Understanding Biological Equilibrium - Biology

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Question

Which of the following is true when the body is under homeostasis?

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Answer

Homeostasis means "staying still" in Greek, and is a property of the human body that describes when functions and processes allow the conditions of the body to remain stable. This does not mean that the body ceases any function. It simply means that the current functions of the body are able to keep the body at a stable condition.

For example, blood glucose in the body is under homeostatic regulation by the hormones insulin and glucagon. Both hormones are always in circulation, meaning that glucose is both being released into the blood and begin taken from the blood for storage. The result is a stable amount of glucose because both processes occur together. When a meal causes blood glucose to rise, insulin levels increase and glucagon levels decrease to accommodate the change, but both hormones are still present. This creates a dynamic equilibrium in which glucose is both retained and released, allowing a stable amount to be in circulation.

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