Final answer:
The claim that negative feedback tends to stabilize a system is true. Negative feedback counters changes in a system, leading to homeostasis, and is crucial to maintain stability in living organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that negative feedback tends to stabilize a system is true. Negative feedback involves a reaction to a stimulus in the opposite direction of the stimulus. This process performs a corrective action that helps maintain stability within a system. For instance, if a plant were to start losing water at a rate that is too fast due to high temperatures, negative feedback mechanisms like closing of stomata can help to reduce water loss and stabilize the plant's internal environment.
Systems in equilibrium rely on negative feedback to remain stable. For example, in biological organisms, such mechanisms help maintain consistent internal conditions like temperature and pH by modulating physiological processes in response to changes. When negative feedback mechanisms are altered, students can predict the effects on the organism at the molecular, physiological, or organismal level.