Standard 9c Preknowledge
9c) Students know how feedback loops in the nervous and endocrine systems regulate conditions in the body.
CALIFORNIA FRAMEWORKS SUMMARY:
Feedback loops are the means through which the nervous system uses the endocrine system to regulate body conditions. The presence or absence of hormones in blood brought to the brain by the circulatory system will trigger an attempt to regulate conditions in the body. To make feedback loops relevant to students, teachers can discuss the hormone leptin, which fat cells produce as they become filled with storage reserves. Leptin is carried by the blood to the brain, where it normally acts to inhibit the appetite center, an example of negative feedback. When fat reserves diminish, the concentration of leptin decreases, a phenomenon that in turn causes the appetite center in the brain to start the hunger stimulus and activate the urge to eat.