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What is it? |
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Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment.
Homeostasis is a term coined in 1959 to describe the physical and chemical parameters that an
organism must maintain to allow proper functioning of its component cells, tissues, organs,
and organ systems. Single-celled organisms are surrounded by their external environment. Most
multicellular organisms have most of their cells protected from the external environment,
having them surrounded by an aqueous (water containing) internal environment. This
internal environment must be maintained in such a state as to allow maximum efficiency. The
ultimate control of homeostasis is done by the
nervous system. Often this
control is in the form of negative feedback loops. As an example, heat control is a major
function of homeostatic conditions that involves the integration of skin, muscular, nervous,
and circulatory systems. Multicellular organisms have a series of organs and organ systems that function in homeostasis. Changes in the external environment can trigger changes in the internal environment as a response. Origin: Greek, stasis = stoppage
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