Homeostatic Control

Living organisms have a limited range of environmental and physiological conditions in which they can operate. When these conditions change rapidly, organisms must adapt quickly to preserve their life. To maintain a delicate equilibrium for survival, living organisms have processes that allow them to counter potentially dangerous external or internal stimuli. This concept of always trying to return to a state of balance is called homeostasis . Homeostatic systems address a variety of stimuli and dangers within an organism.

The human body has numerous homeostatic regulation pathways, including:

  • body temperature
  • breathing and gas exchange,
  • body water and electrolyte content
  • blood pressure
  • calcium levels
  • feeding and digestion
  • hormonal regulation
  • blood sugar levels.

Homeostatic pathways typically have a basic workflow that includes sensors, a control center, effectors, and a feedback loop.

When the intensity of a stimulus exceeds a tolerance threshold value, the body activates homeostatic pathways to counteract it. For example, when the body gets too warm, it starts sweating and dilates blood vessels to dissipate body heat. The body reaches a stable state, different from the normal resting state, but stable enough not to cause irreversible damage. When the stimulus decreases or disappears, the homeostatic systems return the body to the initial balance. However, if the intensity or duration of the stimulus is too great, the homeostatic control may be unable to cope, leading the body to enter a state of shock or rapid self-degradation.

Homeostatic regulation pathways are not always independent from each other, and some may impact similar physiological variables. For instance, the homeostatic response to cold temperatures triggers muscles to shiver, consuming blood sugar by muscle tissues. Therefore, another homeostatic process has to act to maintain blood sugar levels.

This short, targeted simulation is adapted from the full-length “Experimental Design” simulation.

Are you ready to uncover the truth about a recent epidemic? In this simulation, as a pharmaceutical detective, you have the chance to perform experiments with human cell cultures. Make sure that you choose the correct experimental method to design a scientifically sound experiment for testing the effect of the suspicious drug.

The scientific method

Humans have always strived to explain natural phenomena. In the first mission of the experimental design simulation, you will learn how to use the scientific method to investigate phenomena, acquire new knowledge through background research. Strive to correct and integrate existing knowledge to execute an experiment that proves or disproves the hypothesis. Every tool you need to use is available in this virtual lab.

View cells under a microscope

In your next mission you have the freedom to examine slides containing cells of a healthy human and another containing the cells of a human consuming the drug under a microscope. Through this, you will be able to define your scientific question and formulate plans for the experiment and how you can provide conclusive evidence for this investigation. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - in this virtual simulation you can repeat the experiment as many times as you want.

Experimental controls

You will notice that there are many experimental variables in your experiment. Learn how to adjust them and understand why it’s so important to use experimental controls to verify your results. These controls will let you conclude  whether a suspicious compound is the reason behind the reported epidemic. You’ll get to investigate the effect of different compounds and various concentrations of the same compound.

Will you be able to set up an experiment that can prove your suspicions?

Counting Cells: Control the epidemic | Virtual Lab

Counting Cells: Control the epidemic

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About This Simulation

Work as a pharmaceutical detective to identify the link between a new drug and a recent epidemic. Use the scientific method to define the different variables and perform a fluorescent cell assay to test the effect of the drug on the cells.

Learning Objectives

  • Design an experiment and test a hypothesis
  • Find abnormalities in cells
  • Prepare samples and treat cell cultures
  • Select the correct experimental controls to verify your hypothesis
  • Understand the difference between experimental controls

Preview of EX1_1.png simulation.

Lab Techniques

  • Apoptosis assay
  • Cell staining
  • Cell cultures

Related Standards

  • No direct alignment
  • Generic cell culture support

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Hypothesis

    The hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon based on observations and existing knowledge. It is the initial building block of the scientific method. The hypothesis leads to predictions, which can be tested through experiments. These three elements can be combined to state the research hypothesis: If 'hypothesis', and 'method ...

  2. Parkinson's Disease Lab Flashcards

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  3. Protein Synthesis Lab-ster Flashcards

    A sequence of amino acids, or a polypeptide, grows from the N- terminus to the C- terminus. This polypeptide chain represents the primary structure of a protein. The linear sequence of amino acids within a protein is considered the _____structure of the protein. Primary. I forgot the next question but the answer is:

  4. Experimental design: Learn how to solve problems like a real ...

    A prediction is what you think will happen in the future, while a hypothesis is a possible explanation of what is happening now. A hypothesis could be something like: Eating two ounces of chocolate per day increases IQ. Step 3: Choose the experimental model. The experimental model is the technique and sample you use to test your hypothesis.

  5. Labster

    Labster helps teachers increase their students' knowledge and test scores. Research shows that low-knowledge students improve the most after using Labster, with a 24% increase in their test scores. Source: BMC Study.

  6. How to Write a Strong Hypothesis

    Step 3. Formulate your hypothesis. Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear, concise sentence. Example: Formulating your hypothesis Attending more lectures leads to better exam results. Tip AI tools like ChatGPT can be effectively used to brainstorm potential hypotheses.

  7. The Scientific Method

    The Scientific Method. In this Experimental Design simulation, you will learn how to design a scientific experiment that will uncover the cause of a recent epidemic. Remember that you can access the theory section at any moment in your LabPad while playing the simulation. Following is a list of all the relevant theory pages to boost your learning:

  8. Experiment

    Experiment. An experiment is a procedure designed to test a hypothesis. Anyone can design a scientific experiment. A proper experiment must be reproducible and reliable, include a control, and use well-designed variables.

  9. Introductory Lab

    In the Introductory lab, you will learn about acids and bases, the concepts of diffusion and osmosis, and blood typing. Try out this lab and become an expert in risk evaluation in the laboratory! Learn about acids and bases. Your first task is to mix acid/base with water. Watch a 3D animation to see how it dissociates to produce [H3O+] or [OH-].

  10. Experimental Design

    The design of experiments is an efficient procedure for planning experiments, so that the data obtained can be used to explain the changes on the response variables. During the design of an experiment, the hypothesis to test needs to be considered first. When trying to test the effect of a certain factor (e.g. concentration of a chemical ...

  11. Login To Your Account

    Login to access Labster's catalog of virtual lab simulations and teaching resources designed to train the next generation of scientists.

  12. How to Test Your Strategic Hypotheses in 4 Steps

    4 Run and evaluate your experiments. Executing experiments and evaluating results is the final step in testing strategic hypotheses. To do this, you must prepare your data by checking for accuracy ...

  13. How to Use Simulations for Hypothesis Tests

    Method 2: Permutation Hypothesis Test. Now we will discuss permutation tests. There is a great visualization here that you should check out if you want to learn more about this procedure. The idea behind the permutation test is that we have values assigned to variables and we want to see if those assignments are meaningful.

  14. Theory pages

    Elevate your learning Navigate hundreds of science concepts with Labster Theory Pages Learn more about Labster . Chemistry. Simulation Page. Acids and Bases: Acidity and Alkalinity in Everyday Substances. Chemistry. Simulation Page. Acids and Bases (Principles): Avoid falling in a lake of acid!

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    Hematology: Introduction to Blood. In this simulation, you will learn about the different blood components. You will be taught how to make peripheral blood smears and generate a complete blood count. Following is a list of the relevant theory pages: Blood cells. Red blood cells. White blood cells.

  16. Introduction to Protein Synthesis

    Labster supports a wide range of courses at the high school and university level across fields in biology, chemistry and physics. Some simulations mimic lab procedures with high fidelity to train foundational skills, while others are meant to bring theory to life through interactive scenarios.

  17. Experimental Design

    In the first mission of the experimental design simulation, you will learn how to use the scientific method to investigate phenomena, acquire new knowledge, or correct and integrate existing knowledge. Every tool you need to use is available in this virtual lab. Design an experiment and test your hypothesis.

  18. Homeostatic Control

    body water and electrolyte content. blood pressure. calcium levels. feeding and digestion. hormonal regulation. blood sugar levels. Homeostatic pathways typically have a basic workflow that includes sensors, a control center, effectors, and a feedback loop. When the intensity of a stimulus exceeds a tolerance threshold value, the body activates ...

  19. Lab Report Hematology Introduction to Blood Updated

    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.

  20. Counting Cells: Control the epidemic

    In this simulation, as a pharmaceutical detective, you have the chance to perform experiments with human cell cultures. Make sure that you choose the correct experimental method to design a scientifically sound experiment for testing the effect of the suspicious drug. The scientific method. Humans have always strived to explain natural phenomena.

  21. Marine Biology: Investigate a massive fish death Flashcards

    1.86 ppm. what do the data suggest about the relationship between temperature and dissolved oxygen? dissolved oxygen levels are lower in warmer water. do these data prove your hypothesis that the cause of the massive fish kill was suffocation? yes the affected area has a low dissolved oxygen level. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards ...

  22. Lab Report

    Introduction to the Virtual Lab - We were tasked to use appropriate laboratory attire which includes lab gown and safety goggles. Dr. One was also introduced and we were informed of the basic settings and buttons to use during the simulation including the Labpad. Identify Safety Hazards in the Lab - We were tasked to identify the safety hazards present on the laboratory.