External Disturbances Analysis

There are a number of disturbances that can act as stimuli for a feedback mechanism. According to Dorland (2012), a stimulus can be defined as any agent, act, or influence that will elicit a reaction in a receptor or an irritable tissue. These disturbances can act as stimuli because they are departures or divergences from that which is normal (Dorland, 2012). Dorland (2012) goes on to explain that feedback is when some of the output of a system is returned as input so as to exert some control in the process. The disturbances that can act as stimuli can be internal, external or emotional in nature. In this essay I will be providing an example of each, starting with an internal disturbance, followed by an external disturbance and ending with an emotional disturbance.

To begin, let us look at an example of an internal disturbance and what feedback it initiates. When referring to internal disturbances, it is good to keep in mind that I am referring to disturbances situated or occurring on the inside of the human body (Dorland, 2012). A reduction in blood calcium levels is a good example of an internal disturbance (Bowen, 2003). The calcium levels refer to the …show more content…
Contrary to internal disturbances, external disturbances are situated or occur on the outside of the human body (Dorland, 2012). An example of an external disturbance is a change in temperature outside the body. This external change in temperature will lead to an internal change in body temperature. The internal body temperature is usually constant within a narrow range, averaging at 37ᵒC (Dorland, 2012). This disturbance triggers the feedback mechanism responsible for temperature maintenance, which in turn will try to regulate the internal body temperature to within its narrow range (Tortora and Derrickson, 2009). Thus, the feedback mechanism for internal body temperature control was stimulated by an external