THE CONCEPT OF HOMEOSTASIS

1. THE CONCEPT OF HOMEOSTASIS HOMEOSTASIS IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS

2. HOMEOSTASIS • After completing this chapter, you should be able to: • Define homeostasis • Outline the characteristics of mechanisms for restoring and maintaining homeostasis • Relate the concept of homeostasis to health and illness

3. HOMEOSTASIS • Homeostasis is the state of balance or consistency of a system. • It describes the ability of primarily physiological processes of the internal environment to maintain a relatively steady state through adaptation • Types of homeostasis; physiological and psychological.

4. HOMEOSTASIS • In daily life, there are changes in the body which result in deviations outside the normal range; however, the body puts up mechanisms in order to achieve and maintain homeostasis termed adaptation. • When homeostasis (equilibrium) is achieved and maintained, a person is said to be in state of good health.

5. HOMEOSTASIS • When the narrow balance is threatened or lost, and the individual is unable to interact, there is a serious risk to the well-being of the individual. • Because the human body is made up of organs that are extremely sensitive to changes, it automatically brings into action, powerful regulating mechanisms in order to maintain the state of balance.

6. HOMEOSTASIS Each mechanism has: • a sensor which receives stimulus (produced from the disruption in homeostasis). • control centre which determines the limits within which the variable should be maintained. It works through a circuit which transmits the messages to and from it. • effector organ which acts to alter the internal environment to return the normal homeostasis.

7. HOMEOSTASIS The mechanisms for maintenance of homeostasis has four main properties; they are • self-regulating-they are elicited automatically in a healthy person. In an ill person, if the organ concerned is affected (damaged), the response might delay or be prevented from occurring normally. • Compensatory-the mechanisms operate such that the failure of one is compensated for by another through putting up of processes that in effect tend to make up the failed mechanism.

8. HOMEOSTASIS • negative feedback mechanism-effector response decrease or negates the effect of the original stimulus restoring/maintaining homeostasis. • collaboration-the mechanisms work together but not in isolation. E.g. blood glucose, temperature, hypertension.

9. HOMEOSTASIS • Psychological Homeostasis refers to psychological or emotional balance; a state of good mental health or mental well-being. • It is learned or acquired through experience or living and interaction with others. • Every individual has some psychological or emotional needs such love, affection, security etc.

10. HOMEOSTASIS • If these needs are met, the individual becomes stable psychologically. Contrary to this, unmet emotional needs result in psychological trauma which, if not well handled, can degenerate into mental ill-health. • In dealing with mental trauma, defence mechanisms (also termed adaptive or Copingprocesses) are used to attain psychological homeostasis.

11. HOMEOSTASIS • Every one needs stable physiological, psychological and social environment to achieve both physiological and psychological homeostasis

12. HOMEOSTASIS . QUESTIONS?

13. . THANK YOU