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Homeostasis and the body's systems

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Homeostasis relies on the function and performance of several body systems that work synchronously to keep a constant internal environment. Figure 1 summarises the function of homeostasis. i.e., homeostatic mechanisms occur in order for the body to keep internal fluctuations minimal even in the presence of uncontrollable external fluctuations. Maintaining a relatively stable environment is advantageous as an individual organism can have greater independence.

Homeostasis is the condition of equilibrium in the body’s internal environment produced by the ceaseless interplay of the body’s regulatory processes.

(Campbell, N. A and Reece, J. B., 2005a.)


Homeostatic response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. It regulates the internal environment by controlling all involuntary responses of the body. These include smooth and cardiac muscles, the different organs of the digestive, the cardiovascular, the excretory and the endocrine systems. (Campbell, N. A and Reece, J. B., 2005b.) Farabee summarises homeostasis,

“Any one or more of the eleven body systems are involved at a given time, regulated by one or both of the major control systems in the body.”
(Farabee, M.J., 2000a).
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