Finding the Body’s Balance: Understanding Homeostasis

Discover the body’s self regulation processes

Homeostasis is a state of balance between all body systems that allows the body to function correctly.

On this four-week course from Whitireia, you’ll delve into the mechanisms of homeostatic control, from regulating respiratory gases to maintaining constant body temperature.

Identify the factors that affect our internal environment

You’ll explore environmental factors including exposure to pathogens, stress, and temperature, and how they impact the body. You’ll then learn how the key components of a homeostatic control system respond to such changes.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to explain how multiple systems work together within the body to deliver effective responses.

Examine the body systems that contribute to homeostasis

On this course, you’ll discover how positive and negative feedback systems help the body address various environmental changes.

You’ll learn how body systems regulate water, chemicals, gases, temperature, and blood pH to ensure the internal parameters of your body are kept constant.

Using this understanding, you’ll be able to identify a range of responses the body produces to react to different factors, both internal and external.

Explore the connection between blood glucose regulation, diabetes, and homeostasis

Certain diseases, such as diabetes, impact the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis without assistance.

You’ll investigate the body’s typical response to blood glucose regulation and learn how this differs in people with diabetes, understanding how a lack of equilibrium can lead to severe health problems or death.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to explain homeostatic processes, identifying body systems that help maintain homeostasis and the internal and external factors that affect homeostatic control.

This course is designed for those considering a career or further study in health sciences, as well as those already studying who want to further their understanding of homeostasis.

It is also suitable for anyone with a general interest in learning to maintain homeostasis or understanding the body’s processes in more detail.

• Introduction to homeostasis
• Welcome to Week 1
• Let's find out - what is homeostasis?
• Feedback systems
• Recap this week's learning
• Endocrine system, blood pH, water and gas regulation
• Welcome to Week 2
• The endocrine system, hypothalamus and liver
• Blood pH and gas regulation
• Water regulation
• Recap this week's learning
• Thermoregulation and calcium regulation
• Welcome to Week 3
• Thermoregulation - body temperature
• Calcium regulation
• Recap this week's learning
• Blood glucose regulation and diabetes
• Welcome to Week 4
• Blood glucose regulation
• Diabetes
• Recap this week's learning
• Thank you!