homeostasis - the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.
autotroph - An organism that manufactures its own food from inorganic substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia.
mitochondria - an organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has a double membrane, the inner layer being folded inward to form layers (cristae).