Homeostasis

Homeostasis, self-regulating mechanisms through which biological systems maintain a stable internal condition in the face of changes in the external environment. The French physiologist Claude Bernard (1813–78) was the first to show that the internal environment of any living organism is maintained within certain limits. Homeostasis is generally achieved through on-off control and feedback control. Hormones often play a vital role in it.

See also: Bernard, Claude.