Name:
Purpose:
What does a graph of maintaining homeostasis look like?
Background Information:
Homeostasis is the maintaining of balance within a cell or organism in response to
changing environmental conditions. The human body has many systems that work
together to maintain homeostasis. A few of those systems that keep different
conditions within the body within a narrow range are the endocrine, nervous, and
circulatory systems.
The human body is remarkable in its ability to maintain homeostasis, but once this
homeostasis no longer maintained, the body is diseased.
Normal human body temperature is 37°C. A fever occurs when body temperature
reaches 40°C or higher and frostbite occurs at 34°C or lower.
Hypothesis:
A graph of maintaining homeostasis will look like:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Drawing:
Goal:
Keep the temperature of water as close to 37°C as possible following the rules below.
M. Vowles TpT
Rules and Procedures:
1. Plug in the hot plate.
2. Choose the person whose birthday is coming next to be the timer:
____________________________________________________
3. The other partner is the recorder:
_____________________________________________________
4. Fill a beaker of water half way and get its temperature at 37°C. Leave the
beaker on the counter.
5. Timer: push “start” on the timer and allow a one minute time period to pass.
6. Recorder: at the end of the minute, observe the new temperature of the water.
Record it on your data table and tell your partner so they too can record the data.
7. At this time you must respond quickly:
a. If the temperature went below 37°C, put the beaker on the hot plate.
b. If the temperature went above 37°C, add ice to the beaker (1 ice cubes is
good) and leave it on the counter.
c. Leave the beaker on the counter is if the temperature stayed the same.
d. YOU MUST LIVE WITH YOUR DECISION TO HEAT, COOL, or LEAVE IT
ON THE COUNTER FOR THE FULL MINUTE.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for 15 minutes.
9. Plot the data points on the graph paper provided and then connect them to create
a LINE GRAPH.
M. Vowles TpT
Data Table:
Time (Min)
Temperature
0
37°C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
M. Vowles TpT
Response taken at the end of the minute
Title: _________________________________________________________________
M. Vowles TpT
Questions:
1. How many minutes were you able to maintain the temperature within the healthy
range?
2. How many minutes did the temperature fall within the fever range?
3. How many minutes did the temperature fall within the frostbite range?
4. Why is there a “range” of health instead of just one temperature?
5. Describe the shape of your graph.
6. Name at least one other body function, other than temperature that you would expect
to see a similar shape for:
Regulation of ________________________________________________
7. Was your hypothesis supported or rejected in this lab? _______________________
Explain your answer:
M. Vowles TpT
Name:Answer Key/Materials List
Materials List: (per partner pair)
400 mL Beaker, Hot plate, Thermometer, Beaker tongs, Ice
Data Table: Sample Data
Time (Min)
Temperature
Response taken at the end of the minute
0
37°C
Left on counter
1
37°C
Left on counter
2
36°C
Left on counter
3
35°C
Put on hot plate
4
39°C
Put on counter and added an ice cube
5
37°C
Left on counter
6
36°C
Left on counter
7
35°C
Put on hot plate
8
40°C
Put on counter and added an ice cube
9
37°C
Left on counter
10
36°C
Left on counter
11
35°C
Put on hot plate
12
40°C
Put on counter and added an ice cube
13
36°C
Left on counter
14
35°C
Left on counter
15
34°C
M. Vowles TpT
Temperature of a beaker over 15 minutes
41
Temperature (⁰C)
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
0
2
4
6
8
Time (minutes)
M. Vowles TpT
10
12
14
16
Questions:
1. How many minutes were you able to maintain the temperature within the healthy
range?
Based on student data (should be between 35 - 39⁰C). Example – 13 minutes.
2. How many minutes did the temperature fall within the fever range?
Based on student data (should be 40⁰C or higher). Example – 2 minutes.
3. How many minutes did the temperature fall within the frostbite range?
Based on student data (should be 34⁰C or lower). Example – 1 minute.
4. Why is there a “range” of health instead of just one temperature?
The body fluctuates and makes adjustments based on stimuli. The range is where the
body still performs within its normal parameters. It would be too difficult for the body to
maintain its temperature exactly to one value.
5. Describe the shape of your graph.
The graph oscillates usually within the healthy range.
6. Name at least one other body function, other than temperature that you would expect
to see a similar shape for:
Regulation of Blood glucose levels.
7. Was your hypothesis supported or rejected in this lab? Answers will vary. Explain
your answer: Should compare their graph prediction with the actual graph.
M. Vowles TpT