Overview
Homeostasis is your body's ability to keep everything stable. During this project, we investigated homeostasis, and we choose functions that are essential for life. The task was to test how our body maintains homeostasis. Our group chose to change the temperature of my body then regulate it back to normal (thermoregulation). We decided to go on the colder side rather than hot so the plan was to drop my temperature down.
Evidence of Work
Shown below is our research article:
Thermoregulation In the Human Body
Abstract: The instructions were to develop and run an experiment which tested thermoregulation in the human body. In the this test it was assumed that the human body would react to a lower body temperature by trying to produce and contain heat. It does this because the body needs to be above 95℉ in order to avoid hypothermia. If the body temperature gets low enough the person starts losing functions and will eventually die. In the experiment a subject’s body temperature was lowered and how the body changed its temperature was examined. When the subject went inside and it was discovered that the subject overcorrected their temperature when they went inside, this revealed that their body was trying to produce heat in order to maintain homeostasis. When the subject was outside the temperature was cold and the subject had to conserve/produce heat, but when the subject was inside they were being heated up on top of the fact that their body was still producing heat. This is what caused the subject to overcorrect their temperature in our testing and proves that our claim that the body reacts to contain/produce heat in order to maintain homeostasis.
Introduction:
Homeostasis is the body reacting to stimulus to maintain a stable environment between different systems in the body. Our body reacts to the stimulus of cold temperatures by shivering, closing the pores of the sweat glands, or goose bumps, and compressing our blood vessels to retain heat. This is the body addressing the cold temperature by trying to retain heat in order to keep a warm body temperature which allows the body to maintain homeostasis. A normal body temperature is 98.6℉, and hypothermia occurs in the body when the temperature is lower than 95℉. Symptoms of a low body temperature include shivering, slurred speech/mumbling, slow breathing, a weak pulse, clumsiness/ lack of coordination, drowsiness/very low energy, confusion, and loss of conscience. The only symptom observed in our test was shivering, but if we had tested for longer there may have been more noticeable symptoms as temperature lowered. Our original hypothesis was that if we lower our body temperature, then our body will react by bring the temperature back to normal over time. Hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and thyroid hormone increase the metabolic rate by stimulating the breakdown of fat.
Materials/Methods:
Results:
During our first trial, the test subjects in door starting temperature was 98℉. When the subject had the cool down stage, her temperature was 97.2℉. Five minutes later when the subject was back inside, her temperature had risen to 97.8℉. On our second trial, the subject’s temperature dropped from 98℉ to 95℉. After waiting five minutes inside, the subject was back at 97.3℉. During our final trial, the test subject had their temperature drop from 98℉ to 96.6℉. The subject warmed up to 98.4℉ when she went back inside.
Discussion and Conclusion:
For this project, our hypothesis was proven correct. Our data shows that the human body reacts to cold temperatures by producing more heat in order to keep the body warm. In our testing the subject heated up extremely quickly after going back inside. This shows that the body is reacting by heating up and keeping in heat. The data proves homeostasis because when the test subject was put in a cold environment, their temperature went down, but once out of the environment their temperature went above normal to regulate the body back to a normal level. One error that could have been made was that we may not have taken the subject’s temperature precisely the right time after they were done being cooled down. One thing that we did well was that we understood well what the data means in the context of our project. Some other testing that should be done on thermoregulation is testing how a body reacts to extreme heat.
Works Cited:
Rayon, Mr. “Thermoregulation Activity/Experiment.” Science Forums, 4 May 2009, www.scienceforums.net/topic/37403-thermoregulation-activityexperiment/.
“Hypothermia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 Jan. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682.
Rosenthaul, Martha. "Temperature Regulation." Biology Reference. 2019. 28 Jan. 2019 <http://www.biologyreference.com/Ta-Va/Temperature-Regulation.html>.
Abstract: The instructions were to develop and run an experiment which tested thermoregulation in the human body. In the this test it was assumed that the human body would react to a lower body temperature by trying to produce and contain heat. It does this because the body needs to be above 95℉ in order to avoid hypothermia. If the body temperature gets low enough the person starts losing functions and will eventually die. In the experiment a subject’s body temperature was lowered and how the body changed its temperature was examined. When the subject went inside and it was discovered that the subject overcorrected their temperature when they went inside, this revealed that their body was trying to produce heat in order to maintain homeostasis. When the subject was outside the temperature was cold and the subject had to conserve/produce heat, but when the subject was inside they were being heated up on top of the fact that their body was still producing heat. This is what caused the subject to overcorrect their temperature in our testing and proves that our claim that the body reacts to contain/produce heat in order to maintain homeostasis.
Introduction:
Homeostasis is the body reacting to stimulus to maintain a stable environment between different systems in the body. Our body reacts to the stimulus of cold temperatures by shivering, closing the pores of the sweat glands, or goose bumps, and compressing our blood vessels to retain heat. This is the body addressing the cold temperature by trying to retain heat in order to keep a warm body temperature which allows the body to maintain homeostasis. A normal body temperature is 98.6℉, and hypothermia occurs in the body when the temperature is lower than 95℉. Symptoms of a low body temperature include shivering, slurred speech/mumbling, slow breathing, a weak pulse, clumsiness/ lack of coordination, drowsiness/very low energy, confusion, and loss of conscience. The only symptom observed in our test was shivering, but if we had tested for longer there may have been more noticeable symptoms as temperature lowered. Our original hypothesis was that if we lower our body temperature, then our body will react by bring the temperature back to normal over time. Hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and thyroid hormone increase the metabolic rate by stimulating the breakdown of fat.
Materials/Methods:
- Materials
- Bucket of ice water
- Thermometer
- Timer
- Spray bottle
- Methods
- Put on shorts and a tank top
- Take your temperature
- Go outside when it is around 55℉ with your bucket of ice water
- Set a timer for 3 minutes
- Step into the ice bucket and start timer
- Spray the person standing in the bucket occasionally throughout the 3 minutes
- Step out of the ice bucket and take temperature immediately when timer finithe subjects
- Take temperature five minutes after that. If there is no significant rise in temperature, wait five minutes and take it again
- Once the subject has returned to normal body temperature, repeat this process two more times
Results:
During our first trial, the test subjects in door starting temperature was 98℉. When the subject had the cool down stage, her temperature was 97.2℉. Five minutes later when the subject was back inside, her temperature had risen to 97.8℉. On our second trial, the subject’s temperature dropped from 98℉ to 95℉. After waiting five minutes inside, the subject was back at 97.3℉. During our final trial, the test subject had their temperature drop from 98℉ to 96.6℉. The subject warmed up to 98.4℉ when she went back inside.
Discussion and Conclusion:
For this project, our hypothesis was proven correct. Our data shows that the human body reacts to cold temperatures by producing more heat in order to keep the body warm. In our testing the subject heated up extremely quickly after going back inside. This shows that the body is reacting by heating up and keeping in heat. The data proves homeostasis because when the test subject was put in a cold environment, their temperature went down, but once out of the environment their temperature went above normal to regulate the body back to a normal level. One error that could have been made was that we may not have taken the subject’s temperature precisely the right time after they were done being cooled down. One thing that we did well was that we understood well what the data means in the context of our project. Some other testing that should be done on thermoregulation is testing how a body reacts to extreme heat.
Works Cited:
Rayon, Mr. “Thermoregulation Activity/Experiment.” Science Forums, 4 May 2009, www.scienceforums.net/topic/37403-thermoregulation-activityexperiment/.
“Hypothermia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 Jan. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682.
Rosenthaul, Martha. "Temperature Regulation." Biology Reference. 2019. 28 Jan. 2019 <http://www.biologyreference.com/Ta-Va/Temperature-Regulation.html>.
Content
Homeostasis: This is the process of keeping your body regulated in a stable environment. For our project, we did thermoregulation where we dropped the temperature of my body then waited while it rose higher than normal to regulate it back to normal. This can also be tested using water levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc.
Stimulus: This is defined as something that is triggered in the body by a specific thing or event, and causing a reaction in an organ or tissue. For example in this project I started shivering which ws triggered by the cold temperature.
The Scientific Method: The Scientific Method consists of making an observation, conducting research, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, recording the data, drawing a conclusion, and do it again. We usually follow this process for all big projects.
Epinephrine: Epinephrine, or better known as adreneline, is when the body is in a certain situation which is typically stressful, the body prepares the muscles for exertion. Doing that tries to retain as much heat in the body as possible.
Norepinephrine: This is also released as by "adrenal medulla" and it causes the bodies blood pressure to raise, and it relaxes the muscles also trying to keep them warm.
Thyroid Hormone: This is a chemical substance located in the thryroid region and it increases the heat production in the body due to an effect on metabolism.
Hypothalamus: This is a region below the forebrain which links the autonamic nervous system and activity which controls homeostatic systems, and in my group's case temperature regulation.
Feedback Loop: A feedback loop is the bodies reaction to the stimulus. Our group had a negative loop because instead of letting the stimulus continue it decided to fight it causing the bodies temperature to not get colder.
Stimulus: This is defined as something that is triggered in the body by a specific thing or event, and causing a reaction in an organ or tissue. For example in this project I started shivering which ws triggered by the cold temperature.
The Scientific Method: The Scientific Method consists of making an observation, conducting research, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, recording the data, drawing a conclusion, and do it again. We usually follow this process for all big projects.
Epinephrine: Epinephrine, or better known as adreneline, is when the body is in a certain situation which is typically stressful, the body prepares the muscles for exertion. Doing that tries to retain as much heat in the body as possible.
Norepinephrine: This is also released as by "adrenal medulla" and it causes the bodies blood pressure to raise, and it relaxes the muscles also trying to keep them warm.
Thyroid Hormone: This is a chemical substance located in the thryroid region and it increases the heat production in the body due to an effect on metabolism.
Hypothalamus: This is a region below the forebrain which links the autonamic nervous system and activity which controls homeostatic systems, and in my group's case temperature regulation.
Feedback Loop: A feedback loop is the bodies reaction to the stimulus. Our group had a negative loop because instead of letting the stimulus continue it decided to fight it causing the bodies temperature to not get colder.
Reflection
I enjoyed this project. For me it was definitley a challenge because I was the person being tested on which wasn't particularly the best. I think I did pretty well on this project than a lot I've done. I've never been the best at leadership/cooperation but I believe I did much better. I also think I was good on attitude control due to the fact that I was freezing in a bucket of ice while being sprayed with a bottle of cold water.
In the beginning of the project I definitley could've done better with time management and staying on task. I did stray away from my group a few times and got easily distracted but I found my way back to my group and contributed a lot. I helped find the resources necessary for the project while still following the project. I liked how our project was successful and I'm glad I got to see how homeostasis works in the body.
In the beginning of the project I definitley could've done better with time management and staying on task. I did stray away from my group a few times and got easily distracted but I found my way back to my group and contributed a lot. I helped find the resources necessary for the project while still following the project. I liked how our project was successful and I'm glad I got to see how homeostasis works in the body.