M2 - Discuss the probable homeostatic responses to changes in the internal environment during exercise.
What is homeostasis?
Homeostasis is defined as “maintaining a constant internal environment.” [1] The term internal environment refers to the area and components inside an individual’s body e.g. this consists of the blood, tissue fluid, body cell contents and all of the metabolic processes that occur. Constant means an ongoing process and too regulate and control. Homeostasis controls a range of conditions and physiological processes in the body such as body temperature, water content and blood glucose concentration. For example the homeostasis concept means that if it detects that the internal body’s temperature is too hot, the body will begin to sweat and loose heat to its surroundings to bring it back to its optimum temperature. Homeostasis works alongside the negative feedback mechanism.
Negative feedback system
The negative feedback system is a mechanism that occurs and works with homeostasis to help regulate the internal environment. Below is a generalised negative feedback cycle that can be applied to variables in homeostasis. The first stage is detecting a stimulus in the variable. For example the variable could be body temperature and a stimulus is when there is a change or imbalance in the internal environment so this would mean an increase or decrease in body temperature (+/- 37°c). Secondly this change is then detected by a receptor (sensor); a receptor is an organ or cell that can pick up on stimuli such as heat receptors on the skin. Next the receptors send the information (e.g. through impulse) to the control centre which is commonly the brain. The control centre is the main operational centre that can be able to modify and make changes so the internal environment can adjust. This is where the control centre (in this example it would be the