AS 91604 · 3 credits · Internal
Homeostasis
Demonstrate understanding of how an animal maintains a stable internal environment
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This standard asks you to explain how animals keep their internal conditions stable (like body temperature, blood sugar, or water balance) even when their environment changes. You need to describe the control systems that do this work, and show how the body responds when something goes wrong. At higher grades, you'll dig deeper into *why* these systems matter or explain the actual chemistry and physics behind them.
What to do, grades and common mistakes
- ·Describe a homeostatic control system (like temperature regulation) by identifying its purpose, the parts involved, and how it works when conditions change
- ·Explain how a specific disruption (like extreme heat or disease) triggers responses that bring the system back into balance
- ·Use feedback mechanisms to show how the body detects problems and corrects them
- ·For higher grades: discuss why the system is important for survival, OR explain the chemical and physical processes involved, OR analyse how external/internal factors can cause the system to fail
You describe a control system and its parts, showing how an animal maintains stable conditions and what happens when something disrupts the system.
You explain in detail how a specific disruption causes the system to respond and restore balance, using feedback mechanisms to link cause and effect.