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Homeostasis

Definition

noun

(Science: Biology)

(1) The tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing conditions

(2) The ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability within its internal environment when dealing with external changes


Supplement

In humans, homeostasis happens when the body regulates body temperature in an effort to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, we sweat to cool off during the hot summer days, and we shiver to produce heat during the cold winter season.

Word origin: from the Greek: homeo, meaning unchanging + stasis, meaning standing.
Related forms: homeostatic (adjective).


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Results from our forum


Cell Question

... How could you tell what feedback mechanism could cause the malfunction and what could correct the problem? I know part of the question deals with homeostasis, but I'm racking my brain, searched the web, & read all pages of the textbook 3 times. Can someone pls help me understand what I'm missing? ...

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by twilcn
Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:08 pm
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: Cell Question
Replies: 1
Views: 281

Bone remodelling

... helps to repair microdamages in bone matrix preventing the accumulation of old bone. It also plays an important role in maintaining plasma calcium homeostasis. The regulation of bone remodeling is both systemic and local. The major systemic regulators include parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitriol, ...

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by matrix23
Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:08 am
 
Forum: Physiology
Topic: Bone remodelling
Replies: 10
Views: 12783

Respiratory vs metabolic acidosis/alkalosis

... (sp?) principle and increasing the pH. What you are witnessing in the questions you posed is the body's natural reaction to deviations from homeostasis. Breathing fast (1st question) would counter a low pH by getting rid of excess CO2. Breathing slow (2nd question) would lower pH by keeping ...

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by CarlosG
Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:03 am
 
Forum: Physiology
Topic: Respiratory vs metabolic acidosis/alkalosis
Replies: 1
Views: 621

Re: Energy Homeostasis

It is now recognized that there are many central and peripheral factors involved in energy homeostasis, and it is expected that the understanding of these mechanisms should lead to effective treatments for the control of obesity.

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by Nataly56
Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:11 am
 
Forum: Physiology
Topic: Energy Homeostasis
Replies: 3
Views: 1841

Are red blood cells alive?

... are life and death? I think life is "just" (bio)chemistry, played by the rules of physics - and death is something that happens when the homeostasis of that chemical process is irreversibly terminated. Of course this still doesn't really answer the question, since we have viruses and ...

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by biohazard
Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:46 am
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: Are red blood cells alive?
Replies: 3
Views: 452
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