homeostasis
historical usage of homeostasis
Greek has many compounds formed with homoio-, especially technical terms in rhetoric ( homoitéleutos “having similar endings or codas in phrases or verses"), biology ( homoiótropos “of animals, displaying similar behavior"), and physics ( homoiotachḗs “moving with equal velocity”).
Hómoios is a derivative of the adjective homós “the same, one and the same,” from Proto-Indo-European somós, source of Germanic samaz, which becomes Old Norse samr, adopted into English as same. Sanskrit has the adjective samá- “the same, similar”; Slavic (Polish) has sam “the same.”
Stásis forms many compound nouns in Greek, such as stasíarchos “(political or factional) party leader,” xenóstasis “inn for strangers,” and anástasis “standing up, removal, expulsion,” also meaning “resurrection” once each in Aeschylus’s Eumenides and in the New Testament's Epistle to the Hebrews. Anástasis forms the Greek proper names Anastásios (masculine) and Anastasía (in Late Latin Anastasius and Anastasia ).
OTHER WORDS FROM homeostasis
ho·me·o·stat·ic [hoh-mee-uh-stat-ik], /ˌhoʊ mi əˈstæt ɪk/, adjectiveho·me·o·stat·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby homeostasis
MORE ABOUT HOMEOSTASIS
What is homeostasis?
Homeostasis is the tendency of an organism or body to maintain internal stability.
The most well-known example of homeostasis is body temperature. The human body wants to stay at a steady temperature (on average, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). If you get too hot or cold, your body will react in order to return itself to its preferred temperature.
If you are getting too hot, for example, your nervous system will send signals to the brain. The brain wants these signals to stop so it will react by causing the body to sweat or increasing blood circulation to the skin. It will do this until the body temperature returns to an acceptable level and the signals stop. This is referred to as a negative (as in opposite) feedback response system.
Homeostasis is a trend or preference of a system, like your body’s desire to stay at a steady temperature. The body doesn’t have to be told or forced to perform homeostasis. It does it automatically. Almost always, a failure of the body to maintain homeostasis will lead to death.
Why is homeostasis important?
The first records of the term homeostasis come from around 1925. It combines the stem homeo–, meaning “similar,” and the word stasis, meaning “equilibrium.” The term homeostasis was coined by physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon, who noticed that animal bodies changed their internal processes in reaction to stress. Cannon also coined the term fight or flight in reference to these kinds of bodily reactions.
Homeostasis is not one single bodily process but a collection of processes to maintain a certain condition in the body. The human body constantly works to ensure many different conditions, such as oxygen levels, the amount of water in the body, and hormone levels, are at a healthy state. While it usually does this without you having to think about it, sometimes your behavior will change to aid in homeostasis, such as when you drink more water when it’s hot outside or put on warm clothing when it is cold out.
Humans are not the only animals whose bodies maintain homeostasis. In fact, even plants have to maintain homeostasis or risk dying. Plant cells work to ensure a healthy balance of performing photosynthesis without losing too much water and becoming dehydrated.
Did you know … ?
Many diseases are, in actuality, homeostasis not occurring like it is supposed to. For example, diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot (or incorrectly attempts to) maintain proper blood sugar levels. Because their bodies cannot do it naturally, people with diabetes have to work to maintain proper glucose levels to avoid serious health problems.
What are real-life examples of homeostasis?
Students usually learn about homeostasis in science class.
What if “homie” comes from “homeostasis” because your boys help keep you stable and grounded 🥺
— SIKE major, EIT (@uwouldathot) September 26, 2020
my body’s homeostasis has been replaced with a constant state of cardiac distress because of the celtics-heat series
— sports guy andrew 🏌️♂️ (@yungaverage) September 21, 2020
What other words are related to homeostasis?
Quiz yourself!
True or False?
The body failing to maintain homeostasis is a very serious, often life-threatening, situation.
How to use homeostasis in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for homeostasis
homoeostasis
Derived forms of homeostasis
homeostatic or homoeostatic (ˌhəʊmɪəʊˈstætɪk), adjectiveScientific definitions for homeostasis
Cultural definitions for homeostasis
The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes. A simple example of homeostasis is the body's ability to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (see also Fahrenheit), whatever the temperature outside.