Answer to Question #334566 in Human Anatomy and Physiology for cornnnfrogeuu

Question

What is the stimulus in the feedback loop?

When the high blood glucose level is detected, the beta cells in the pancreas are stimulated to increase the production of insulin. These hormones are released into the bloodstream which will allow body cells to take up more glucose. Liver will be stimulated to take up glucose and store it as glycogen. These responses will allow blood glucose to decline to a set point thereby diminishing the stimulus to release insulin.

(lesson: feedback mechanism)

Answer 1

Any homeostatic process that changes the direction of the stimulus is a negative feedback loop. It may either increase or decrease the stimulus, but the stimulus is not allowed to continue as it did before the receptor sensed it. In other words, if a level is too high, the body does something to bring it down; conversely, if a level is too low, the body does something to raise it; hence, the term: negative feedback. An example of negative feedback is the maintenance of blood glucose levels. When an animal has eaten, blood glucose levels rise, which is sensed by the nervous system. Specialized cells in the pancreas (part of the endocrine system) sense the increase, releasing the hormone insulin. Insulin causes blood glucose levels to decrease, as would be expected in a negative feedback system. However, if an animal has not eaten and blood glucose levels decrease, this is sensed in a different group of cells in the pancreas: the hormone glucagon is released, causing glucose levels to increase. This is still a negative feedback loop, but not in the direction expected by the use of the term “negative.” Another example of an increase as a result of a feedback loop is the control of blood calcium. If calcium levels decrease, specialized cells in the parathyroid gland sense this and release parathyroid hormone (PTH), causing an increased absorption of calcium through the intestines and kidneys. The effects of PTH are to raise blood levels of calcium. Negative feedback loops are the predominant mechanism used in homeostasis.