Homeostasis Investigation

NGSS HS-LS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

1. Investigation Setup

Manipulate the independent variables (environment and activity) and observe the dependent physiological responses.

Environment Temp (°C) 22°C

Freezing (-10) Room (22) Desert (45)

Activity Level

Clothing Insulation

Simulation Time: 00:00

1 sec real time = 1 minute simulation time

Core Temp: 37.0 °C

Heart Rate: 60 bpm

Status: Stable

Min	Env Temp	Activity	Heart Rate	Core Temp

Negative Feedback Loops: Notice how the body responds to deviations from the set point (37.0°C core temperature, resting oxygen demand).

If core temp drops, shivering generates heat and blood vessels constrict (model turns pale/blue) to conserve heat.
If core temp rises, sweating cools the body via evaporation and blood vessels dilate (model turns red) to release heat.
During activity, muscle oxygen demand increases, causing the heart rate to rise to deliver more O2 and remove CO2.