NAME: OLIVIA D’AMATO DATE: 06/04/2024

Lab Report
Homeostatic Control: How does the human
body keep itself in balance?
This lab report is for you to reflect on what you completed and learned in this simulation, and to practice your
written scientific communication skills. Include enough detail to clearly describe the lab experience to
someone who understands the concepts but has not participated in the simulation. Use correct scientific
terminology whenever applicable.

Sections

1. Describe the overall objective and make a hypothesis

2. Introduce relevant background knowledge on this topic
3. Summarize the steps taken in the simulation
4. Explain any obtained results
5. Discuss the conclusions and implications

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 1. Describe the overall objective and make a hypothesis.
What is the overall purpose of the experiments or activities? Make a hypothesis. Recall that the hypothesis is a
claim that answers a question or makes a prediction about an event that has not yet occurred.

Hint: The purpose is often stated in the welcome message of the simulation (as shown in the example image
below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include one statement that describes the overall objective in your own words.
● Include one statement that describes the hypothesis.

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 2. Introduce relevant background knowledge on this topic.
What have you learned in class or researched on your own that would help prepare for this simulation?

Hint: You can review the “THEORY” section in the simulation (as shown in the example image below)

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include at least three important details from the lab “Theory” tab, the Lab Manual, or other resources, in
your lab report that supports the simulation activity.

To prepare myself for the laboratory, I studied the relevant material from the lab manual first to
understand the homeostatic process. I began by studying the homeostatic workflow, which
includes detecting a stimulus through sensors, processing the information in a control center, and
activating effectors to restore balance. I studied more specific instances of homeostasis, the first
one being blood pressure regulation. I learned that our bodies consider 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit to
be ideal and will regulate itself to maintain the previously mentioned temperature. Any variance
from 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit will lead thermoreceptors to send signals to the brain. This process
goes through a sequence, where the baroreceptors act as sensors, the medulla oblongata serves as
the control center, and the heart and blood vessels function as effectors to adjust pressure through
vasodilation or vasoconstriction. Blood sugar regulation involves pancreatic cells sensing glucose
levels, the pancreas acting as the control center, and the release of insulin or glucagon to maintain
glucose homeostasis. Overall, I learned the importance of the homeostatic workflow, particularly
in the regulation of blood pressure and blood sugar, and that it is critical for maintaining
physiological stability and overall health. Further research elucidates how homeostatic processes
prevent conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, further highlighting how important
homeostatic processes are for sustaining life.

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 3. Summarize the steps taken in the simulation.
Explain all steps you completed, including the equipment and techniques you used.

Hint: You can use the “MISSION” tab in the LabPad as inspiration (as shown in the example image below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Document each step you completed, including the equipment and techniques you used.

The first thing you do in a laboratory is make sure we are wearing proper lab equipment,
including a lab coat, gloves and eye protection with no loose articles of clothing or hair. To
understand the body regulates its temperature and the parts of our body involved with
homeostasis, we learned about homeostatic processes and why/how they occur. We changed
various environmental factors first such as the air conditioner to observe how Phineas’ body
temperature would be affected and then identified that the skin is a thermoreceptor, and the
hypothalamus regulates our internal temperature. The hypothalamus acts as a control center,
sending signals to other organs and effectors. The primary effectors in temperature regulation
are sweat glands and blood vessels; when body temperature rises, dermal blood vessels dilate,
and sweat glands secrete more sweat, all factors observable by seeing Phineas exercise. We
were able to observe how once body temperature normalizes, the control center reinstates
balance through a negative feedback loop, exemplifying homeostasis after Phineas was done
exercising. Afterwards, we explored blood pressure regulation, which also influences
temperature control through slower heartbeats. Baroreceptors in blood vessels detect changes
in blood pressure and send signals to the hypothalamus, which then communicates with the
heart, blood vessels, and kidneys—effectors in this regulation process. Vasodilation decreases

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 arterial and venous pressure, aiding in stabilizing the body when it deviates from its resting
rate. When Phineas exercised too much without proper nutrition, his blood sugar levels became
critical; the glucagon was not able to compensate for decreasing blood sugar level because
glycogen reserves were depleted. Blood sugar levels, which provide energy to body tissues and
fluctuate throughout the day, are also important. Proper regulation prevents heart disease, with
insulin and glucagon playing key roles. The pancreas and liver assist in this regulation; insulin
moves glucose into body cells for energy, while glucagon releases glucose into the
bloodstream as fuel.

3. Summarize the steps

taken in the simulation.
Explain all steps you completed,
including the equipment and
techniques you used.
Hint: You can use the “MISSION”
tab in the LabPad as inspiration (as
shown in the example
image below).
First we get ready to work in the lab
by making sure we have hair pulled
back, proper eye
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wear, gloves, and a lab coat. Next,
we are introduced to what
homeostasis is, which I just
discussed prior. Then, we were
introduced to how the body regulates
body temperature.
We turned the air conditioner off and
also increased exercise intensity and
learned
regulation takes place by
thermoreceptors on the skin, and
internal core temperature is
regulated in the hypothalamus. Two
primary effectors for regulating body
temperature is
the sweat glands and blood vessels.
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When the bodies temperature rises
the dermal blood
vessels dililate, and the sweat glands
begin to secrete more sweat. When
your body
temperature drops back to normal the
control center has then reinstated
balance, because
of the negative feedback loop which
is the result of homeostasis. Next, we
learn about
blood pressure regulation used to
also control body temperature and
that occurs by the
heart beating slower. Blood vessels
have sensors called barorecptors that
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detect if blood
pressure is too high or too low and
sends signals to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus
then sends a message to the heart,
blood vessels, and kidneys, which act
as effectors in
regulation. Vasodilation decreases
the pressure in arteries and veins. It
helps make the
body stable when it is not at its
resting rate. Blood sugar levels
provide energy through the
tissues in the body and change
throughout the day. It is critical to
maintain healthy levels
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to prevent heart disease. There is
insulin and glycogen that regulate
sugar levels. The
pancreas and liver help the body in
regulating blood sugar levels.
Insulins main job is to
move glucose from our bloodstream
into the body's cells to make energy.
Glycogens job is
to release glucose into the
bloodstream to be used as fuel for the
cells. In conclusion, the
body is a very complex organism that
uses many different variables to
maintain
homeostasis.
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3. Summarize the steps
taken in the simulation.
Explain all steps you completed,
including the equipment and
techniques you used.
Hint: You can use the “MISSION”
tab in the LabPad as inspiration (as
shown in the example
image below).
First we get ready to work in the lab
by making sure we have hair pulled
back, proper eye
wear, gloves, and a lab coat. Next,
we are introduced to what
homeostasis is, which I just
discussed prior. Then, we were
11 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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introduced to how the body regulates
body temperature.
We turned the air conditioner off and
also increased exercise intensity and
learned
regulation takes place by
thermoreceptors on the skin, and
internal core temperature is
regulated in the hypothalamus. Two
primary effectors for regulating body
temperature is
the sweat glands and blood vessels.
When the bodies temperature rises
the dermal blood
vessels dililate, and the sweat glands
begin to secrete more sweat. When
12 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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your body
temperature drops back to normal the
control center has then reinstated
balance, because
of the negative feedback loop which
is the result of homeostasis. Next, we
learn about
blood pressure regulation used to
also control body temperature and
that occurs by the
heart beating slower. Blood vessels
have sensors called barorecptors that
detect if blood
pressure is too high or too low and
sends signals to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus
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then sends a message to the heart,
blood vessels, and kidneys, which act
as effectors in
regulation. Vasodilation decreases
the pressure in arteries and veins. It
helps make the
body stable when it is not at its
resting rate. Blood sugar levels
provide energy through the
tissues in the body and change
throughout the day. It is critical to
maintain healthy levels
to prevent heart disease. There is
insulin and glycogen that regulate
sugar levels. The
pancreas and liver help the body in
14 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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regulating blood sugar levels.
Insulins main job is to
move glucose from our bloodstream
into the body's cells to make energy.
Glycogens job is
to release glucose into the
bloodstream to be used as fuel for the
cells. In conclusion, the
body is a very complex organism that
uses many different variables to
maintain
homeostasis.
3. Summarize the steps
taken in the simulation.
Explain all steps you completed,
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including the equipment and
techniques you used.
Hint: You can use the “MISSION”
tab in the LabPad as inspiration (as
shown in the example
image below).
First we get ready to work in the lab
by making sure we have hair pulled
back, proper eye
wear, gloves, and a lab coat. Next,
we are introduced to what
homeostasis is, which I just
discussed prior. Then, we were
introduced to how the body regulates
body temperature.
We turned the air conditioner off and
16 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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also increased exercise intensity and
learned
regulation takes place by
thermoreceptors on the skin, and
internal core temperature is
regulated in the hypothalamus. Two
primary effectors for regulating body
temperature is
the sweat glands and blood vessels.
When the bodies temperature rises
the dermal blood
vessels dililate, and the sweat glands
begin to secrete more sweat. When
your body
temperature drops back to normal the
control center has then reinstated
17 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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balance, because
of the negative feedback loop which
is the result of homeostasis. Next, we
learn about
blood pressure regulation used to
also control body temperature and
that occurs by the
heart beating slower. Blood vessels
have sensors called barorecptors that
detect if blood
pressure is too high or too low and
sends signals to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus
then sends a message to the heart,
blood vessels, and kidneys, which act
as effectors in
18 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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regulation. Vasodilation decreases
the pressure in arteries and veins. It
helps make the
body stable when it is not at its
resting rate. Blood sugar levels
provide energy through the
tissues in the body and change
throughout the day. It is critical to
maintain healthy levels
to prevent heart disease. There is
insulin and glycogen that regulate
sugar levels. The
pancreas and liver help the body in
regulating blood sugar levels.
Insulins main job is to
move glucose from our bloodstream
19 Copyright Labster ApS 2021
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into the body's cells to make energy.
Glycogens job is
to release glucose into the
bloodstream to be used as fuel for the
cells. In conclusion, the
body is a very complex organism that
uses many different variables to
maintain
homeostasis

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 4. Describe any obtained results.
Explain all obtained results. Were these results expected or unexpected?

Hint: You can use the “MEDIA” tab in the Lab Pad to revisit relevant images from the simulation (as shown in the
example image below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Document the results from the simulation.
● Document whether the results were expected or unexpected, and briefly explain why.
In the Homeostasis Lab, we controlled various factors such as environmental temperatures by
turning the air conditioner on and off and exercise intensity from moderate to extreme levels.
Additionally, we introduced a snack to observe changes in blood sugar levels. When a stimulus is
introduced, the body's sensors are activated, sending signals to the control center, which then
engages or disengages effectors to address the external stimulus via a negative feedback loop. For
instance, in the context of body temperature regulation, nerve cells in the skin and brain act as
sensors, the brain's temperature-regulating center serves as the control center and sweat glands
function as the effectors. We monitored physiological variables such as sweat production, blood
vessel diameter, heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure.. For example, adjusting room
temperature prompts the body to regulate its core temperature by sweating to cool down, shivering
to warm up, and altering blood vessel diameter to control blood flow.
I expected the results because they align with our understanding of homeostatic processes as
outlined in the initial observations. Phineas’ bodily confirmed how homeostasis works,
demonstrating the body's ability to maintain stability in varying conditions.

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 5. Discuss the conclusions and implications.
How do your results relate back to the original purpose and your hypothesis? Were there any systematic sources of
error that could have affected the results? What did you learn?

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include a statement that briefly summarizes how the results of the simulation relate back to your original
purpose and hypothesis.
● Include a statement that details any systematic sources of error you identified that could have affected
the results. If the lab did not have any systematic sources of error, include a statement that
acknowledges the lack of error present in the lab.
● Include a statement about what you learned from the simulation.

The results of the simulation effectively demonstrated our original purpose and hypothesis by
showing how the body maintains homeostasis through various regulatory mechanisms, such as
sweating, shivering, and adjusting blood vessel diameter, in response to changes in temperature
and blood sugar levels. There were no systematic sources of error identified during the lab. By
completing the Homeostatic Processes Laboratory, I learned how the body's homeostatic processes
work intricately to maintain stability in response to external and internal changes. This includes
understanding the roles of sensors, control centers, and effectors, as well as the negative feedback
mechanisms that restore balance in variables such as body temperature, blood pressure, and blood
sugar levels.

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