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Question

Homeostasis can be defined as

A
The body’s tendency to change the body temperature with the changes in the environment
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B
The process by which an organism acclimatizes to the conditions of its surroundings
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C
The body’s tendency to maintain a constant internal environment at all times
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D
The body’s tendency to change the osmotic balance of the body with the changes in the environment
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Solution

The correct option is C The body’s tendency to maintain a constant internal environment at all times
Homoeostasis refers to the process by which the body maintains a constant and stable internal environment.

Interaction with the external environment is one of the primary feature of every organism. Environment consists of both biotic (living organisms) and abiotic (temperature, humidity, pH, salinity, etc.) factors. Changes in the abiotic factors of the environment causes an organism to respond in various ways.

Homoeostasis can be achieved by the following means :
  • Thermoregulation - Regulating the temperature by sweating during summers to cool down the body or shivering during the winters to generate body heat. These techniques help to maintain a constant body temperature
  • Osmoregulation - Regulating the osmotic balance of the body with the help of kidneys to keep it constant. If there is excessive water loss, then the kidneys reabsorb more water during urine formation to conserve water. If the body has excessive water then the kidneys expel it during urine formation by producing highly dilute urine.
Some organisms known as regulators prefer to regulate their internal environment to maintain a constant stable state. E.g., mammals and birds.

Maintaining a constant internal environment is important because the metabolic functions within the body require optimal conditions of temperature, pH, osmotic concentrations, etc., which can be achieved only through homeostasis. This helps regulators to perform better in various environmental conditions and is the key to their survival in diverse ecological habitats.

Organisms like conformers prefer to conform to the changes in the external environment and change their temperature or osmotic balance accordingly. E.g., most invertebrates and plants.

The process by which an organism acclimatizes to the conditions of its surroundings is known as adaptation. For example, camels have fat stored in their hump to be oxidised to produce water for metabolic reactions.

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