
These terms simply refer tohowthese creatures maintain their internal body temperatures.
Thermoregulation is also influenced by an organism’s size, or more specifically, the surface-to-volume ratio.
Osmoregulation also affects blood pressure.
Chemical Regulation
Your body regulates other chemical mechanisms as well to keep systems in balance.
These use hormones as chemical signalsfor example, in the case of blood sugar levels.
Impact of Homeostasis
Homeostasis involves both physiological and behavioral responses.
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 to get 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 to make it give off more body heat.
For example, one prominent theory of humanmotivation, known asdrive-reduction theory, suggests that homeostatic imbalances create needs.
These needs, in turn, motivate behavior in an attempt to restore homeostasis.
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