Notes 18 - Introduction to Homeostasis and Thermoregulation Notes

Based on the BSCS "Behavior and Homeostasis Reading"

1. Homeostasis is maintaining internal balance or a constant internal environment.

2. Examples of homeostasis...

A. Temperature balance
- a lizard moves out of the sun to cool down and maintain a constant body temperature
- a runner starts to sweat to cool down and maintain a constant body temperature
- a woman that forgets her jacket on a cold day starts to shiver to generate heat to maintain a constant body temperature

B. Carbon dioxide balance
- when a person exercises, he or she will breathe faster to get rid of the extra carbon dioxide produce by the working muscles

C. Salt/water balance
- if there is too much salt and too little water in the blood, then the brain will detect this and cause the person to feel thirsty in order to regain water balance

3. Endotherms and ectotherms

- an endotherm is an organism that generates heat internally - for example, warm-blooded animals like mammals and birds
- an ectotherm is an organism that gets its heat from its surroundings - for example, cold-blooded animals like reptiles and amphibians