MODULE - 2 Homeostasis : The Steady State

Forms and Functions of

Plants and animals

18
Notes
HOMEOSTASIS : THE STEADY STATE

In the previous lesson you studied about the nervous system. There, you noted how
the body functions in a coordinated manner to bring about any required effect or
change. You also learnt about the hormones and how they work in a way so that
the body knows when to start, when to speed up, when to slow down and when
to stop an event that ocurs inside the body. In this lesson, you will study about the
phenomenon called homeostasis which means ‘keeping steady state’. Homeostasis
operates for a variety of needs inside our body and one such need is the regulation
of body temperature called thermoregulation. This lesson mainly covers various
aspects of thermoregulation.

OBJECTIVES

After studying this lesson, you will be able to :

z define the term homeostasis and explain its needs in the body;
z explain the term thermoregulation and justify its need in the body;
z differentiate between endotherms and ectotherms;
z list the body parts involved in thermoregulation and explain how they
contribute towards heat production and heat loss;
z name the principal heat regulating centre in our body and describe how it acts;
z explain the term ‘feed back’ and differentiate between positive and negative
feedback mechanisms.

18.1 CONCEPT OF HOMEOSTASIS

Homeostasis (homeo : same/steady, stasis : state) is a phenomenon in which the
body regulates its functions to keep the internal conditions as stable as possible.
Homeostasis is necessary because the body cells need to have suitable conditions
around them for proper functioning. These conditions include, the presence of
proper concentration of chemicals, proper temperature, and a suitable pH (degree
of salinity or acidity), etc. inside its cells. But these conditions inside our body as
well as inside other organisms keep fluctuating within a narrow range. Tolerance
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to any change from this range differs in different organisms. Organisms adopt a Plants and animals
variety of measures to cope with such changes.
To understand the concept of homeostasis (keeping steady state) consider the
following five examples in the humans:
Example 1. Drinking water and keeping a ‘steady water balance’.
In all kinds of weather, your blood and other body fluids must maintain a particular
percentage of water. If the volume of water in the body tends to rise, the excess Notes
is passed out in urine and, if it tends to fall short, more water is withheld inside
the blood to the extent required. Thus, the body maintains a steady state (=
homeostasis) of water content.
z In hot summers you feel thirsty at regular intervals. You drink lots of water or
even cold drinks, yet you do not urinate much. The urine passed out is more
concentrated. This is because during hot weather you lose more water through
perspiration but your body needs to maintain its requisite amount of water and
so the water is withheld within, by passing out only little and concentrated urine.
z In cold winters you donot feel much thirsty. You do not drink large quantities
of water. But, may be, you take more of hot drinks only to keep warm. During
such days you urinate more frequently and the urine passed out is more dilute.
Example 2. Eating sugar and keeping steady sugar level in blood
Suppose you have been consuming too much sugar in food, beverages and sweets.
Presuming you are otherwise normal, your body will handle the excess sugar (more
than the normal percentage in the blood) by storing it in the form of glycogen in
the liver.
At some other time, when you are fasting or doing much physical work, your blood
sugar is used up rapidly. At that time, the liver converts the stored glycogen back
into its usable form, that is glucose, to fill the gap and restore the normal blood
sugar level.

Example 3. Maintaining normal steady state of blood alkalinity

Sometimes you eat too much salt (sodium chloride) in your food. But your blood
normally maintains only the particular level of alkalinity (pH 7.34-7.43) which is
only slightly alkaline. Any extra salt consumed is passed out through urine as it
cannot be stored in the body.
If at some other time you have been eating too little salt, or you are losing much
of it through sweating, your kidneys will hold back the required quantity through
sodium-potassium balance.
Example 4. Managing the number of red blood cells
A normal human adult possesses about 5 million red blood corpuscles (RBCs) per
cubic millimetre of blood.

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Plants and animals Whenever a plain-dweller visits a hill station at high altitude without any break-
journey in between, he is likely to feel exhausted for a couple of days. Later, the
person becomes normal. At high altitudes the atmospheric pressure is lower and the
amount of oxygen carried by this normal number of RBCs is insufficient. Within
a day or two, the body adds more RBCs into the blood to pick up the normal required
quantity of oxygen.

Notes When the same person returns to the plains at a lower altitude the higher RBC level
that was acquired at the hills now begins to take up oxygen in excess, which is
harmful. The body readjusts the red blood cells which get reduced in number to
become stable at the original level.
Example 5. Warming and cooling of the body (maintaining steady body
temperature)
During hot summers you wear light clothes. You perspire a lot, you sit under a fan
or under a tree and feel comfortable. Your body is trying to cool against the higher
temperature outside.
Then, there is the reverse side, that is, cold winter. Inspite of wearing thick warm
clothes you still feel cold. In mid-daytime, you go out in the open sunshine to warm
yourself. At night, you cover yourself with a thick blanket. You are doing all this
to maintain warmth inside steadily your body.
In both the above situations, you are trying to regulate your internal body
temperature. This is called thermoregulation. You will learn more about
thermoregulation in subsequent sections of this lesson.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.1

1. Define homeostasis.
............................................................................................................................
2. List any three chemicals whose concentration in our body has to be maintained
at partcular levels.
(i) ..................................................................................................................
(ii) ..................................................................................................................
(iii) ..................................................................................................................
3. To obtain enough oxygen for respiration at high altitudes, what does the body
do?
............................................................................................................................

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18.2 THERMOREGULATION — WHY IS IT NECESSARY? Plants and animals

18.2.1 Limits of heat tolerance

The living organisms can normally survive only within a certain range of temperature
of about 0-45° C. However, organisms tend to make adjustments, if they happen
to be at places of higher or lower temperature.
A. Above 45°C, the organisms may suffer in many ways:
Notes
z the enzymes are destroyed,
z proteins get denatured,
z plasma membrane breaks down, and
z cells suffer lack of oxygen.
B. Below 0°C. At temperatures below freezing point, the cells may burst by the
formation of needle-like ice crystals inside and between the cells and the
organisms cannot survive.
The above stated effects due to temperature changes are because enzymes
function normally within a certain range of temperature.
18.2.2 Efficiency of enzymes at different temperatures
Enzymes carry out almost all the chemical reactions occuring inside our body. They
have several characteristics and the most important one is their relation with respect
to temperature.
z At 0°C. The enzymes are inactive.
z The rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions doubles with every 10 degrees rise in
temperature between 4-40°C.
z On warming. Whenever the temperature rises, the enzymes start working faster.
If the temperature becomes too high (more than 40°C) the enzymes begin to
work too rapidly and produce unwanted intermediate chemicals and not the
required ones. At still higher temperatures the enzymes get denatured (destroyed).
z The enzymes act best at a narrow temperature range, usually between 35-40°C
(optimum temperature meaning the most suitable temperature)
z On cooling. At temperatures lower than the optimum temperature the enzymes
become less and less efficient. At freezing temperatures the enzymes may turn
totally inactive.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.2

1. How do the following temperatures affect the enzymes?
(i) 45°C and above ........................................................................................
(ii) 0°C and below ........................................................................................

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Plants and animals 2. (i) At what temperature range do enzymes act best?
..................................................................................................................
(ii) What technical term do you use for this temperature?
..................................................................................................................

18.3 CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS BASED ON THEIR TEMPERATURE

Notes TOLERANCE
Based on the capability and the manner of regulating body heat, all animals found
on earth are grouped into two main categories: endotherms and ectotherms

18.3.1 Endotherms and Ectotherms

A. ENDOTHERMS (endo : inside, therm : heat) : Examples: All birds and
mammals. Endotherms are organisms, which maintain a steady body temperature
irrespective of the temperature of the surroundings. Two other terms often used
synonymously for endotherms are
z Homoiotherms (homoio: same; therm: heat) refers to keeping the same
or constant (warm) body temperature, and
z Warm-blooded (oldest term and seldom used now) means animals which
are felt warm whenever touched. If you hold a pigeon in your hand or
feel a rabbit by touch even when it is intensely cold outside, you will find
them warm.
B. ECTOTHERMS (ecto: outside, therm: heat) : Those animals whose body
temperature rises and falls with the rise and fall of surrounding temperature
are termed Ectotherms. All animals other than birds and mammals are ectotherms.
Examples: Fish, frogs, lizards, insects, earthworms, etc. Two other terms often
used synonymously with ectotherms are
z Poikilotherms (poikilo : changing/varying, therm: heat) referring to
acquiring the body temperature from that of the surroundings.
z Cold-blooded (oldest term and seldom used now) means animals which
are cold when touched. If you hold a frog in your hand or feel the touch
of a cockroach, they are always colder than your body.

18.3.2 Characteristics of Endotherms

1. With an internal heat-regulating mechanism, the endotherms (birds and
mammals) are able to maintain their body temperature within a narrow range
of 2°C (37-39°C.) irrespective of the outside temperature whether intensely cold
or severely hot. Birds are usually slightly warmer than the mammals.
2. An efficient insulation mechanism helps maintain body temperature
z Birds have feathers to trap air for preventing heat loss. When cold, the
feathers are raised (fluffing) to trap more air to increase insulation.
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z Mammals have two sources of insulation: (i) hairs and (ii) subcutaneous Plants and animals
or under-skin fat. The hairs trap the air. When it is too cold the hairs are
raised (goose flesh) to increase insulation. The under-skin fat prevents
conduction of heat outwards. This fat layer is thicker in the colder region
inhabitants for better prevention of heat loss and thinner in those living
in warmer regions to allow greater heat loss.
18.3.3 How some endotherms cope with unfavorable temperatures Notes
z Polar bears, penguins and several other animals live in the ice-covered polar
regions. They maintain their body temperature by generating heat and preventing
heat loss through thick fur and a thick layer of under-skin fat.
z Camels, desert rats and several other tolerate the intense heat of the tropical
deserts mainly by promoting heat loss.
Camel is a desert dweller of hot climate. It needs to possess more of heat
loss mechanisms and cut down the heat- retaining ones. Most of its skin
has no fat layer. But, look at the hump, it stores a huge bulk of fat only
as reserve food.
z Squirrels, goats, pigeons etc. live in moderate climate and they too have to
adjust their body temperature according to the changing conditions of the
outside. They adjust both in winter and summer to maintain normal body heat.
Humans too are endotherms. When required we supplement our natural heat-
regulating mechanisms by artificial methods like clothing, using the fan, bathing,
room heating, room- cooling, etc.
18.3.4 Some ectotherms and how they cope unfavorable temperature conditions
Consider the following examples:
z Frogs hibernate under the ground in cold winters and aestivate during hot
summers to avoid heat and escape from cold. Hibernation or wintersleep is
characterised by the animal slowing down its activites and resting underground.
During hibernation the ‘basal metabolic rate’ remains low.
z Fishes live in water. Water seldom undergoes extreme temperature changes like
the ones on land. Still, fishes either make minor adjustments in their body parts
to minimize the heat loss or heat gain or, if they are unable to do so, they migrate
to less harsh regions.
z Lizards and crocodiles bask in the open sun to warm themselves during cold
weather. When hot, they move to shades. When feeling hot, the crocodiles even
open their mouths wide to allow evaporation of water for cooling purposes,
something like the panting of dogs.
z Honey bees, during cold winter nights, huddle together inside the hive to
conserve body heat collectively. During hot summers they even operate a kind
of ‘desert cooler’ by sprinkling some water on the honeycombs and fanning with
their wings for cooling the honey combs.

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.3

1. Classify the following animals as endotherm or ectotherm:

Camel, Bat, Earthworm, Cockroach, Fish, Wall lizard, Polar bear, sparrow
Endotherms .........................................................................................................
Notes Ectotherms ..........................................................................................................
2. Explain the following terms and give one or more synonymous terms for each:
(i) Poikilotherms ............................................................................................
(ii) Homoiotherms ...........................................................................................
3. Mention one way each by which each of the following fight severe cold:
(i) Crocodile ...................................................................................................
(ii) Honey bee .................................................................................................
(iii) Common frog ............................................................................................
(iv) Wall lizard .................................................................................................

18.4 MECHANISM OF HOMEOSTASIS OF BODY TEMPERATURE

(THERMOREGULATION) IN HUMANS
18.4.1 Normal core body temperature
The starting point in any homeostasis is the identification of its set or the normal
point. The set point of human body temperature is taken as 37°C, which is also
called the normal or core body temperature. The core body temperature refers to
the temperature of the combined portion of the trunk, head and upper part of arms
and legs. Our body temperature otherwise is not uniform throughout.
z The surface skin temperature is usually lowest but it varies considerably due
to a variety of external and internal conditions.
z The armpit usually records 1 degree less than the temperature inside the mouth.
z The anal temperature is 1 degree higher than the core body temperature. In very
young children, the clinical thermometer is placed inside the anus and the
temperature recorded is reduced by one degree to assess if the child is having
any fever.
z For all practical purposes, the oral (mouth) temperature is taken as normal body
temperature, which is usually 37°C (±0.5).
Whenever the core body temperature departs from the normal, the body takes
corrective measures. For example :
z If the temperature falls, there is increased heat production in the body along
with prevention of heat loss.
z If body temperature rises there is cooling to give out excess heat.
You will read about such steps in more details in the next sub-section.
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18.4.2 Mechanisms of Thermoregulation Plants and animals

The principal heat-regulating centre is located in the hypothalamus, a part of the

forebrain. This part acts like a thermostat.

z When the body has to face cooling below the normal temperature, it ‘switches
on’ or speeds up the heat-producing processes and simultaneously ‘shuts off’
the heat-losing ones.
Notes
z When the body faces overheating during summer or after intense physical
exercise, it accelerates the cooling process and ‘switches off’ the heat- producing
ones.

A. Keeping warm in cold weather

Thermoregulation in cold weather is achieved in two ways : preventing loss of body
heat and generating more body heat.
1. Preventing loss of body heat - This is achieved in two ways:
(a) Vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction means narrowing of blood vessels
(Fig.18.1a). As a result of vasoconstriction in the skin,
z the blood supply to the skin is reduced and there is less loss of heat
by convection, conduction and radiation.
z With the reduced blood supply to the sweat glands in the skin, there
is less or no secretion of the sweat and thus there is no evaporation
of water and no loss of heat
Have you ever observed that in very cold weather you look pale or
bluish? This is due to reduced blood supply to the skin caused by
vasoconstriction.
(b) By posture. At times when we feel cold,
z We hold our arms cross-folded tightly over the chest while standing
or sitting.
z While sleeping in bed we often hold our arms and legs closely folded
near the body in a curved posture.
Such postures reduce the exposed body surface for heat radiation.
2. Generating more body heat : The metabolic rate is increased and more heat
is produced in the body cells. The muscular activity is also increased which is
sometimes in the form of shivering.
B. Keeping cool in hot weather (Fig. 18.1b)
When the outside temperature is high or when a person is engaged in strenuous
physical work there is overproduction of heat within the body. The extra heat is
given out in two principal ways.

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Plants and animals 1. Increased heat radiation from the body. This is brought about by increasing
the blood supply to the skin through vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels).
The increased blood flow into the skin allows more heat to reach the body
surface and radiate out heat. (Fig. 18.1b).
2. Increased sweating. Increased blood supply to the skin through vasodilation
makes more water available to the sweat glands. They pour out more sweat and
Notes the evaporation of sweat cools the body. We often speed up evaporation of sweat
by using fans. The fans by themselves do not cool the air, it is the movement
of air that increases evaporation of the sweat to produce more cooling.

Less Heat Radiated

Much Heat Radiated

Arterioles
constricted Arterioles
(Less blood dilated
flows) (More blood flows)
(a) Vasoconstriction
(a) Vasodilation

Fig 18.1 Blood vessels in the skin during temperature regulation.

(a) Vasoconstriction for cutting down heat loss
(b) Vasodilation to increase heat loss
18.4.3 Components of Homeostasis
Homeostasis of any kind involves four components:
1. Set point or the norm - This is the normal level of any factor in the body. The
set point may have a small or large range. For example, the normal set point
of human body temperature is approximately 37o C (with 0.5o C plus or minus).
2. Sensor - This consists of the sensory part that perceives the change in the set
point. The sensor in thermoregulation comprises the heat receptors in (i) the
skin and (ii) hypothalamus, the part of the brain which perceives the temperature
of the flowing blood.
3. Integrating centre - The integrating centre is the part, which receives the
information about the change in the set point of the particular state, interprets
it and then sends the command for correction. In thermoregulation the
integrating centre is hypothalamus plus some adjoining parts of the brain.
4. Effectors - The effectors are the agencies, which act to restore the set point.
For example, (i) Sweat glands, which pour out the sweat to produce cold by
evaporation, (ii) Skin blood vessels, which widen (vasodilate) to bring more
blood to the body surface for radiating out heat and (iii) Skeletal muscles, which
vigorously contract (shivering) to produce heat
The flow chart given here (Fig.18.2) explains the different steps in thermoregulation
in humans.

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Brain (hypothalamus) Brain (integrating centre) Skin
Detects change in commands for sweating sweating
temperature of the and vasodilation vasodilation
body

Heating up Cooling

Notes
Normal body core Temperature returns
Temperature 37°C to normal
in humans

Cooling Warming up

Brain (integrating Skin and muscle

Brain (hypothalamus)
centre commands for vasoconstriction
Detects change in
vasoconstriction and rapid contraction
temperature
and shivering of muscles (shivering)

Fig 18.2 Mechanism of temperature control in humans

18.4.4 Types of Regulatory Systems– Physiological and Behavioral

The regulatory steps for thermoregulation in humans as described above can be
considered under two headings – physiological and behavioral.
Physiological regulation : Changes in blood circulation like vasodilation or
vasoconstriction, sweating or not sweating, increase or decrease in cell metabolism,
shivering, etc. All these adjustments are not under the control of will.
Behavioral regulation. It includes the conscious and subconscious acts. For
example:
When it is hot we often
z Fan ourselves (to promote evaporation of sweat)
z Move to any shaded or cooler place,
z Stretch out the limbs while resting in the bed.
When it is cold we
z move to warmer places (open sunshine or in front of heat radiators)
z prevent entry of cold winds (close the windows)
z wrap ourselves inside blanket (to cut down heat radiation)
z fold both arms or both arms and legs tightly close to the body (to reduce radiation
of heat from the body).

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.4

1. Rearrange the following in their correct sequence in homeostasis:
Effector, Set point, Integrating centre, Sensor.

Notes ............................................................................................................................
2. State in one word or sentence :
(i) The normal body core temperature of humans.
..................................................................................................................
(ii) The function of feathers in bird and the hairs of rabbit.
..................................................................................................................
(iii) Effect of shivering.
..................................................................................................................

18.5 FEEDBACK MECHANISMS–NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE

The feedback in the living systems are of two types: negative to reverse a condition
and positive to continue in the direction of the change.
In thermoregulation the kind of feedback mechanism operating is of the negative
type. Any deviation from the set point has to be reversed to bring it back to the
normal condition. Therefore, a command has to be given to the organs concerned
to function in a manner so that the deviation is corrected and brought back to the
normal state.
Positive feedback is very rare in the living systems. One such example is that of
coagulation of blood. This process includes several steps in succession. The first
feedback does not revive the set point, so it is not a negative feedback, instead it
produces the next and the third and so on until the last one completes the process
by plugging the cut in the blood vessel. All the feedback mechanisms in blood
coagulation are of the positive type.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.5

1. Name the two kinds of feed back mechanisms.
............................................................................................................................
2. Which kind of feed back mechanism normally operates in homeostasis?
............................................................................................................................

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WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

z The term homeostasis means steady state. The homeostatic processes keep the
conditions in the body within narrow limits.
z Homeostasis occurs for several conditions in the body such as water content,
sugar level, body temperature, etc. Notes
z Most homeostatic regulations work through negative feed back which means
reversing the change to the norm. Very seldom there is positive feedback which
produces changes in the same direction as the first one.
z Enzymes are highly sensitive to temperature changes. They work best at about
37°C called optimum temperature.
z The animals are categorized into two groups: Endotherms with internal heat-
regulating mechanisms such as birds and mammals, and ectotherms whose
body temperature rises or falls with that of the surroundings, such as frogs,
fishes, insects, etc.
z The endotherms have a variety of heat regulating systems such as sweating and
vasodilation to lose heat during hot weather, increasing body metabolism or
shivering to generate heat and presence of heat insulating structures like feathers,
hairs and subcutaneous fat when it is cold.
z The ectotherms avoid excessive cold or excessive heat by hiding underground
– hibernation(winter sleep) and aestivation (summer sleep)
z All homeostatic mechanisms consist of a norm or set point, a sensor, an
integrating centre and the effectors.
z In thermoregulation in humans, the sense receptors in skin and hypothalamus
serve as sensor, hypothalamus and some adjoining parts of the brain as
integrating centre, and the skin, blood vessels contained in the skin and skeletal
muscles etc serve as effectors.

TERMINAL EXERCISES
1. List the three conditions necessary for the body cells to function properly.
2. When do we pass out more concentrated urine–during hot summers or cold
winters ?
3. How does our body deal with any extra sugar absorbed into the blood after
meals?
4. What is our normal RBC count per cubic millimetre? Will it go up or go down
if a plain dweller shifts to a mountain or hill?
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Plants and animals 5. In which temperature range do the enzymes in our body act best?
6. Name the two terms often used synonymously for ectotherms.
7. Name any two animals, which tolerate the intense heat of the deserts by
promoting heat loss.
8. Which kind of feedback mechanism–the positive or the negative, normally
operates in bringing about water-salt balance in our body.
Notes
9. How is the enzymatic activity affected upon cooling?
10. How do honeybees fight cold during intense winter?
11. Differentiate between the two terms homeotherms and poikilotherms.
12. Give any two examples of preventing loss of body heat by postural behaviour
in humans.
13. List the components of homeostasis in their proper sequence.
14. Differentiate between positive and negative feedback mechanism.
15. Explain the role of the following in thermoregulation in humans:
(i) Sweat glands
(ii) Skeletal muscles
(iii) Blood vessels in the skin
16. What is meant by feed back mechanism? What are its two types? Which one
of these is applicable to thermoregulation and why?
17. Why is thermoregulation required in our body?
18. Differentiate between endotherms and ectotherms. Which ones of these do you
think can survive better if there is a suden change in environmental temperature?
19. Differentiate between physiological and behavioral responses for thermoregulation
in humans.
20. Explain the role of hypothalamus during heat regulation in humans.
21. Explain the relationship between sensor and integrating centre during any one
kind of homeostasis.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

18.1 1. Homeostasis is the regulation of a steady internal condition.
2. (i) sugar, (ii) salt, (iii) water
3. The body adds more RBCs to the blood
18.2 1. (i) Denatured (ii) inactive
2. (i) 35-40°C, (ii) Optimum temperature

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18.3 1. Endotherms : Camel, Bat, Polar bear, sparrow Plants and animals

Ectotherms : Earthworm, Cockroach, Fish, Wall lizard

2. Poikilotherms : Animals whose body temperature changes along with
that of the surroundings
Warm blooded : Animals whose body temperature remains steady and
does not change with that of the surroundings Notes
3. Crocodile : Basks in the sun on the land
Honey bees : Crowd together for collective warmth
Common frog : Hibernates
Wall lizard : Hides at safe places
18.4 1. Set point, Sensor, Integrating centre, Effectors
2. (i) 37°C (ii) trap air to prevent heat loss
(iii) warms up in cold weather
18.5 1. Negative and positive
2. Negative.

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