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Homeostasis

MCAT glossary · Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

Definition

The maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external change.

Homeostasis in plain English

Homeostasis is your body's constant balancing act to keep its inside conditions steady no matter what's happening outside — stable temperature, blood sugar, water, acidity, and so on. It works like the thermostat in a house: when a room gets too cold the heater kicks on, and when it's too warm the heater shuts off, always nudging things back toward a set target. Your body runs dozens of these feedback loops at once (sweating when hot, shivering when cold), because most of your cells only survive within a narrow 'just right' range. This steady internal world is what lets you function even when the environment around you is swinging wildly.

Practice Homeostasis

Keeping internal conditions within a stable range is called:

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