Homeostatic Feedback System for Elevated Body Temperature

Describe the homeostatic feedback system (i.e. stimulus- receptors- control center-
e ectors- response, series of steps) that would be activated in response to elevated bodyff
temperature.
Homeostasis is the tendency to acquire a state of equilibrium between two or more
interdependent elements, especially so as to maintain physiological processes (Solomon, 2015).
Therefore, the homeostatic feedback system or homeostatic regulation is the adjustment of
physiological systems in the human body to maintain homeostasis. Homeostatic regulation
applies two mechanisms which are: autoregulation or intrinsic regulation and the extrinsic
regulation. The former occurs when the organs or tissue of the body adjust automatically to the
changes in the environment. In extrinsic regulation two organs system that controls or adjust the
activities of many systems such as the endocrine system are involved. The homeostatic
regulation tries to maintain the body internal environment within certain limits. There are three
parts of the regulatory mechanism; A receptor that is sensitive to change in environment or
stimulus, a control center which receives information from the receptor and processes it and
thirdly the effector which receives the commands of the control center.
Therefore, in the case of elevated temperature, the body will try to maintain the temperature
within the normal range of 35.5-37 degrees Celsius. The hypothalamus is the control center for
thermoregulation. When the temperature rises above normal the thermoreceptors will send a
signal to the control center which will target the sweat glands and tissues of muscles in the walls
of the blood vessels supplying the skin (effectors) (Solomon, 2015). The muscles relax and the
blood vessels dilate thus allowing increase in blood flow near the skin surface and by so doing
heat is lost to the environment. The sweat pores too will open as the sweat glands are also
activated via the cholinergic sympathetic nerves to produce sweat. As the sweat escapes through