Category: SciencePart of speech: nounDifficulty: Advanced

homeostasis

/ˌhəʊ.mi.əʊˈsteɪ.sɪs/Roman

English meaning: Homeostasis

English Definition

(English)

Homeostasis (Greek: homoios = same, stasis = standing) describes the self-regulating processes by which biological organisms maintain stable internal conditions. Negative feedback loops are the primary mechanism — when a variable deviates from its set point, sensors detect the change and effectors act to restore balance. Homeostasis failure underlies diseases like diabetes (glucose dysregulation) and fever.

English Definition

The tendency of biological systems to maintain a stable internal environment despite external fluctuations. Human homeostasis regulates body temperature (37°C), blood glucose, pH, and fluid balance through feedback mechanisms.

Example

Diabetes results from a failure of glucose homeostasis — the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin to maintain blood sugar within the normal range.

In English: Diabetes is fundamentally a failure of glucose homeostasis in the body.

Synonyms

  • equilibrium
  • self-regulation
  • physiological balance

Antonyms / Opposites

  • dysregulation
  • disequilibrium

Literary Heritage

To see a World in a Grain of Sand, and a Heaven in a Wild Flower, hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, and Eternity in an hour.

To see a World in a Grain of Sand, and a Heaven in a Wild Flower, hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, and Eternity in an hour.

William Blake · Poet / Artist · 18th–19th century

Milton

Auguries of Innocence, opening quatrain, c. 1803 (published in Milton, 1804)

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