Can someone describe to me the homeostatic mechanism which controls testosterone levels in the body?

skysmom65

Homeostasis The relatively constant conditions within organisms, or the physiological processes by which such conditions are maintained in the face of external variation. Similar homeostatic controls are used to keep factors such as temperature and blood pressure nearly constant despite changes in an organism's activity level or surroundings. Such systems operate by detecting changes in the variable that the system is designed to hold constant and initiating some action that offsets any change. All incorporate a sensor within the system that responds when the actual condition differs from the desired one, a device to ensure that any action taken will reduce the difference between actual and desired, and an effector to take the needed action as directed. The crucial aspect is that information is fed back from effector to sensor and action is taken to reduce any imbalance—hence the term negative feedback. Blood pressure is, at least on a moment-to-moment basis, regulated by a system for which the sensors are stretch-sensitive cells located in the neck arteries that carry blood from heart to brain. An increase in blood pressure triggers sensor activity; their signal passes to the brain; and, in turn, the nerve supplying the heart (the vagus) is stimulated to release a chemical (acetylcholine) that causes the heart to beat more slowly—which decreases blood pressure. MORE: http://www.answers.com/homeostatic%20mechanism%20 Mar 01 07, 8:46 PM