Final answer:
Homeostasis is the process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions, involving feedback mechanisms to adjust and regulate vital internal parameters, such as temperature, glucose levels, and pH.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment in the face of varying external conditions is known as homeostasis. This biological concept is critical for the survival of all living things, as it enables them to keep their internal conditions within a narrow, optimal range, despite changes in the external environment. For instance, humans maintain a stable internal body temperature using mechanisms like shivering when it is cold outside. Other examples of homeostasis include glucose regulation in the blood and the maintenance of a stable pH in bodily fluids.
The ability of organisms to maintain a stable internal environment through feedback mechanisms is vital. These feedback mechanisms can be negative or positive, with negative feedback loops being the most common in biological systems. For example, when body temperature rises, sweat glands are triggered to release sweat, and this process evaporates to cool the body down, thus lowering the temperature back to a stable level.
Overall, homeostasis is a fundamental concept in biology that explains how organisms adapt to external changes while keeping things constant internally, ensuring their continual survival.