The following is a synthesis of my students' answers to their Final Exam question in December 2001. I am providing this at the suggestion of my students in hopes that it will be beneficial to future students.

Consider the statement: "All system processes can be explained as relationships between the components." Defend this idea by applying the following ten physiological concepts, which we discussed during the course, to our system of government. Provide specific examples of both physiology and government mechanisms.

(1) Feedback loops
        Feedback loops consist of stimuli, receptors, control centers, effectors, and change in stimuli. A physiological example could be regulation of blood glucose. High blood glucose stumlates the pancreas to produce insulin which lowers blood glucose.
         A governmental example might be the use of public opinion polls to direct public policy. Another is crime resulting in punishment.

(2)Tension of opposites
        Systems maintain dynamic equilibrium by the interaction of inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms. This permits fine adjustments in matching supply and demand. An increased response can occur by exciting the excitors or inhibiting the inhibitors. A decreased response results from the opposite actions.
      A physiological example could be the interplay of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in bone modeling. Another would be the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems matching heart rate to metabolic requirements.
     A classic government example is the pushme-pullyou of partisan politics, whereby Republicans and Democrats resolve differences in conference committe.

(3) Hierarchical organization
        A system is organized as aggregates of parts. The human body is comprised of cells organized into tissues, then into organs, then organ systems and finally into an organism.
        Our government is people organized into cities and counties, districts, states and federal government.

(4) Form and function
        The form of a system component follows its function; otherwise, there is wasted energy. Long, thin, hollow, strong bones provide strength and flexibility.
       A small, tenured group of justices permits constitutional interpretation independent of the executive and congressional branches of goverment.

(5) Cascades
        Activating reponses to stimuli via stages permits immediate responses. Blood clotting involves activating existing clotting factors. Inactive enzymes can also be quickly activated to speed chemical reactions.
    In government, activating the national guard or reserves reults in quick military buildups.

(6) Homeostasis
        This is the maintenance of an internal steady state in the face of a changing external environment. Usually this means a dynamic process to maintain an average condition. The classic physiological example is maintaing a constant internal temperature in hot or cold ambient conditions.
        Although there are political extremist groups in the U.S., our system encourages moderate policies through the tension of opposites within each party. Extremists are seldom elected at the higher levels of organization - only at the lower.

(7) Central versus peripheral control
        Central mechanisms provide system-wide results, but local controls target specific components. Baro- and chemoreceptors regulate blood pressure and  cardiac output centrally via the heart pump. Locally, H⁺ and CO₂ function as vasodilators to direct increased blood flow to specific working tissues.
     The Federal Reserve sets discount rates which affect the overall money supply, economy and employment. Local issues of supply and demand, taxation and governmental subsidies directly affects local employment.

(8) Inverse relation between intensity and duration of responses to stimuli
        The lower a response the longer it can be maintained. Anaerobic processes produce ATP quickly but only for a limited time. Aerobic process produce ATP slower but almost indefinitely.
        Hiroshima did not last long but Vietnam did.

(9)Cycles
        Systems which work in cycles permit energy efficient functioning. Once put into motion they are relatively  self-sustaining. The cardiac cycle which functions continuously requires minimum energy to operate. The Krebs cycle is self-sustaining and doers not require activation energy.
   A political election cycle tends to be efficient and relatively unchaotic because the system components have experience and little energy goes into unproductive retraining. Cycles are also predictabale which permits aappropriate monitoring and responses.

(10) Neural versus humoral stimuli
   Neural controls are fast but short-lived. Humoral, or blood borne control such as hormones, are longer lasting but slower to generate the repsonse. Humoral stimuli tend to have system-wide effects; whereas, neural stimuli are organ specific.
     An income tax is a general revenue generator whereas cigarette or other product taxes are aimed at a specific target population.

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Extra:
Information is simply  pattern of energy distribution.
Based on the idea of cybernetics, information is the pattern of energy flowing through a system. Ultimately, the pattern is a dichotomous or binary pattern.
The human body uses neural circuits based on inhibitory or excitatory signals to respond to stimuli from the environment.
Government uses a pattern of yes or no votes to respond to the will of the people (maybe react is a more appropriate term!)

We show our values by our time and money
Moneyis the "coin" of energy the same as ATP in the body.
Will and Arield Durant say the biological lessons of history is that life is competition, selection, and reproduction. Humans like, all animals, must use their energy toward survival and reproduction or the species ends. Energy systems in the human body are controlled by feedback systems to ensure survival first, then leisure.
Appropriations, waging war, economic and social policy show the true values of our country.