Homeostasis

In biology, homeostasis (in British English also homoeostasis) is the process by which living organisms maintain relatively stable internal physical and chemical conditions despite changes in their internal or external environment. Body temperature, blood glucose, blood pressure, fluid balance, levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, pH, and the concentrations of ions such as sodium, potassium, and calcium are all homeostatically regulated variables. These variables are generally maintained within physiological ranges rather than at absolutely constant values; set points for some regulated variables may also change, as occurs with circadian variation in body temperature or during fever. Homeostatic regulation commonly operates through negative feedback. Sensors detect changes in a regulated variable, control mechanisms coordinate an appropriate response, and effectors act to counter the deviation. Regulation can involve the nervous system, endocrine system, and organs: the kidneys, lungs, liver, and pancreas, as well as cellular mechanisms such as the regulation of gene expression. Predictive homeostasis consists of anticipatory responses to expected changes, but these require feedback mechanisms to correct deviations. Together, homeostatic processes maintain conditions in which metabolism and other physiological functions can occur. The concept of regulation of the internal environment was developed in the 19th century by the French physiologist Claude Bernard, and the term homeostasis was coined by the American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon in 1926. Failure of homeostatic mechanisms can contribute to disease; examples include type 1 diabetes, disorders of calcium regulation, and disturbances of water balance. The effectiveness of homeostatic control can also decline with aging, and compensatory mechanisms may temporarily mask chronic disease. Although primarily a biological concept, homeostasis has also been applied to the biosphere and, by analogy, in a range of other fields.