Feedback

Feedback is another very important concept in control systems which you need to understand. In the example, the heater changes the room temperature and the room temperature affects the thermometer. In other words, information (in the form of temperature) passes from the heater to the thermometer. This flow of information from the effector back to the sensor is called feedback.
activity	Drag the feedback arrow to the correct place in the diagram. When you have done this, the diagram will change to show the main parts of a homeostatic control system and how they are linked.

The homeostatic control systems in an organism are much more complex than the temperature control system for the room. Although they involve the same basic parts of control systems, there maybe many controllers, effectors, sensors and feedback paths. We will now consider some of the homeostatic mechanisms for the control of temperature in humans.