the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living things From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Homeostasis[1] is self-regulation, a basic property of all self-organising systems. In biology, it is the keeping of a stable internal environment.[2][3][4]
Homeostasis is life's ability to stay balanced, when the environment changes. Animals keep their body in a stable condition. They do so by regulating their inner equilibrium. For example, they adjust their pH, temperature, amount of oxygen or carbon dioxide in the blood and so on. In living things, the study of how they keep in a stable condition is called physiology. Mostly, our physiology works unconsciously throughout life. We have many negative feedback systems which adjust our physiology so that we stay alive.[5][6] These systems are self-organising and do not need to be learnt. They are inherited.
The concept was described by Claude Bernard,[7] and the term was later coined by Walter Cannon in 1926,[8] 1929,[9] and 1932.[2][10] Walter Cannon thought these were the features of homeostasis:[2]
Examples of homeostasis:
In mammals, the main organs involved with homeostasis are:
The brain is also central to homeostasis. It controls behaviour, and the basic function of behaviour is to support life by taking action.
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