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Homeostasis

Definition

noun

(Science: Biology)

(1) The tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing conditions

(2) The ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability within its internal environment when dealing with external changes


Supplement

In humans, homeostasis happens when the body regulates body temperature in an effort to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, we sweat to cool off during the hot summer days, and we shiver to produce heat during the cold winter season.

Word origin: from the Greek: homeo, meaning unchanging + stasis, meaning standing.
Related forms: homeostatic (adjective).


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Heart Rate and Breathing Rate

... of oxygen, you breath faster and your heart pumps faster (to get the oxygen to the cells). After you exercise, your body will eventually reach homeostasis. Also, the production of ATP produces heat. In order to maintain homeostasis, your body has mechanisms to get rid of the heat, sweating, ...

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by supaumar
Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:56 am
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Heart Rate and Breathing Rate
Replies: 3
Views: 961

Heart Rate and Breathing Rate

... rate in the human body during excercise and the rest period right after excercise? What responses are made by the body to try to maintain homeostasis?

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by kwestmaster
Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:55 am
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Heart Rate and Breathing Rate
Replies: 3
Views: 961

Re: Bible vs Darwin

... us to believe that so many coincidental upward mutations happened within the same relative periods of time. B)Because of the complexity and the homeostasis of the organism 1)together with it's instinct (information) for habitat 2)together with how the organism works within the habitat 3)together ...

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by AFJ
Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:25 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Bible vs Darwin
Replies: 293
Views: 26274

Re: Homeostasis.

I think you need to plan it out kinda like this: 1.Introduction: what is homeostasis? 2.Classification : Go through annimalia and show some of the ways different organisms in different phyla employ homeostasis and in relation to their specific requirements. ...

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by favorina
Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:14 pm
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Homeostasis.
Replies: 6
Views: 3573

Re: Homeostasis.

please can you help me answer this question, it's for my college assignment and im struggling with it. The question is - why homeostasis is important in maintaining the healthy functioning of the body.

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by ch31s34
Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:30 pm
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Homeostasis.
Replies: 6
Views: 3573
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