What Is Homeostasis?

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Humans rely on homeostasis to keep their core temperature hovering around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, so that their bodies can maintain proper function. When overheated, thermosensors in the skin and brain sound an alarm, initiating a chain reaction that directs the body to sweat and flush.
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▼ Homeostasis is the ability to maintain a relatively stable internal state that persists despite changes in the world outside. All living organisms, from plants to puppies to people, must regulate their internal environment to process energy and ultimately survive. If your blood pressureskyrockets or body temperature plummets, for example, your organ systems may struggle to do their jobs and eventually fail.
Why homeostasis is important
Physiologist Walter Cannon coined the term "homeostasis" in the 1920s, expanding on previous work by late physiologist Claude Bernard. In the 1870s, Bernard described how complex organisms must maintain balance in their internal environment, or "milieu intérieur,"in order to lead a "free and independent life"in the world beyond. Cannon honed the concept, and introduced homeostasis to popular audiences through his book, "The Wisdom of the Body"(The British Medical Journal, 1932).
Hailed as a core tenet of physiology, Cannon's basic definition of homeostasis remains in use today. The term derives from Greek roots meaning "similar" and "a state of stability." The prefix "homeo" stresses that homeostasis doesn't work like a thermostat or cruise control in a car, fixed at one precise temperatureor speed. Instead, homeostasis holds important physiological factors within an acceptable rangeof values, according to a review in the journal Appetite.
The human body, for example, regulates its internal concentrations of hydrogen, calcium, potassiumand sodium, charged particles that cells rely on for normal function. Homeostatic processes also maintain water, oxygen, pH and blood sugar levels, as well as core body temperature, according to a 2015 review in Advances in Physiology Education.
In healthy organisms, homeostatic processes unfold constantly and automatically, according to Scientific American. Multiple systems often work in tandem to hold steady a single physiological factor, like body temperature. If these measures falter or fail, an organism may succumb to disease, or even death.
How homeostasis is maintained (▪ ▪ ▪)

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soothsayer

Thanks. This is new information

asr335704

Wow! Thanks for sharing this useful information.

After reading the article, I realized that this indeed is an important function of our body. I always wonder there are so may layers to internal structure of a living organism and it's amazing.

Jbnast

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing

anisojaru7981

Nice article

Akm1001

Interesting indeed