What term refers to the balance maintained by an organism's internal environment?

Homeostasis is the term used to describe the balance that an organism maintains within its internal environment. This balance is crucial for the proper functioning of physiological processes, allowing organisms to regulate factors such as temperature, pH, hydration, and nutrient levels regardless of external environmental changes. For example, humans maintain a stable body temperature around 37°C (98.6°F) through various mechanisms like sweating or shivering.

The concept of homeostasis highlights the dynamic processes involved in maintaining stable internal conditions, which are vital for survival. It distinguishes living organisms from non-living entities, as they actively strive to maintain this equilibrium through feedback mechanisms and regulatory systems. In contrast, metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within the body to convert food into energy, adaptation relates to changes in an organism over time in response to environmental pressures, and evolution involves the change in heritable traits of a population over generations. Together, these concepts all play a role in the life processes of organisms, but homeostasis specifically addresses the maintenance of internal balance.