What is the term that ensures the body's internal environment remains stable despite external changes?

The term that ensures the body's internal environment remains stable despite external changes is homeostasis. Homeostasis refers to the various processes and mechanisms that the body employs to maintain a stable internal state, including temperature regulation, pH balance, and fluid balance. These processes are crucial for the proper functioning of cells and organs, allowing the body to respond and adjust to varying external conditions such as temperature fluctuations, injury, or changes in the environment.

By continuously monitoring internal conditions through feedback systems, homeostasis involves coordination between different systems within the body, such as the endocrine and nervous systems. For instance, when body temperature rises, mechanisms like sweating and increased blood flow to the skin activate to cool the body down, highlighting the dynamic nature of homeostatic regulation.

Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within the body to maintain life, including the conversion of food into energy, but it does not directly address the stability of the internal environment. Adaptation refers to long-term changes that occur in response to environmental pressures, while irritability pertains to the ability of an organism to respond to stimuli. While these concepts are important in understanding physiological processes, they do not encompass the broad and fundamental principle of maintaining internal stability, which is central to homeostasis.