Touchstone: Homeostatic Control: How does the human body keep itself in balance Lab Report

ASSIGNMENT: In this unit, you will complete the Activity titled, Homeostatic Control: How does the human body keep itself in balance?. You will write a lab report describing the hypothesis, methods, and conclusions from this lab experience.

By completing the lab report, you will demonstrate your ability to do the following:

Describe the lab’s overall objective and make a hypothesis.
Introduce relevant background knowledge on the topic.
Summarize the steps taken in the lab simulation.
Explain any obtained results.
Discuss the conclusions and implications.

Download the lab report file. IMPORTANT: You must submit this completed template file as your Touchstone.

download Lab Report – Homeostatic Control: How does the human body keep itself in balance?

The document is a Microsoft Word file. You will type your answers directly into the boxes provided and submit it as a Word file. Any other submission file or format will be returned ungraded.

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A. Directions

Step 1: Download and review the lab report file.

Step 2: Complete each part of the lab report file as you work through the simulation. Prompts in the lab report will help you develop your responses.

Follow the process presented to you in the How to Write a Lab Report lesson to ensure you write a thorough lab report entry.
Review the grading rubric (below) to make sure you have an understanding of how your lab report will be graded.

Step 3: Once you’ve completed the lab simulation and your lab report, review the submission requirements (below) and update your lab report to ensure it meets the recommended requirements.

Step 4: Once your lab report template is complete, submit it for grading.

Refer to the checklist below throughout the Touchstone process. Do not submit your Touchstone until you meet these guidelines.

❒ Did you review the Lab Manual before starting the simulation?❒ Did you complete the lab simulation?❒ Did you refer to the lesson on How to Write a Lab Report?❒ Did you complete all 5 sections of the Lab Report file?❒ Did you review the Touchstone rubric and compare it to your lab report?❒ Did you submit the provided Lab Report file as your Touchstone for grading?

B. Rubric

Advanced (100%)Proficient (85%)Acceptable (75%)Needs Improvement (50%)Non-Performance (0%)

Objective and Hypothesis

Describe the overall objective of the simulation and make a hypothesis (if applicable). (18%)Clearly describes the purpose of the simulation and makes a hypothesis. Purpose and hypothesis are well-aligned with the simulation and are paraphrased in the student’s own words.Describes the purpose of the simulation and makes a hypothesis. Both are aligned with the simulation and are paraphrased in the student’s own words, but are less clear and specific.Describes a purpose and a hypothesis that are only loosely aligned with the simulation.Either the description of the simulation’s purpose or the hypothesis is missing, or they are not paraphrased in the student’s own words.Does not describe the purpose of the simulation or a hypothesis. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.

Background Knowledge

Introduce relevant background knowledge on the topic described in the simulation. (18%)Lists at least 3 examples of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources.Lists at least 2 examples of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources.Lists at least 1 example of relevant background knowledge on the topic from the simulation Lab Manual or other resources.Lists at least 1 example but its connection to the simulation is unclear.Response does not offer any background knowledge on simulation. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.

Summary and Steps

Summarize the steps taken in the simulation. (18%)Summarizes all steps taken in the simulation and all equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader understands the logical flow of the lab.Summarizes most of the steps taken in the simulation and lists some equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader mostly understands the logical flow of the lab.Summarizes some of the steps taken in the simulation and lists some of the equipment and techniques used. Summary is organized in a way that the reader somewhat understands the logical flow of the lab.Summary is missing most of the steps in the simulation and most of the equipment and techniques used. Summary may contradict the simulation or be organized illogically.Summary does not include any steps taken in the simulation, or equipment and techniques used. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.

Results

Explain the obtained results from the simulation. (18%)Accurately explains most of the obtained results of the simulation, if the results were expected or unexpected, and why.Accurately explains some of the obtained results of the simulation, and if the results were expected or unexpected.Explains some of the results of the simulation, but may contain some inaccuracies. Does not explain if the results were expected or unexpected.Explanation of results is entirely inaccurate or contradicts the simulation. Does not explain if the results were expected or unexpected.Does not explain any obtained results or if the results were expected or unexpected. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.

Conclusions and Implications

Discusses the conclusions and implications of the simulation. (18%)Clearly and specifically summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned.Summarizes the results of the simulation but their relationship to the original purpose and hypothesis may be less clear; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned.Completes 2 of 3 tasks: summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned.Completes 1 of 3 tasks: summarizes how the results of the simulation relate to the original purpose and hypothesis; correctly identifies systematic sources of error; and reflects on what was learned.Completes none of the tasks. Response may be totally off-topic or absent.

Conventions and Proofreading

Submission follows conventions for standard written English. (10%)There are almost no errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.There are minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that do not impede readability.There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that somewhat impede readability.There are consistent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that significantly impede readability.Submission does not meet the minimum threshold for points to be awarded.

C. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:

Use the provided lab report file completed with a readable 11- or 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
Only submit the completed lab report file saved in .doc or .dox format as your assignment submission.

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step 1: Understand the Goal of the Simulation

The purpose of this lab is to understand homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain stable internal conditions such as temperature, blood glucose, and pH.

This concept is based on physiological regulatory systems studied in fields like Physiology and human biology.

Your lab report will explain how the body maintains balance using feedback mechanisms.

Section 1: Objective and Hypothesis

What to Write

First explain the objective of the simulation.

Example idea:
The objective of the simulation is to observe how the human body regulates internal conditions through homeostatic control mechanisms.

Write a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a prediction.

Example format:
If a change occurs in the body’s internal environment, then regulatory systems will activate to restore balance.

Example hypothesis:
If body temperature rises or falls outside the normal range, then the body will activate mechanisms such as sweating or shivering to maintain stable temperature.

Section 2: Background Knowledge

List at least three key scientific concepts related to homeostasis.

Examples:

Homeostasis
The body maintains stable internal conditions such as temperature, glucose levels, and hydration.
Negative Feedback Mechanisms
Many physiological processes use negative feedback loops to restore balance when internal conditions change.
Role of the Nervous and Endocrine Systems
The brain, nerves, and hormones work together to detect changes and send signals to correct them.

You may also mention the concept developed by Walter Cannon, who introduced the term homeostasis.

Section 3: Summary of Simulation Steps

Summarize the process used in the lab simulation.

Typical steps include:

Launching the homeostasis simulation and reviewing instructions.
Observing how different internal conditions change during the simulation.
Adjusting variables such as temperature or glucose levels.
Monitoring how the body responds through regulatory mechanisms.
Recording data showing how the system returns to equilibrium.

Mention any tools or indicators used in the simulation (graphs, digital monitors, feedback signals).

Write this section as a logical sequence of events.

Section 4: Results

Explain what happened during the simulation.

Possible results may include:

When internal conditions changed, regulatory systems activated.
The body responded with mechanisms designed to restore balance.
The system returned to a stable internal state.

Discuss whether results matched your hypothesis.

Example explanation:
The results supported the hypothesis because the body activated corrective responses when internal conditions moved outside the normal range.

Section 5: Conclusions and Implications

This section connects the results to the purpose of the lab.

Discuss:

1. What the Results Show

Explain that homeostatic mechanisms maintain balance through feedback systems.

2. Possible Sources of Error