Antagonistic Effectors

Most factors in the internal environment are controlled by several effectors, which often have antagonistic actions. Control by antagonistic effectors is sometimes described as “push-pull,” where the increasing activity of one effector is accompanied by decreasing activity of an antagonistic effector. This affords a finer degree of control than could be achieved by simply switching one effector on and off.
Room temperature can be maintained for example, by simply turning an air conditioner on and off, or by just turning a heater on and off. A much more stable temperature, however, can be achieved if the air conditioner and heater are both controlled by a thermostat. Then the heater is turned on when the air conditioner is turned off, and vice versa. Normal body temperature is maintained about a set point of 37° C by the antagonistic effects of sweating, shivering, and other mechanisms.

How body temperature is maintained within the normal range. 

The body temperature normally has a set point of 37° C. This is maintained, in part, by two antagonistic mechanisms—shivering and sweating. Shivering is induced when the body temperature falls too low, and it gradually subsides as the temperature rises. Sweating occurs when the body temperature is too high, and it diminishes as the temperature falls. Most aspects of the internal environment are regulated by the antagonistic actions of different effector mechanisms.

The blood concentrations of glucose, calcium, and other substances are regulated by negative feedback loops involving hormones that promote opposite effects. While insulin, for example, lowers blood glucose, other hormones raise the blood glucose concentration. The heart rate, similarly, is controlled by nerve fibers that produce opposite effects: stimulation of one group of nerve fibers increases heart rate; stimulation of another group slows the heart rate.