Topic 1.3
How does negative feedback help maintain stability in the body?
Negative feedback determines the maintenance or regulation of homeostasis. When certain things, like body temperature, are too high, the body makes changes to reduce it. And if the temperature is too low, the body makes changes to increase it. The body always works to keep your temperature in a safe range.
Negative Feedback Loop
Reflect and Apply
- How might your body respond if you were suddenly exposed to freezing conditions?
- Can you think of other examples of negative feedback in the body beyond temperature regulation?
Understanding the Negative Feedback Loop
Negative feedback loops are the body’s way of maintaining balance when internal conditions change. When a stimulus, like a temperature rise, occurs, receptors sense this change. The control centre (often the brain) processes this information and triggers an effector (like sweat glands) to respond. This response helps restore balance, lowering the temperature.
This loop continues until stability is regained, showing how the body self-regulates. Understanding this loop is key to grasping how the body maintains homeostasis through different systems.
Stimulus
Definition: A change in the environment that triggers a response in the body.
Example: A rise in external temperature.
Receptor
Definition: A sensor that detects the stimulus and sends information to the brain.
Example: Nerve cells in the skin sense heat.
Signal
Definition: The message sent from the receptor to the brain for processing.
Example: Nerve impulses sent to the brain about the change in temperature.
Response
Definition: The action taken by the body to counteract the stimulus.
Example: The body triggers muscle contractions (shivering) to generate heat and restore normal body temperature.
Worksheet: Negative Feedback Loop Model
Add information on the right side of the feedback loop model below by printing it or copying onto paper to show how the body maintains stability in response to changes.
Start by identifying the stimulus, then follow the pathway through the sensor, control centre, and the effector (response).
