Sarah Coste reviews Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs of Physiological Adaptation (edited by Jay Schulkin) for the Quarterly Review of Biology

Coste, Sarah C.

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Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs of Physiological Adaptation

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Linfield College DigitalCommons@Linfield Faculty Publications Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works 2006 Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs of Physiological Adaptation Sarah C. Coste Linfield College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/hhpafac_pubs  Part of the Biology Commons, and the Physiology Commons DigitalCommons@Linfield Citation Coste, Sarah C., "Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs of Physiological Adaptation" (2006). Faculty Publications. Published Version. Submission 6. https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/hhpafac_pubs/6 This Published Version is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield, with permission from the rights-holder(s). Your use of this Published Version must comply with the Terms of Use for material posted in DigitalCommons@Linfield, or with other stated terms (such as a Creative Commons license) indicated in the record and/or on the work itself. For more information, or if you have questions about permitted uses, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. March 2006 55NEW BIOLOGICAL BOOKSGENERAL BIOLOGYAllostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs ofPhysiological Adaptation.Edited by Jay Schulkin. Cambridge and New York:Cambridge University Press. $100.00. xii  372 p;ill.; index. ISBN: 0–521–81141–4. 2004.The concept of homeostasis is a fundamental, or-ganizing principle of regulatory physiology that haslong been used to explain the primal function ofphysiological systems—to maintain constant orstatic conditions of the internal environment. Thisconcept is taught in nearly every introductorychapter of biology and physiological textbooks,and has served us well in understanding basic phys-iological function. Inherent weaknesses of this con-cept have emerged over the years as scientists haveattempted to cohere their ﬁndings with this prin-ciple. It is now generally accepted that the internalenvironment is not constant, but rather “setpoints” can change and adapt in response to ex-ternal challenges, seasonal variation, or ecologicaldemands. For some, such incongruity has war-ranted the need for a new framework to integratephysiological function with our new understandingof physiological plasticity.This volume introduces the emerging concept ofallostasis and describes its meaning and biologicaluse within the context of homeostasis. Allostasiswas conceived by the neurobiologist Peter Sterlingand the epidemiologist Joseph Eyer in 1988 to con-vey the importance of the brain-body relationshipin regulating the internal milieu. They deﬁne al-lostasis as stability through change where an organ-ism must vary parameters of its internal milieu andmatch them appropriately to environmental de-mands. In this model, central coordination by thebrain plays a critical role in overriding local nega-tive feedback mechanisms and imposing new setpoints in response to anticipated or existing exter-nal demands. The models go on to suggest thatsuch continuous adjustments to achieve or main-tain new set points that match demand a biologicalburden or “wear and tear” on the body, a phenom-ena termed allostatic load. This concept is arguedas useful in linking bodily adaptation and vulner-ability to disease. It is hoped that the operational-ization of allostatic load will aid in prediction andassessment of various pathophysiologies.The volume begins with an intriguing chapter bythe founder of the term, Peter Sterling. The re-maining chapters are contributions by prominent56 Volume 81THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGYresearchers who have embraced the concept of al-lostasis and integrated it into their research. Theﬁnal chapter is an interesting commentary thatprovides critical analysis of the concepts presentedin the book. Collectively, the volume represents adiverse ﬁeld of scientiﬁc research, ranging fromanxiety and drug addiction to chronobiology, and,thus readers are given broad examples for the useof this emergent concept. Because each chapter ismutually exclusive from the others, authors beginwith a description of the conception and utility ofallostasis and allostatic load from their perspective.This is a weakness of the book, as it is redundantat times. Although there is general agreementamong the authors, there are subtle variations thatreaders are left to discern. It is important to notethat none of the contributors argue for the aban-donment of homeostasis, rather they proposethere is room and necessity for both concepts inunderstanding physiological regulation.This book is intended for graduate-level studentsand researchers who study behavioral and physio-logical processes. It is certainly thought provokingand will likely convince readers that allostasisshould become a concept taught side by side withhomeostasis.Sarah C Coste, Microbiology & Immunology,Oregon Health and Science University, Portland,Oregon

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Allostasis, Homeostasis, and the Costs of Physiological Adaptation

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