Describe the Concept and Discuss the Importance of Homeostasis

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Describe the Concept and Discuss the Importance of Homeostasis

Homeostasis occurs to some extent in all living organisms. All organisms need some control on their internal environmental conditions in order to ensure that they will be able to survive. Since many of the metabolic reactions that occur within an organism depend on the use of enzymes or even the use of other organisms such as prokaryotic bacteria, it is essential that the optimal conditions required for the functioning of that enzyme be provided. Homeostasis therefore, is 'the tendency of organisms to regulate and maintain relative internal stability', and involves, among other processes, the maintenance of a constant body temperature, glucose concentration, pH, osmotic pressure, oxygen level, and ion concentrations.

The ability to maintain a constant internal environment, with which we are most familiar, is that of a constant body temperature in homeothermic organisms. For example, the average body temperature of a human is 36.6°C, and varies not more than 0.5 of a degree in healthy humans. However, Poikilotherms are animals whose body temperature fluctuates with the ambient temperature, and thus have no biochemical method of temperature maintenance. Since control is needed however, Poikilotherms, such as chameleons, have