What term describes the process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment?

• A. Homeostasis
• B. Drive
• C. Need
• D. Instincts

Answer: (A)

Maintaining a relatively stable internal environment is homeostasis. This process keeps key conditions like body temperature, pH, and glucose levels within narrow ranges even when the outside world changes. The body uses sensors and control systems to detect deviations from a desired state and trigger responses that bring conditions back toward normal. For example, when you’re hot, sweating and blood vessel dilation help cool you down; when you’re cold, shivering and heat conservation help raise your temperature. Blood glucose is kept stable by insulin and glucagon to prevent dangerous swings. These adjustments mainly rely on negative feedback, which works to counteract the initial change.

Drive, need, and instincts refer to motivation, basic requirements, and inherited behavior patterns, respectively, and do not describe the process that keeps internal conditions steady.