Body Regulation

1. Body Regulation • Homeostasis: Processes used by the body to maintain a stable and functioning environment. • Your body is continuously working to maintain homeostasis. Just sitting in your chair, blood pressure, body temperature and glucose levels are being constantly regulated by your body.

2. Feedback Mechanisms • Negative Feedback: Any process that returns the body back to its normal state. This is the most common way to maintain homeostasis. Body releases insulin Blood sugar levels rise Body stops releasing insulin Insulin lowers blood sugar levels

3. Positive Feedback: One change in the body leads to another, often larger, change (domino effect). Positive feedback is rare in a healthy, normal body. A hormone stimulates uterine contractions Contractions increase Pressure from the baby causes more hormone to be released Contractions cause baby to push against the birth canal

4. Positive or Negative Feedback? Body begins to sweat Body temperature rises Body stops sweating, temperature is back to normal Sweating helps to lower body temperature Negative, because the process returns the body temperature back to normal

5. Positive or Negative Feedback? Lactic acid is built up in the muscles Person exercises Person continues exercising Lactic acid causes muscle soreness Positive, because the soreness will continue to increase until the person stops the exercise

6. Positive or Negative Feedback? Body begins to shiver Body temperature lowers Body stops shivering, temperature is back to normal Shivering helps to raise body temperature Negative, because the process returns the body temperature back to normal