Life = “Steady State” Food Water O2 Heat Feces Urine CO2 Heat Constancy of Internal Environment: HOMEOSTASIS “Delicate Balance” = Regulation
Temperature It’s good to be constant
Homeotherm Heterotherm constant body temp body temp varies with environment Body temperature (ºC) Environmental temperature (ºC)
Thermoregulation: Not all organisms work to maintain Steady State! Conformers = Equilibrium Regulators = Steady State regulators: metabolic conformers: variable environment regulators: behavioral conformers: constant environment
Behavioral Thermoregulation = homeostasis (sometimes) Body temperature Temperature (ºC) Air temperature near ground surface Temperature in burrow Time of day sunrise sunset
Thermoregulation: Regulators work to maintain Steady State! metabolic regulators: behavioral
Metabolic Effector Mechanisms: Too Cold? -> Generate more heat Shivering (mammals, birds, bees, snakes): = muscle contraction without power -> heat! Heater Tissues (brown fat, bird muscles, tuna heads) = metabolic activity without products -> heat mitochondria (heaters) fat (fuel) Requires Metabolic Energy!
Metabolic Effector Mechanisms: Too Hot? -> Dissipate heat Evaporative Cooling: Panting (mammals & birds) = force air over wet surface Sweating (mammals) = actively pump out water sweat glands Requires Metabolic Energy!
Control Systems & Homeostasis: Negative Feedback Signal = Physiological Parameter (temperature) Negative Feedback: change parameter => reduce deviation from set point 1. Sensor (thermometer) information = value of parameter ‘Set Point’ (internal info) ‘Value’ (external info) 3. Effector (heater) 2. Integrator (thermostat) compare value to set point Control Signal = deviation from set point = Stabilizing Control
normal body temperature Feedback & mammalian thermoregulation Control Signals Sensor & Integrator = Hypothalamus Effectors vasodilate sweat temp falls Signal: Body Temperature Negative Feedback = homeostasis! too high Homeostasis: normal body temperature Negative Feedback = homeostasis! too low Signal: Body Temperature temp rises Effectors vasoconstrict shiver Control Signals Sensor & Integrator = Hypothalamus
Positive Feedback = One-Way, Irreversible Changes Clot -> platelet activation -> clotting -> platelet activation -> etc => Stop Bleeding!
Irreversible Changes: Positive Feedback Control ..that puts pressure on the cervix… hormone causes uterus to contract… …that stimulates release of more hormone …that causes uterus to contract more ..that puts more pressure on the cervix… etc, etc the baby comes out! Destabilizing Control