Body Homeostasis: What It Is, And Types Of Homeostatic Processes
We are hungry and we eat, because our body tells us that we lack nutrients. We are thirsty and we drink, because we are in the process of dehydration and our body needs water to function well. Our pulse and breathing accelerate in the face of an extremely activating situation and subsequently we calm down, because we are no longer exposed to the situation that requires the use of energy.
If we observe all these relationships, we can realize that in all of them we are facing a process that seeks maintain a balance in our body
This balance is necessary for the correct functioning of our body, so we carry out different processes to achieve it. We are talking about body homeostasis which we are going to talk about throughout this article.
We understand bodily homeostasis as the tendency in the body to actively and constantly seek a state of balance. so that the cells of our body can survive by maintaining a stable internal composition.
Maintaining this balance is essential, given that the activation or maintenance of different body processes requires energy, which in turn requires elements to use as fuel. If they are not available, it will occur a series of tissue damage that can lead to death The same thing happens if we are not able to activate or stop some of the aforementioned bodily processes, necessary for our survival.
It is important to keep in mind that homeostasis acts based on the existence of changes that can occur both inside the body and come from outside, also using action mechanisms that link both environments (for example, hunger makes us eat).
The concept of body homeostasis, developed by Bernard but named by Cannon does not speak to us of a situation in which the body remains unchanged in a position in which there are always the same parameters, but rather a dynamic balance between states that allows the values of the different components of our body to remain relatively stable. , thanks to various biological mechanisms prepared for this purpose.
In this sense, it must be taken into account that living beings can withstand certain levels of variation and imbalance and that the mechanisms that allow homeostasis They can be damaged or altered throughout the life cycle being important to take this into account in order to introduce external factors that correct possible deficits.
It’s components
For homeostasis to exist, the existence of three fundamental elements is necessary.
First of all, it is necessary to have some type of element that acts as a sensor, a receiver that allows for the body to capture the existing levels in the parameter or element that must remain in balance.
In second place there must be some type of control a trigger that manages to make action necessary when certain levels are reached.
Thirdly and finally, it is essential that there is some type of mechanism that allows for a response or action once the control mechanism warns that the value of the variable or factor in question reaches the level of imbalance.
Processes to balance the body
The homeostatic regulation process is complex and there are various mechanisms that participate in it. We can specifically highlight three of them: two of them are purely biological, while the third is more related to neuronal activity and behavior.
Negative feedback
Feedback or negative feedback is probably the mechanism of action of homeostasis that seems most logical and is easiest to observe and understand.
This mechanism is based on the fact that given the detection of a certain level of a specific parameter that deviates from normal values, a response is carried out that aims to return said parameter to the previous stability
Examples of this are those provided in the introduction of this article. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that we are not talking about a search for balance that occurs only in situations in which there is a lack, but also when there is an excess of something.
For example, in the case of variations in body water levels thirst may arise if the body detects a lack of it or the need to urinate if there is an excess.
Positive feedback
Another process necessary to maintain bodily homeostasis may, in fact, seem counterintuitive. This is positive feedback, which is characterized by generating an increase in amplification of unbalancing stimuli, accelerating changes.
This process can be risky and even pose a danger to survival, but although it moves the organism even further away from the balanced basal state than it would initially do, it has its usefulness: it may be necessary to perform this feedback or to move the basal state to a more optimal situation for survival or to achieve long-term return to initial situations.
Examples of this occur in blood clotting in the event of an injury, which becomes increasingly faster and makes it easier to stop bleeding.
Anterofeeding
Feedback means that upon the arrival of a specific signal, the organism generates some type of action that allows it to react to the existence of variations.
But It is not the only way to maintain homeostasis: It is also possible to anticipate the arrival of changes and prevent them from occurring. This is the system that would be known as anterofeeding, and at a biological level we found it more linked to behavior and the capacity for association, as well as to instinctive acts.
5 homeostatic processes that occur in our body
We have talked about bodily homeostasis as something general that may sound somewhat abstract to most readers (despite the fact that several examples have been given).
But There are multiple aspects and functions of our body that must be regulated to allow our survival. In order for homeostasis to be much more visual, let’s look at five more examples (in addition to those already seen: hunger, thirst, pulse and cardiorespiratory rhythm or blood coagulation) of elements that are regulated and that allow the correct functioning of our system.
1. Cellular metabolism
Cellular metabolism is without a doubt the process that needs the most regulation in order to keep us alive. And our cells are very delicate and need to be in a very specific environment.
It is necessary that the levels of different elements and ions of elements such as sodium potassium or calcium, as well as the levels of intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid, are correctly regulated so that the cells can perform their functions and remain alive.
Another bodily mechanism that is continually regulated is the body’s internal temperature. The correct functioning of our tissues and organs can be affected by excessive cold or heat to the point of being able to lead us to death due to hypothermia or hyperthermia.
Fortunately, our body is capable of maintaining temperature through a homeostatic process in which if there is excess internal temperature, the body reacts with a decrease in physical activity, discomfort and sweat (the objective of which is to reduce temperature) or with an increase in activity, the generation of tremors, the consumption of calories withdrawal of blood from secondary areas to direct it to vital areas and the search for heat in the case of lack of sufficient temperature.
3. Autonomic nervous system
The functioning of the autonomic nervous system is another clear example of homeostasis.
The sympathetic system allows the body to prepare for action and fight or flight reactions in order to survive, generating a much greater energy consumption to be able to carry out the actions that are necessary, while the parasympathetic system allows us to reduce activity and activation in order to replenish energy or prevent energy waste.
An example of dysregulation would occur in chronic stress problems in which the sympathetic system would be excessively activated on a continuous basis.
4. Glucose regulation
In this case, our body acts in such a way that allows sugar to be transformed into fats and stored thanks to insulin, while when the use of glucose by the body becomes necessary, we secrete glucagon in order to transform fats into sugar. The clearest example of dysregulation occurs in diabetes
5. Hormonal regulation
Also endocrine functioning It has to be regulated. In fact, many of the behaviors that lead to externally generating homeostasis, such as the feeling of hunger or thirst, sexual desire or stress, depend to different degrees on this system.
A natural and non-pathological example would be found in the female menstrual cycle as well as in the dysregulation that menopause would initially entail.
