2015/12/01 by Harold Modell, William Cliff, Joel Michael +3 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Decision Sciences · Psychology · #Gene Regulatory Network Analysis #Greenhouse Technology and Climate Control #Complex Systems and Decision Making #Vocabulary #Confusion #Cognitive science #Set (abstract data type) #Homeostasis #Computer science #Psychology #Biology #Philosophy #Linguistics
paper · doi:10.1152/advan.00107.2015
openalex publication_date 2015/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Homeostasis is a core concept necessary for understanding the many regulatory mechanisms in physiology. Claude Bernard originally proposed the concept of the constancy of the "milieu interieur," but his discussion was rather abstract. Walter Cannon introduced the term "homeostasis" and expanded Bernard's notion of "constancy" of the internal environment in an explicit and concrete way. In the 1960s, homeostatic regulatory mechanisms in physiology began to be described as discrete processes following the application of engineering control system analysis to physiological systems. Unfortunately, many undergraduate texts continue to highlight abstract aspects of the concept rather than emphasizing a general model that can be specifically and comprehensively applied to all homeostatic mechanisms. As a result, students and instructors alike often fail to develop a clear, concise model with which to think about such systems. In this article, we present a standard model for homeostatic mechanisms to be used at the undergraduate level. We discuss common sources of confusion ("sticky points") that arise from inconsistencies in vocabulary and illustrations found in popular undergraduate texts. Finally, we propose a simplified model and vocabulary set for helping undergraduate students build effective mental models of homeostatic regulation in physiological systems.