homeostasis

American  

[hoh-mee-uh-stey-sis] / ˌhoʊ mi əˈsteɪ sɪs /

noun

1. the tendency of a system, especially the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus that would tend to disturb its normal condition or function.

2. Psychology. a state of psychological equilibrium obtained when tension or a drive has been reduced or eliminated.

3. Entomology. the ability of members of a colony of social insects to behave cooperatively to produce a desired result, as when bees coordinate the fanning of their wings to cool the hive.

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homeostasis British  

/ ˌhəʊmɪəʊˈstætɪk, ˌhəʊmɪəʊˈsteɪsɪs /

noun

1. the maintenance of metabolic equilibrium within an animal by a tendency to compensate for disrupting changes

2. the maintenance of equilibrium within a social group, person, etc

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homeostasis Scientific  

/ hō′mē-ō-stā′sĭs /

1. The tendency of an organism or cell to regulate its internal conditions, such as the chemical composition of its body fluids, so as to maintain health and functioning, regardless of outside conditions. The organism or cell maintains homeostasis by monitoring its internal conditions and responding appropriately when these conditions deviate from their optimal state. The maintenance of a steady body temperature in warm-blooded animals is an example of homeostasis. In human beings, the homeostatic regulation of body temperature involves such mechanisms as sweating when the internal temperature becomes excessive and shivering to produce heat, as well as the generation of heat through metabolic processes when the internal temperature falls too low.

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homeostasis Cultural  

1. 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.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• homeostatic adjective
• homeostatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of homeostasis

First recorded in 1925–30; homeo- + stasis

Explanation

Homeostasis is a word you learn in biology. It refers to a cell's home state — the way it wants to be, and should be if everything that regulates the cell is working. Although seeing stasis inside the word homeostasis might make you think there's something static or still about it, there's not; homeostasis is only achieved through the running of complicated systems in the body that regulate metabolic activity. "Once all the poison had been flushed from the body, the patient's cells began again to maintain homeostasis. The patient's color returned and she was able to get out of bed."

Example Sentences

Endocannabinoids are compounds that the body produces on demand to help maintain internal stability and balance, known as homeostasis.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025

This system works to maintain homeostasis by balancing the body’s temperature, pain and immune response.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2025

"This knowledge about Inceptor's function gives us a deeper understanding of how beta cells regulate their insulin homeostasis," says Heiko Lickert.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2024

And does metformin treatment lead to long-term negative physiological changes in the offspring, especially in connection with the development of neuronal circuits in the hypothalamus, a critical region in the regulation of energy homeostasis?

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2024

On the board, he’d written the definition of homeostasis, but I hadn’t paid much attention beyond that.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Related Words

• equilibrium