Even when the external environment is rapidly changing, homeostasis keeps the body’s internal environment constant and steady.
In the 1920s, an American physiologist named Walter B. Cannon invented the word “homeostasis.”
Cannon described homeostasis as “coordinated physiological processes” that maintain “steady states” in a living organism.
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When it’s cold outside, the body shivers to stay warm.
How It Works
Homeostasis typically involves negative feedback loops.
Within these loops, negative stimuli automatically trigger mechanisms to help homeostasis’s dynamic equilibrium process.
Homeostasis’s ultimate goal is to help the body maintain a constant and relatively stable internal environment whenever possible.
Every living thing relies on homeostatic processes for its survival.
When homeostasis fails to function properly, internal imbalances can lead to sickness and even death.
Homeostatic mechanisms are triggered by negative feedback or any stimuli that throw off the body’s inner balance.
There are seven types of homeostasis that maintain a stable and constant internal environment regardless of external environmental changes.
Every living thing relies on homeostasis for its real-time and long-term survival.
It helps organisms regulate themselves in response to changes in their environment.
Even something as simple as sweating on a hot day is key to maintaining this balance and staying healthy.
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