article-img 27.06.2025 email 46

Homeostasis

Definition:

Homeostasis is the process by which living organisms maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions. This dynamic balance is essential for survival and proper functioning of cells, tissues, and organs.


📜 Origin of the Term:

The term “homeostasis” was coined by American physiologist Walter Cannon in 1926. It derives from Greek: “homeo” meaning “similar” and “stasis” meaning “standing still” or “stability.”


🔬 How Homeostasis Works:

  • Sensors/Receptors: Detect changes (stimuli) in the internal or external environment (e.g., temperature, pH, glucose levels).

  • Control Center: Usually the brain or endocrine glands, which process the information and determine the response.

  • Effectors: Organs or cells that act to correct the imbalance and restore conditions to the normal range.


⚙️ Key Parameters Regulated by Homeostasis:

  • Body temperature

  • Blood glucose levels

  • Blood pressure

  • pH balance of blood and fluids

  • Water and electrolyte balance

  • Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels


🧠 Examples:

  • Thermoregulation: When body temperature rises, mechanisms like sweating and vasodilation cool the body; when it drops, shivering and vasoconstriction conserve heat.

  • Blood sugar regulation: Insulin and glucagon hormones regulate glucose concentration in the blood.

  • pH regulation: The respiratory system and kidneys work together to maintain acid-base balance.


⚠️ Importance:

  • Ensures cells operate within optimal conditions.

  • Prevents damage caused by extreme fluctuations.

  • Supports metabolic processes and overall health.


🔮 Disruptions and Diseases:

  • Failure in homeostasis can lead to diseases like diabetes (blood sugar imbalance), hyperthermia or hypothermia (temperature imbalance), and acidosis or alkalosis (pH imbalance).

Примечание: Вся информация, представленная на сайте, является неофициальной. Получить официальную информацию можно с сайтов соответствующих государственных организаций