homeostasis
Meaning of homeostasis: The maintenance of stable internal conditions within a living system.
Definition of homeostasis
Homeostasis is the body’s ability to regulate its internal environment within ranges compatible with life. Temperature, blood glucose, fluid balance, and blood pH are examples of variables controlled through homeostatic mechanisms.
How homeostasis is built
homeo
stasis
homeostasis
- homo-, homeo- Prefix · Greek same, alike, unchanging
- -stasis Suffix · Greek stopping, controlling, standing still
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Also known as
physiologic equilibrium
Used in a sentence
Sweating helps preserve temperature homeostasis during exercise.
Good to know
Homeostasis is dynamic: values fluctuate within regulated ranges rather than remaining perfectly constant.
Word origin
Where “homeostasis” comes from
From Greek homoios, “similar,” and stasis, “standing still.”