BIOS251 OL, Week 1 Lab

OL Lab 1: Homeostatic Control: How does the human body keep itself in
balance?
Learning Objectives:
ï‚· List some of the main physiological variables under homeostatic control
ï‚· Employ appropriate vocabulary to discuss the processes and concepts of
homeostasis
ï‚· Explain the steps in a homeostatic pathway from stimulus to response
ï‚· Compare different types of feedback loops
ï‚· Identify signs of homeostatic disruption and determine the underlying mechanism
Introduction:
The human body is a very complex combination of finely-tuned machinery. Every organ
system is dependent on the other to carry out its physiological functions along with
maintaining an internal equilibrium. Homeostasis is the ability of the body to maintain an
internal balance to in the body. So how does it always keep everything in balance? In
this simulation, you will learn about the underlying regulatory workflow involved in the
homeostatic process, through the examples of body temperature, blood pressure, and
blood sugar regulation.
Observe homeostasis in action
You will test different settings on our virtual volunteer, Phineas. You will observe and
analyze how the body reacts to the various stimuli such as changes in temperature,
heart rate, and blood glucose levels in the body. Using a 3D model of the human body,
you will be able to apply one or more stimuli on the test subject, to observe an
immediate visible impact on physiological variables.
From your observations, you will identify the sensors detecting the stimuli, the control
center processing them, and the effectors acting to counter them on Phineas’ body.
Finally, you will interpret the resulting changes in those variables to explain the
homeostatic phenomenon.