Homeostasis Learning Module
Author
Mary Pat Wenderoth, PhD
University of Washington, Seattle
Homeostasis regulates physiological systems and maintains life. Given its critical role in physiology, educators have identified homeostasis as one of
the most important core concepts for students to understand (Michael and McFarland, 2011). Comprehending how and when homeostasis occurs is essential
to learning and teaching integrative physiology.
At the completion of this interactive learning module, participants should be able to:
- define the term homeostasis as it applies to organismal physiology,
- use the criteria for homeostasis to determine if a physiological variable is homeostatically regulated,
- list the components of the control system for homeostatically regulated variables,
- differentiate between physiological variables that are regulated and variables that are manipulated or altered, and
- recognize common misconceptions about homeostasis.
Homeostasis
- Water Homeostasis—Explore hydration, kidney mechanisms, and hormone control, revealing how your body maintains the perfect watery balance.
- Potassium Homeostasis—Master the delicate dance of this crucial electrolyte: its role in nerves, muscles, and more, how it moves across cell walls, and the kidney's key role in keeping it all balanced.
- Sodium Homeostasis—Unravel the intricate mechanisms regulating sodium, the king of electrolytes. Explore its reabsorption in the kidney's labyrinths, the internal messengers orchestrating the process, and the external forces playing their part. Demystify blood pressure control, organ perfusion, and cardiac output, all in the delicate dance of sodium balance.
Resources to Explore
Teach and Assess Student Learning of Homeostasis
Find resources that define homeostasis, explain teaching approaches and introduce the assessment of homeostasis understanding.
A Physiologist's View of Homeostasis
Modell H., et al., Advances in Physiology Education, 2015
The Core Concepts of Physiology: A New Paradigm for Teaching Physiology
Michael J.A.,
et al., 2017
Another Look at the Core Concepts of Physiology: Revisions and Resources
Michael J.A., McFarland J.L., Advances in Physiology Education,
2020
Organization for Physiological Homeostasis
Cannon W.B., Physiological Reviews, 1929
Unpacking the Homeostasis Core Concept in Physiology: An Australian Perspective
Beckett E., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2023
How Does Homeostasis Happen? Integrative Physiological, Systems Biological, and Evolutionary Perspectives
Goldstein D.S., AJP-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology,
2019
The Definitions and Explanations of the 14 Core Concepts of Physiology
Adapted from Michael J.A., McFarland J.L., Advances in Physiology Education, 2020
Introduction to Homeostasis
Hannah R., Joo E., Animal Physiology, 2022
Helping Undergraduates Repair Faulty Mental Models in the Student Laboratory
Modell H.I., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2000
Core Concepts in Physiology: Teaching Homeostasis through Pattern Recognition
Chirillo M., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2021
Collected Conceptual Frameworks
Michael J.A., 2022
A Conceptual Framework for Homeostasis: Development and Validation
McFarland J.L., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2016
Development and Validation of the Homeostasis Concept Inventory
McFarland J.L., et al., CBE-Life Sciences Education, 2017
Phys-MAPS: A Programmatic Physiology Assessment for Introductory and Advanced Undergraduates
Semsar K., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2018
Using Test Question Templates to Teach Physiology Core Concepts
Crowther G.J., Knight T.A., Advances in Physiology Education,
2023
Evaluation of Core Concepts of Physiology in Undergraduate Curricula: Results from Faculty and Student Surveys
Stanescu C.I.,
et al., Advances in Physiology Education, 2020
Physiology Core Concepts in the Classroom: Reflections from Faculty
Crosswhite P.L., Anderson L.C., Advances in Physiology Education,
2020
The 2019 P-MIG Student Survey Report and Capturing the Undergraduate Perspective of Physiology Programming
Rogers J., et al.,
Advances in Physiology Education, 2020
Examining the Impact of the Core Principles of Physiology with Prelicensure BSN and BSES Students: A Qualitative Analysis
Mahaffey
A.L., et al., Advances in Physiology Education, 2023
Students' Misconceptions about Perceived Physiological Responses
Michael J.A., Advances in Physiology Education,
1998
What Makes Physiology Hard for Students to Learn? Results of a Faculty Survey
Michael J.A., Advances in Physiology Education,
2007
Explore Physiological Examples of Homeostasis
Investigate resources describing organismal examples of homeostasis and related teaching approaches.
Oxygen Sensing and Homeostasis
Prabhakar N.R., Semenza G.L., Physiology, 2015
Central Neural Control of the Cardiovascular System: Current Perspectives
Dampney R.A.L., Advances in Physiology Education,
2016
Physiology and Pathophysiology of Potassium Homeostasis
Palmer B.F., Clegg D.J., Advances in Physiology Education, 2016
Renal and Cardiovascular Sensory Receptors and Blood Pressure Regulation
Pluznick J.L., Advances in Physiology Education,
2013
Four Grams of Glucose
Wasserman D.H., AJP-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2009
Central Circuitries for Body Temperature Regulation and Fever
Nakamura K., AJP-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology,
2011
Integrating Competing Demands of Osmoregulatory and Thermoregulatory Homeostasis
McKinley M.J., et al., Physiology, 2018
The Ins and Outs of Breath Holding: Simple Demonstrations of Complex Respiratory Physiology
Skow R.J., et al.,
Advances in Physiology Education, 2015
Use of an iPad App to Simulate Pressure-volume Loops and Cardiovascular Physiology
Leisman S., Burkhoff D., Advances in Physiology Education,
2017
The Control of Ventilation During Exercise: A Lesson in Critical Thinking
Bruce R.M., Advances in Physiology Education,
2017
Learning (by) Osmosis: An Approach to Teaching Osmolarity and Tonicity
Vujovic P., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2018
What is the Ultimate Goal in Acid-base Regulation?
Balakrishnan S., et al., Advances in Physiology Education, 2007
Isosmotic is Not Always Isotonic: The Five-minute Version
Silverthorn D.U., Advances in Physiology Education, 2016
The Beaver Pond Analogy of Blood Glucose Control
Swain D.P., Advances in Physiology Education, 1999
Team-based, Problem-solving Exercises Using Studies of Diarrhea and Oral Rehydration Encourage Students to Integrate Knowledge of Systems Physiology
Langton P.D., et al., Advances in Physiology Education, 2021
Conceptualizing Physiology of Arterial Blood Pressure Regulation through the Logic Model
Waghmare L.S., Srivastava T.K., Advances in Physiology Education,
2016
Undergraduate Students' Misconceptions about Respiratory Physiology
Michael J.A., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
1999
Undergraduates’ Understanding of Cardiovascular Phenomena
Michael J.A., et al., Advances in Physiology Education,
2002
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