Topic 2 - Responding To Change: Homeostasis

Question 1

What does homeostasis mean?

Answer 1

Maintaining internal conditions within the body.

Question 2

Name three internal conditions that your body needs to survive.

Answer 2

Water content (osmoregulation) 
Body temperature (thermoregulation)
Blood sugar level (glucose regulation)

Question 3

Why must our body temperature be maintained at a certain level?

Answer 3

To provide he optimum temperature for our enzymes and organs to work at.

Question 4

How does the body use negative feedback to maintain its temperature?

Answer 4

Changes in body temperature trigger responses that counteract the changes, e.g. a rise in body temperature causes responses that lower body temperature. This means that the internal environment stays around a temperature where the cells work best.

Question 5

What is the role of the dermis in thermoregulation?

Answer 5

The dermis contains sweat glands, blood vessels, nerve endings and hair erector muscles. The nerve endings sense temperature changes and send information to the hypothalamus. Body temperature is regulated by changes in the amount of sweat produced, changes in the amount of blood that flows near the skin surface and changes to the amount of air trapped against the skin by hairs.