Body homeostasis: what is it and types of homeostatic processes?

This set of biological processes allows us to survive by adapting to changes.

We are hungry and we eat, because our body warns us that we are lacking nutrients. We are thirsty and drink, because we are in the process of dehydration and our body needs water to function well. Our pulse and breathing accelerate in an extremely activating situation and then we calm down, because we are no longer exposed to the situation that requires the use of energy.

If we look at all these relationships, we can realize that in all of them we are facing a process that seeks to to maintain a balance in our organism.

This balance is necessary for the correct functioning of our organism, so we carry out different processes to achieve it. We are talking about body homeostasiswhich we are going to talk about in this article.

What is the corporal homeostasis?

We understand by corporal homeostasis to the existing tendency in the organism to look for of active way and of constant form a state of balance, so that the cells of our body can survive by maintaining a stable internal composition. by maintaining a stable internal composition.

The maintenance of this balance is fundamental, since the activation or maintenance of different bodily processes requires energy, which in turn requires elements to be used as fuel. If these elements are not available, a series of tissue a series of damages in the tissues that can even lead to death.. The same happens if we are not able to activate or stop some of these body processes, which are necessary for our survival.

It is important to bear in mind that homeostasis acts on the basis of the existence of changes that can occur both inside the body and from the outside, also employing mechanisms of action that link both environments (for example, hunger makes us eat).

The concept of body homeostasis, developed by Bernard but baptized by Cannondoes not refer to a situation in which the body remains unalterable in a position in which there are always the same parameters, but rather to 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 can be damaged or altered throughout the life cycle, and it is important to take this into account in order to introduce external factors to correct possible deficits.It is important to take this into account in order to introduce external factors to correct possible deficits.

Its components

Three fundamental elements are necessary for homeostasis to exist.

In the first place, the existence of some type of element that acts as a sensor, a receptor that allows the organism to capture the existing levels of hormones is necessary. that the organism captures the existing levels in the parameter or element that must remain in equilibrium.

Secondly there must be some kind of controla trigger that manages to make that at the moment in which certain levels are reached an action is necessary.

Thirdly and lastly, it is essential that there is some type of mechanism that allows a response or action to be taken once the control mechanism warns that the value of the variable or factor in question has reached the level of imbalance.

Processes to balance the organism

The process of homeostatic regulation is complex and there are various mechanisms involved in it. We can specifically highlight three of them: two of them are purely biological, while the third is more related to neural activity and behavior.

Negative feedback

Negative feedback is probably the mechanism of action of homeostasis that seems to be the most logical and the easiest to observe and understand.

This mechanism is based on the fact that given the detection of a given level of a specific parameter that deviates from normal values, a response is carried out that aims to return this parameter to the previous stability.

Examples of this are given in the introduction to this article. In addition, it should be taken into account that we are not talking about a search for equilibrium that occurs only in situations where there is a lack, but also when there is an excess of something.

For example, in the case of variations in the body's water levels, thirst may arise in the case of a lack of water.For example, in the case of variations in the body's water levels, thirst may arise if the body detects a lack of water, or the need to urinate if there is an excess.

Positive feedback

Another of the processes necessary to maintain body homeostasis may, in fact, seem counterintuitive. It is positive feedback, which is characterized by generating an increase or amplification of unbalancing stimuli, accelerating changes.

This process may be risky and even pose a danger to survival, but although it moves the organism even further away from what it would initially do from the balanced basal state, it has its utility: it may be necessary to perform this feedback either to move the basal state to a more optimal situation for survival or to for survival or to achieve in the long term a return to initial situations.

Examples of this are given in the coagulation of Blood in the face of injury, which becomes increasingly rapid and facilitates the arrest of a hemorrhage.

Antifeedback

Feedback means that when a specific signal is received, the organism generates some kind of action that allows it to react to the existence of variations.

But However, this 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 the biological level we would find it more linked to behavior and the capacity of association, as well as to instinctive acts.

5 homeostatic processes occurring in our body

We have spoken of bodily homeostasis as something general that may sound somewhat abstract to most readers (despite the fact that several examples have been given).

But But there are many aspects and functions of our organism that must be regulated to enable our survival. to enable our survival. In order to make homeostasis much more visual, let us look at five more examples (in addition to the already seen hunger, thirst, pulse and cardiorespiratory rate or blood coagulation) of elements that are regulated and that allow the correct functioning of our system.

Cellular metabolism

Cellular metabolism is undoubtedly the process that needs the most regulation in order to keep us alive. 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.potassium or calcium, as well as the levels of intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid, must be correctly regulated so that the cells can perform their functions and remain alive.

Body temperature

Another body mechanism that is continuously regulated is the internal body temperature. The proper functioning of our tissues and organs can be affected by excessive heat or cold, to the point where it can lead toThe proper functioning of our tissues and organs can be affected by excessive heat or cold, to the point of death by hypothermia or hyperthermia.

Fortunately, our body is able to maintain its temperature through a homeostatic process in which, if there is an excess of internal temperature, the body reacts with a decrease in physical activity, discomfort and sweating (whose objective is to reduce the temperature) or with an increase in activity, the generation of tremors, the consumption of calories, the withdrawal of blood from the areas of the body where the temperature is high.The body reacts with a decrease in physical activity, discomfort and sweating (aimed at reducing temperature) or increased activity, shivering, calorie consumption, withdrawal of blood from secondary areas to the vital areas and the search for warmth in 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 enables the organism to prepare for action and fight or flight reactions. fight or flight reactions in order to survive, generating a much higher energy consumption to be able to carry out the necessary actions, while the parasympathetic system allows us to reduce activity and activation in order to replenish energies or prevent energy waste.

An example of dysregulation would be given in problems of chronic stressin which the sympathetic system would be excessively activated continuously.

4. Glucose regulation

In this case, our body acts in such a way that it allows sugar to be transformed into fats and stored thanks to insulin, while when it becomes necessary for the body to use glucose, we secrete glucagon in order to transform fats into sugar. The clearest example of dysregulation occurs in diabetes..

5. Hormonal regulation

Also endocrine function must also be regulated. In fact, many of the behaviors that lead to the external generation of homeostasis, such as the sensation of hunger or thirst, sexual desire or stress, depend to varying degrees on this system.

A natural, non-pathological example is the female menstrual cycle. the female menstrual cycleas well as in the dysregulation that the menopause would entail at first.

Bibliographical references:

• Hardy, R.M. (1979). Homeostasis. Notebooks of biology. Omega: Barcelona.
• Guyton, A.C. & Hall, J.E. (2016). Treatise on Medical Physiology. 13th ed. Elsevier.
• Garcia, A. (2016). Homeostasis: regulation and control. Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. Facultad de Medicina.