Meaning & use
homeostasis
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Meanings
noununcountablebiologytechnical
The process by which a living body keeps conditions inside it, such as temperature and sugar level, steady even when the outside world changes.
Grammar: No plural or article: the body maintains homeostasis.
Patterns
- maintain homeostasis
- homeostasis of something
Sweating is one way the body keeps homeostasis when it overheats.
Kidney failure disrupts homeostasis of fluids and salts.
Blood sugar homeostasis depends on the hormone insulin.
noununcountabletechnicalfigurative
A state of balance in any system, such as an ecosystem or society, that tends to return to stability after a disturbance.
Grammar: Figurative or extended use outside strict biology.
Patterns
- restore homeostasis
The pond reached homeostasis after the flood receded.
Economists describe the market's drift back to homeostasis.
A calm routine can help a family return to homeostasis.
Word forms
| plural | homeostases |
|---|
Common combinations
- maintain homeostasis
- The liver helps maintain homeostasis in the body.
- disrupt homeostasis
- Dehydration can disrupt homeostasis.
- restore homeostasis
- Rest helps restore homeostasis after exercise.
- temperature homeostasis
- Temperature homeostasis keeps us near thirty-seven degrees Celsius.
- cellular homeostasis
- Cellular homeostasis depends on channels in the cell membrane.
Synonyms and how they differ
- equilibrium
- Equilibrium is a general balance of forces, while homeostasis is an active biological process of self-regulation.
- stability
- Stability is the result, whereas homeostasis names the mechanism that produces it.
- balance
- Balance is everyday and vague, but homeostasis refers to specific regulated conditions.
Opposites
Word family
- homeostatic adjective
- relating to homeostasis
- homeostatically adverb
- in a way that keeps balance
- stasis noun
- a state of no change
Commonly confused: homeostasis or homogeneous?
homeostasis vs homogeneous
Homogeneous means of the same kind throughout, which is unrelated to regulating body conditions.
Practice
When you get cold and begin to shiver, your body is trying to maintain ____.
Choose one answer.
Shivering generates heat to keep body temperature steady, which is homeostasis. Hibernation is a long winter sleep and does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “homeostasis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.