Homeostasis (AQA GCSE Biology: Combined Science)

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Homeostasis: Basics

What is homeostasis in biology?

  • Homeostasis is the regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external changes
  • Homeostasis maintains optimal conditions for enzyme action and all cell functions
  • In the human body, these include control of:
    • Blood glucose concentration
    • Body temperature
    • Water levels

Control of Homeostasis

  • Maintaining controlled conditions within the body is under involuntary (automatic) control
  • This means that the brain stem (or non-conscious part of the brain) and the spinal cord are involved in maintaining homeostasis – you don’t consciously maintain your body temperature or blood glucose level
  • These automatic control systems may involve nervous responses or chemical responses
  • All control systems include:
    • Cells called receptors, which detect stimuli (changes in the environment)
    • Coordination centres (such as the brain, spinal cord and pancreas) that receive and process information from receptors
    • Effectors (muscles or glands) which bring about responses which restore optimum levels

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Lára

Author: Lára

Expertise: Biology Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.