Final answer:
Homeostasis imbalance can be caused by environmental factors like extreme temperatures or toxins, and physiological factors such as aging or malfunctioning negative feedback mechanisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two factors that can contribute to homeostasis imbalance include external environmental changes and internal physiological changes. Environmental factors such as extreme temperature, lack of nutrients, and exposure to toxins can disturb the body's balance.
On the physiological side, the aging process can lead to a decline in the efficiency of homeostatic mechanisms, and diseases like diabetes can result from the failure of specific homeostats such as those regulating blood glucose levels.
Homeostasis is generally maintained by a negative feedback loop involving a stimulus, sensor, control center, and effector. When these elements do not function correctly or are overwhelmed, homeostasis can fail, resulting in an imbalance that might lead to disease, or, in severe cases, death.