Final answer:
A positive feedback loop pushes an organism's physiology away from its setpoints, amplifying processes, while a negative feedback loop resists changes to maintain homeostasis. Body temperature regulation is a common example of a negative feedback loop.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'feedback loop' refers to a system used to maintain homeostasis, or stable internal conditions, within an organism. Two main types of feedback loops exist in biological systems: positive feedback loops and negative feedback loops. A positive feedback loop pushes an organism's physiology further away from its normal setpoints and is typically used to amplify or speed up processes, such as blood clotting or the onset of labor during childbirth. Conversely, a negative feedback loop acts to resist changes by returning the organism to its normal setpoint, helping to maintain homeostasis. An example of a negative feedback loop is body temperature regulation, where deviations from the set body temperature are corrected by physiological processes like shivering or sweating.
Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are indeed influenced by changes in the system's environment. Homeostatic processes allow an organism to adapt to these changes and maintain a stable internal environment essential for survival.