ENGLISH
REFERENCE

homeostasis

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˌhoʊmioʊˈsteɪsəs// home·osta·sis

n. the body's way of keeping its internal environment stable and healthy. It is how your body stays at the right temperature, pH, and water level even when the outside world changes.

n. the physiological process by which an organism maintains internal stability and equilibrium in response to external changes. Often used in biological and medical contexts to describe regulatory mechanisms.


SIMPLE

Sweating is one way the body maintains homeostasis.

CONTEXTUAL

When you exercise in the heat, your body uses homeostasis to prevent your internal temperature from rising to dangerous levels.

COMPLEX

The endocrine system plays a critical role in homeostasis by releasing hormones that regulate blood sugar levels and fluid balance throughout the body.

Origin

Coined from Ancient Greek ὅμοιος (hómoios, “similar, the same”) + -stasis by Walter Bradford Cannon, from Ancient Greek στάσις (stásis, “standing, state”).

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